In this article, I offer suggestions for ways people can strive to combat racism and become more aware of other cultures. I recognize that, as a white person, society systematically privileges my voice, but I do not want this article to contribute to further silencing people of color. The ideas and suggestions expressed in this article are not mine alone, but represent collective thoughts from people of all backgrounds. By no means is this list exhaustive, and I do not intend for this article to serve as a definitive statement of everything that we as a society can learn from the events at Mizzou and Yale. These are simply observations that I hope will inspire readers to better educate themselves about people from different backgrounds.
By now, you’ve probably heard about the student protests and demonstrations occurring at Mizzou, Yale, Claremont McKenna, and numerous other college campuses across the country. Countless news articles and op-eds have reported on the events, weighing in on the most recent examples of student activism. Some praise the protestors for speaking out about the racism they have experienced on college campuses and support their calls for change. Others dismiss them as overly sensitive or childish and view these demonstrations as proof of a “culture of entitlement” among today’s college students.
Whether or not you choose to stand in solidarity with the students of color at Mizzou and Yale, do not overlook the significance of their protests. Even if you disagree with their methods or their demands, these students of color are trying to tell you something, and they deserve to be heard. The least you can do is take the time to listen. By doing so, you may learn some of the following lessons from the examples of student activism at Mizzou and Yale.
To fight racism, the oppressors need to listen to the oppressed.
Starting a dialogue about racism on college campuses and in society overall isn’t easy. Oftentimes, discussions of race become tense or uncomfortable unless the people involved truly make an effort to listen to one another. Specifically, it is crucial that those with social privilege do not silence those who face oppression by not acknowledging their grievances or unintentionally making the conversation about themselves. Rather than avoiding topics that make them uncomfortable or refusing to participate in dialogue, white people must actively listen to what people of color have to say. After all, you can only find out what you’re doing wrong when you pay attention and take others’ criticisms to heart.
It is not the minority’s responsibility to educate the majority.
White people are already more privileged than people of color, so why should those with less social privilege be forced to continually explain their cultures and the ways in which they are oppressed to their oppressors? They shouldn’t. The individuals with the most resources at their disposal should take the initiative to educate themselves before asking people of color to explain their experiences with racism. Minorities have to participate in majority culture each day. Recognizing this, white people should attempt to learn about minority cultures in as many ways as possible—by reading books and articles from a variety of minority authors, listening to lectures and presentations given by people of color, watching videos and films that accurately portray the traditions and beliefs of other cultures, etc.—instead of just asking people of color to talk about their cultures without having any prior knowledge whatsoever. Having a base level of understanding of the person from another background before engaging in conversation with them will allow the dialogue to be more productive.
College is the perfect time to engage in cultural networking.
More than likely, there will be few—if any—times in your life when you will live and learn in an environment as diverse and engaging as your college campus. Take advantage of these four years and push yourself to become more aware of other cultures. Try to educate yourself, but also start conversations with people of different backgrounds to ask them what they think about the latest text you read by a minority author or the presentation you watched by a person of color. If the cultural student organizations on your campus are open to everyone, attend meetings of the Black Student Union or similar groups to learn more about some of the issues these individuals face on campus. The more you discover about people who are different from you, the better you will understand their situations and, ideally, the better you will be able to promote equality.
Students must hold themselves accountable for their college educations.
If you want to become more educated about minority groups and combat racism on your college campus, speak up and let professors and administrators know about your concerns. Create a demand for diversity by enrolling in courses that address the cultures of and issues faced by people of color. When engaging in class discussions, ask for examples of concepts in other countries or cultures to avoid focusing solely on U.S. or white European culture. If you feel that your course texts are too homogenous, bring up materials written or created by people of color or ask your professor to include more diverse sources. Find ways to ensure that you learn about ideas from individuals with varying backgrounds, even if you simply do independent research outside of class.
We don’t have to wait for protests to erupt on our college campus to call for change. If you feel uninformed about issues that people of color face or if you believe that racism at your college is a serious issue, take action. Your time in college should be a period in which you can safely learn about topics that interest you as well as concepts you know nothing about. You can become a student activist even if protests and demonstrations don’t appeal to you. Simply pushing yourself and your fellow students to take more control of your education is a form of activism that can help create meaningful progress towards equality on your campus. As Roxanne Gay says in her article published in New Republic:
“Today’s student activists are doing the necessary work to ensure that the next generation that participates in the tradition of student activism will be fighting different battles. Or, perhaps, they are doing the necessary work to ensure that students, of all identities, might have a fighting chance to experience college and life beyond more equally than those who came before them.”
Thank you to President Decatur for hosting a student discussion about the protests occurring at Mizzou, Yale, and other colleges and for allowing students to voice their opinions about this issue and how it relates to Kenyon. Thank you to those students who attended the discussion and shared their thoughts about how Kenyon and its students can better address racism on our campus. Your input inspired some of the ideas covered in this article.
Thoughts from Kenyon students:
Student 1: “I’m glad the protests are happening. The more you do that is outside of your normal daily life to express support, the better. [Racial tensions at Kenyon exist] not quite to the same extent, but there is some racial tension as there is everywhere, especially in predominantly white spaces. It’s a long process [to remove these racial tensions] that doesn’t have an easy solution. Things that increase awareness of one’s own privilege and racist instances are good.”
Student 2: “I think that incidents in Mizzou speak to centuries worth of black experience that has had no outlet to be heard by white America. I feel that if more white people were exposed to what it means to be black, not just in the Antebellum South but in modern day America (see FRuitval Station, Dear White People) we could go farther to bridging what, to me, feels like a gulf in communication between the two communities. For black people, protest will always be in some way abortive until whites are taught the centuries of context that informs what’s happening. Otherwise, whites quickly write it off…In terms of Kenyon, I feel the biggest issue is how isolated the black community feels to Kenyon. We have a shit ton of white faces, and any claims of being a truly racially diverse campus seems strange to me. ‘Black Kenyon’ (I don’t know if such a community is a thing or wishes to be called such) seems very quiet on a lot of issues. I hope it isn’t from a sense of threat. I don’t know if the answer is for the black Kenyon community to speak out, if they don’t want to that’s fine, but it would be cool to be reminded we share space with not just white hipsters. Again though, I don’t know how much of this assessment is true.”
Student 3: “When I read the email sent to the student body at Yale by Erica Christakis about Halloween costumes, I thought ‘Well, duh…’ She was being completely fair in saying that college students, at Yale, should be able to make decisions about what they wear for Halloween on their own, without the school babysitting them…You don’t go to college to surround yourself with like-minded people, and reaffirm your views. You go to college to hear other people’s opinions, and reevaluate your own. When it comes to Mizzou, I feel very strongly about what has happened…First, I feel like I should say that I am African American. I know what it is like. There is racism in this country. I am not a racist. The Black Lives Matter movement has made racism worse. There is no protesting needed to stop the racism that exists…I urge all of my fellow black brothers and sisters to put themselves in the shoes of a racist, and think, what would change their views on people of color? The protesting sure won’t do it. It is more difficult in this country to be successful as a black person than it is as a white person. That is no secret. But that will never change unless we, as a people, accept it, and work until we change the perception and stereotypes…by keeping our heads down, staying off the news, and achieving success as individuals. When racist people see this, their influence on society will become weaker. Don’t give them riots to point at and say, ‘Look at those hooligans!’…We have to go above and beyond, until that is what we are known for. So I urge everybody here at Kenyon to stop treating black people like we are victims. I urge black people to stop playing the victim card…Want to make racism go away? Don’t perpetuate the conflict, because we are growing more and more divided as a nation every day.”
Student 4: “I have a brother who is a sophomore at Yale, and the insight he has given me has left me stuck in the middle on the issue. I do not support racial and segregationist policy, actions, etc. To that note, I believe the groups at Yale have a well-founded reason to be upset: they were accepted into the University for their merits and characteristics and should expect the University to give them the means to learn, grow, and achieve just like everyone else. On the other hand though, the students did apply and chose to go to Yale, where there are certain expectations set by the faculty, alum, and their peers. A part of that is to facilitate an environment that creates open and healthy discussion for all beliefs. So does that mean the school is justified to brush off allegations of racial tensions? I do not think so, as long as it does not affect the ability of the University to maintain open and healthy discussion regardless of beliefs.”
Student 5: “Their [the student activists’] actions are completely justified and we, Kenyon, should support them. I don’t know that we have to ‘do’ anything because we are so isolated. That being said it should always be a goal of our campus to be more inclusive toward students of color and it should not take an event as big as the threats at Mizzou for us to become conscious of that. Kenyon is an isolated place, but we should not and cannot ignore these threats. They are a clear indicator of racism that still pervades our country. As for what Kenyon can do, I’m not sure. Inform and educate people about institutionalized racism, maybe?”
Thank you to everyone who replied to our email and offered an opinion about these events. If you have anything else to add, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media channels!
Image Credit: New Republic, LA Times, Maymuna Abdi