(ironically, also a political science student)
I'll give you all a minute to recover...pick your jaw up off of the floor...punch a pillow...scream a little
Feel a little better? Yes? Great!
We discussed this video in my Diversity in Higher Education class, and honestly I was shocked that people were shocked. Certainly the amount of diverse ethnicities and cultural groups on college campuses has increased over the years, but that doesn't mean that there is meaningful interaction occurring between us. I am speaking from my own undergraduate experience and I recognize that not all campuses are the same, but as a queer multi-ethnic person I existed differently in different spaces. Not to say that I didn't bring all of my identities into whatever clubs and organizations I was in, but I will say that I was much more aware of the lack of intercultural sensitivity in various instances.
For Example:
A) It was hard being a person of color/socio-economic minority in the one queer organization on campus because I felt some blatant discomfort with those identities. Specifically, when an incident occurred between a cultural-fraternity member and a member of the queer group. There was a lot of talk in the group about "black homophobia." But we know damn well homophobia is everywhere.
B) Someone once told me that I spoke so well for an "inner-city kid."
C) On more than one occasion, I was assumed to be an EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) student based solely on my skin color.
D) During a club meeting focused around light-skin vs. dark-skin media portrayals and community, I was forced to sit on the light-skin side, which is fine because I am light. But then there was a bunch of talk about how light-skin African Americans didn't choose their complexion. Rather, it was years of sexual violence in their family histories by white slave owners. While light skin and "good hair" are often seen as more beautiful, many folks were enraged but their European bloodlines. This was also fine because this history is a very real, very painful, truth. But I'm half black and half white, and I am not ashamed of or angry at either. I made a very conscious choice to stay quiet about my interracial parents.
E) Sometimes I felt like the only brown face in a sea of queer white friends, and I wasn't sure if I was just a token. I'm sorry, but some days that's just how I felt.
And believe me, I'm not the only one with these types of stories. I once saw an racially-charged fight break out right behind my apartment. There was a group of 15 young men, primarily white with one or two black men among them, and one of the white students said "what's up nigga?" to one of the black students. There was immediate violence, as some might expect, but the white student didn't expect to get punched at all. As he was being tackled to the ground by the black student, all I could hear him say was "I said nigga, not nigger...there's a difference." Who the hell told him there was a difference, and that it was ok for him to use any form of that word? I think he learned his lesson.
The point of all these stories, and this disturbing video, is that getting diverse people on a college campus is NOT enough. Meaningful dialogue might occur naturally, but there's no guarantee. Campus administrators shouldn't feel complacent or as though they've done their diversity duty just because they've recruited people of color. Are clubs organized or comprised of homogeneous students? How are diverse people being supported, and nurtured, and integrated? How are privileged people being challenged? Are we even talking to one another outside of the classroom? Keeping in mind that little interaction is occurring between social-identity groups: If gaining a seat in the student government is purely based on voting, but your school is 77% white, how many people of color are actually being voted into positions of power? Keeping the educational achievement gap in mind, how many professors of color have you actually encountered? And this is just race and ethnicity. I'd need a whole other blog post for different forms of oppression and power and representation.
I'm just frustrated y'all! And I know there are folks out there that are helping to create genuine conversations and learn on college campuses. And I know I hope to be one of those educators one day. But more often than not, this education happens for folks who choose to be challenged. I don't think the Alexandra Wallaces out there are signing up for diversity seminars or intergroup dialogues. How do we reach them!?
On a side note: Ms. Wallace has dropped out of UCLA. Sure we all have freedom of speech, but we better be prepared to deal with the consequences of our words.
How do you feel about it?
There's no way she's "about to hit an epiphany" every 15 minutes.
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