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Europe Diary Accounts of Howard Student

Solace in Romania

Hungary reflection

Growing up Black in America was often like looking for rainbows at night. Budapest was my burst of light. I initially thought that studying at Central European University in Hungary, as an African-American woman, was a daring risk. Then, early in my time in Budapest, I saw a Roma woman in torn shoes standing silently on the steps of the train station at Keleti Palyaudvar. I now know that my interest in Roma and minority rights in Eastern Europe comes partly from my own experience of marginalization.

Fortunately, minority rights standards promoted by the European Union have transformed the policy agenda in Central and Eastern Europe. I see an unparalleled opportunity for integration of minorities, and I am fully convinced that my experience as an African-American can offer a useful reference in the policy arena.

Admittedly there were challenging aspects of the experience. As any early explorer sent out on reconnaissance, I must report that the Hungarians I encountered were not hostile. (Warning: the following statement is based on the brief observation of one Black woman with an honest partiality towards tolerance). For instance, the permanent gaze that I received in any public space was new to me and also very awkward. While awkwardness did not fully subside, the gaze that I experienced was one of compelling curiosity, almost as one might look at the skyscrapers is Manhattan. Still, Eastern Europe is not for the faint hearted. For the most part, the basic narrative of our experience as Blacks in the new world is not common knowledge and patience, passion and personal mission are essential. There was also an overwhelming respect for Americans. I had wonderful classmates from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Cameroon, Armenia, Mongolia Albania, Russia, Nigeria, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia, Macedonia, Croatia, Estonia etc. Truthfully, the only time that I heard any negative statement son America was from my American counterparts.

My research has focused on the desegregation of Romani schools and a comparative policy analysis with desegregation of schools in the United States. I also have a keen interest the disproportionate representation of minorities in special needs education in both contexts. From this experience, I will present a paper, “Desegregation of Romani Schools in Vidin, Bulgaria: Lessons from Desegregation in the United States”, at the Graduate Student Conference on Regionalism and Multiculturalism in Eastern Europe hosted by the University of Pittsburgh in February 2007. I am so very grateful for the fervent efforts and support of the graduate school during my time abroad, namely Dean Taylor, Ms. Odom, Dr. Nahal, and Ms. Lisa Rawlings. In addition, the experience would not have been successful without the very receptive and patient team at CEU.