It would seem as though at institutions of higher learning, commitments to advancing issues of social justice, equity, equality and multicultural engagement are reactionary responses to examples of the contrary. I say this to highlight incidents such as the recent “Compton Cookout” at the University of California San Diego and the subsequent noose hanging meant to intimidate Black Students through base understandings of bigotry and hatred. Unfortunately we don’t even have to limit the scope of understanding to analyzing the left coast. A much closer example would be the Black History Month themed party at Notre Dame entitled “G’z and Purple Drank”. Without the intention of a pun, these parties would be easier to swallow if they took place far outside the reach of higher learning. Sadly this is not the case. These events which contribute to and distribute widespread ignorance simply leads individual understanding of diversity and multiculturalism to be defined by stereotypical boxes that confine the existence of culture and community to the comedy of color; a phrase which here means the unfortunate and shameful caricatures which are far too frequently perpetuated in the media. The very same imagery which is played out consistently in movies and print advertisements and commercials are the same shackles of shame that institutions dedicated to education do nothing to dispel. The hatred and intimidation endured by marginalized and oppressed communities is celebrated seemingly more than the achievements since the time when such acts were not prohibited. The side effect has thus become creating victims of history on one side and institutions as abettors of its repetition on the other. This realization should be evident after a laundry list of racially motivated incidents display swift reaction but little to no pro-activity. Furthermore, one could argue that in standing idly by, assuming race and social justice are low ranking issues on college campuses means effectively we do very little to stop the spread of hate yet do everything to incubate it.
Incidents like the one at UCSD in February 2010, The stabbing of Sean Osborne at University of Louisville in April of 2009, Racial Profiling at Harvard in August 2008, the racially motivated attack at Westchester Community College in December of 2008, like the Korean-American attacked at Washington State in February of 2008, the “Gangsta” party at Clemson where blackface and malt liquor was present in January of 2007, or the Noose found on a professor’s office door at Columbia in October of 2007 show that diversity has been acknowledged and education has been had, but negativity has shaped their context and the climate because university administrators failed to take a positive lead.
http://www.theloop21.com/news/map-incidents-racism-college-campuses
In other words, a lack of commitment to diversity and half-hearted approach to increasing awareness often furthers the ignorance because we cease to scratch beneath the surface of what’s necessary to buck the trend.
We celebrate diversity only when appropriate, and discourage dialogue about what’s difficult. We develop brick and mortar associations dedicated to communication skills, critical thinking, application of knowledge, value and ethics but only in so far as academics alone will direct when it comes to social justice and multiculturalism. We limit our celebration of culture to fashion shows and food and avoid the deeper discussions of their place within a particular heritage in the interest of time. The basis of what makes Asian, Latino, Native American and Black cultures unique is then relegated not only to a month but to museum style study that limits engagement to what’s interesting and “fun”. Conversations of oppression, sexism, discrimination and racism are avoided in favor of “feel good & fuzzy”; a faux commitment which does everyone a disservice. What seems most disheartening is the fact that recognizing the lack of commitment comes at the expense of students. A Latino male who has to hear that the bathroom needs to be cleaned when he’s mistaken for a maintenance man or a janitor by a professor who is educated solely by stereotypes; or an instructor who tells a black student that they can be excused to finish their drug deal when a phone rings during a test. The community feels the sting of insensitivity when Native American Heritage Month is advertised with mascots, face paint and Pocahontas imagery with Totem Poles, Teepee’s and Tomahawks. We put on programming for the students to make them feel “included” for 28 to 30 days of sporadic mention yet for the remaining 300 or so days they suffer in silence because of lack of statistical significance. Limited objectivity led someone to rally the troops and suggest to these colleges that we honor these communities and their contributions to society by hosting heritage and history months, but in reality the entire year needs to be dedicated to campus wide discussion, dialogue and earnest engagement in progressing an inclusive mentality that doesn’t limit anyone to arms length capacity for understanding.
Maybe then we could establish a mentality that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. We can no longer take solace in the absence of incident as evidence of achievement! We need to have persistent dialogue and engagement to push beyond tolerance to concrete understanding. Diversity has to be more than words, food and clothes it needs to be action. As educators we have an opportunity to reach beyond the communities immediately within our reach. How can we expand the impact? Diversity can't be limited to spaces and high paid positions. It has to be lived. We can’t check off structures and programs as resources that address diversity, we have to participate in the construction of a reality that makes diversity celebrated and not demonstrated. We have to engage in work that allows social justice to feel attainable and not an uphill battle no one wants to wage from years of fatigue. Racism, sexism, discrimination and oppression are parts of a socially constructed hierarchy of dominant and subordinate culture; a constructed reality of what is good and bad, better than or inferior. We’re educators. We’re student affairs professionals and researchers. Maybe for a change of pace we should table the theoretical and conceptual and attack the injustice we’ve avoided for far too long. Move beyond the heritage months, go beyond the divisions of diversity, no one position or building will hamper these issues from arising. We must do more.
Racism begins with our families, parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents, people we admire, respect and love.
However, as we grow and mature we come to the realization that what we were told by our family when we were children were slanted lies base on their prejudices. We realize that most people are like ourselves and not so different and want the same things, like a home, steady work, a Medicare plan and schools for our children (if you travel you will see this). We realize that most people are of good hearts and goodwill.
This reminds me of a parable from the good book where a Levite and Priest come upon a man who fell among thieves and they both individually passed by and didn’t stop to help him.
Finally a man of another race came by, he got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy and got down with the injured man, administered first aid, and helped the man in need.
Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the “I” into the “thou,” and to be concerned about his fellow man.
You see, the Levite and the Priest were afraid, they asked themselves, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”
But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
That’s the question before us. The question is not, “If I stop to help our fellow man in need, what will happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop to help our fellow man, what will happen to him or her?” That’s the question.
This current climate of blaming, mocking and demeaning others for our own short comings, is not new, we have had this before and we have conquered it.
Remember “Evil flourishes when good men (and women) do nothing”. Raise your voices with those of us who believe we are equal and we can win this battle again.
Posted on March 1, 2010 at 4:19 PM
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