Race on campus is a problem because we make it one. The fact that people are taught to accept different people’s races instead of the person themselves. Although race plays a factor in a person’s upbringing it does not always define a person. People on campus are taught to watch what they say and to not ask ignorant questions but to just not say anything at all. I believe that is the problem, everyone is taught to keep it inside, but how do you learn without asking any questions? The problem on campus is that there are many people who are ignorant to other races and are taught not to ask but to just accept without reason. Humans are naturally curios, and often one would not be able to know anything without experience or asking questions. The problem is that people are scared or told not to ask questions so they remain ignorant, which is the cause for most racist comments.
A possible solution can be open discussions at cultural houses, where anyone is allowed to come and learn about another culture or ask questions they may have. These meetings would be judgment free and open to anyone willing to learn. But then how do you tech those who do not want to be taught? That is where the campus needs to come together as a whole. If a daily email with a fun fact came out about a different race everyday with the daily emails or there is a question box where anonymous questions may come in and be answered. For every question there is an answer even if it not completely clear. There should be a campus wide campaign to end ignorance.
The evidence I need here is answers from the interviews and my own personal experience. While have been on campus a short while I have already learned a lot about the cultural dynamics on campus. Race is such a big deal on campus but it is not often spoken about. It can be the white elephant in the room at times. I could also use Tatum’s book to breakdown the mindset of people on campus and why the dynamic may be the way it is.
Saida, I’d like you to push deeper on your core idea about making cultural houses more welcoming for all students on campus. This requires more strategic thinking than simply a daily email. How have other colleges designed cultural houses in ways different than Trinity, and what can we learn from them? Please work with Chelsey or a librarian to search for articles about campus multicultural centers and/or cultural houses, perhaps in the Chronicle of Higher Education or other databases.