Higher Learning

The idea of the diverse campus in Higher Learning is unique and original. The small diverse campus in the movie is just a representation of our big and diverse world in reality. Using a campus gives the movie a better chance to reflect on various issues. There are many stories in the movie which makes it rather unfocused on any of them, but in general the movie is more focused on the issues racism and belonging. What makes Higher Learning unique is it is aim to making a difference in our world.

The issue of belonging is the first reason beyond racism. In the movie we see every race grouping together. We see White, black, Hispanic, Asian, and women groups. Every group has their own parties, personal lifestyle, and different way of doing things. It is a diverse campus that brings all races together, except that all those races never really came together. Everyone is comfortable with their own group and own people, because being with someone different would disturb the status quo. Even Malik says: “I am more comfortable with my own people”. If, ever, people could overcome this issue of belonging there might not even be an issue of racism anymore.

As I look at the white characters in the movie, I see selfishness and arrogance. Whiteness is represented to us as the dominant and the controlling race. It is the dominant race, or in other words the transcendental norm. White people, or students in the movie, own everything in the country and are above all other races. They are granted more rights and better status by law. It is interesting the way Malik puts it when he said: “a black man no matter what his class, would never have the same right granted a white man by law”. The authority is white and the whole system is white, thus it protects and treats white in favor. For instance, the white campus police always stand up for their own people, with white students, and harass the black students.

Blackness, on the other hand, is dangerous, lazy, and looked down to as...