Simply put, the article "UMEC Restricts White Students" is problematic in the least and egregious at worst. Not only is the headline misleading, but after reading the article, I could not help but think, "This is not a news story." Let's be honest, there are certain conversations that need to take place among students of color at Gonzaga and I do not think it is unfair to say so. White students are indeed already a part of Multicultural Honors Society (MCHS.) The story's headline was a poor attempt to have white students at Gonzaga feel disadvantaged, when the real irony is that white students at Gonzaga bear all the advantages. White students at Gonzaga do not sit in classrooms where they are the only one of their race represented. White students for the most part will never have to worry that when they raise their hand they are speaking for their entire race. White students do not have to seek out histories and literature that reflect their personal background. White students can attend lectures or their professor's office hours and never be surprised when their professor is white. The concept of "white privilege" is real. We do white students and students of color a great disservice when we refuse to acknowledge how the racial disparities on campus impact our perceptions of self.
The Academic Vice President Patricia Killens has encouraged Gonzaga students and faculty to develop "communities of conversation." Currently, faculty and staff all around GU are gathering in the next few months to foster conversations about the direction and growth of Gonzaga's future. I would argue that one conversation should concern students of color themselves. These students need to have safe spaces in which they can air their concerns about life at predominantly white institutions. Of the students of color who come to college, many of them will for the first time develop their own understanding of what it means to be a person of color and navigate in an environment that is not. UMEC is that community of conversation. What UMEC is doing is not only proscriptive, it is empowering. Moreover, UMEC seeks to raise the consciousness of all students in the GU community. Yet historically UMEC has been most utilized by students of color and underutilized by the majority population.
My fear is that white students, who form the majority of GU's student body, will read this article and feel that they have no place in UMEC and have been given a pass to check out on the larger conversation concerning diversity. I would hate to have white students think, "Diversity, yea, that's their thing." On the other hand, how can students of color explain their struggles to someone else when they are not sure how to articulate it themselves? UMEC is trying to give all students a set of invaluable tools. The article would have done much better to explain that fairness is not about giving everyone the same opportunities. Fairness is about meeting everyone's need. UMEC is meeting a need of particular students and by meeting that need, students of color and their allies can be free to express their identities and articulate their concerns. Loaded and misleading headlines used to incite unwarranted dissention serve only to divide the masses, and vilify people of color attempting to negotiate campus life successfully. Furthermore, it disrupts the "community of conversation" GU is trying to foster. I think we all know that The Bulletin can do better than this.
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2 comments
so as a white student, its a disadvantage when I go to my professor's office hours and he's black? Isn't the purpose of the multicultural group to encourage interracial/intercultural interaction? so is it an advantage or disadvantage? I'm confused.
Everytime I raise my hand, I represent every group to which I pertain voluntarily or involuntarily, that's called reality.
And finding literature and histories that represent my background? After going through American public school's and a state university, I have had to educate myself on the lives of the 44 presidents of the united states because we only covered a few of them summarily. I learned more about indian tribes with whom I share no blood nor heritage.
your concept of white privilege is funny. If its a disadvantage for non-white people to have white professors and classmates, then how is being white an advantage? People did not come to this country to maintain a white superiority, they came here for religious freedom and freedom from tyranny. You would have people believe that because they are the only non-white person in the room, they are disadvantaged. That kind of talk is tyranny.