Why we must remain conscious

I am white. Whiteness is not an expression of my cultural identity; it is an expression of a construct that has shaped and still shapes society. Denying the existence of race is denying truth. Race is inorganic, fabricated, and oppressive; but it is real. As a white person, being cognizant of whiteness is important. By acting consciously, the individual can use privilege constructively: the individual can contribute to multiculturalism and equity.

Opposition to this ideology arises because of two assumptions: first, that equality is equity; second, that we live in a post-racial society.

I argue that, in the United States, equality has largely been achieved. That is, legally, no adult American citizen has more rights than another (with the exception of certain age stipulations for public office). This encourages many people to see multicultural organizations like UMEC as threatening, even working against this equality because it strives for equity. I think it is redundant to call honor societies exclusive; but by likening equality and equity, multicultural honor societies, to those who do not see the importance of the current criteria of MCHS, appear to be not only exclusive, but subversive. Thus, it is imperative to understand equity. Equity supports the individual; it recognizes that what is good for one person is not the same for another. Understanding this definition, it is apparent that contemporary society has not yet succeeded in achieving equity. This is why organizations like UMEC—organizations that give a space and voice to the underrepresented who do not fully benefit from majority services and actions—are not only necessary, but critical.

A post-racial society is one in which race does not affect privilege. This means that there is no wealth, power, etc. accumulated by racism. Think but a second, and it is visible that the United States does not fall into this category. Almost everyone is aware of the exploitation of Africans, and subsequently African-Americans, that occurred for more than two-hundred years. But less are awake to the injustices suffered by Latinos, particularly Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries; lynchings were not uncommon and the post-World War II epoch even witnessed an "Operation Wetback." I could begin to list the injustices suffered by the many native and immigrant populations of the United States, but that would be exhaustive. Instead, I ask that for the rest of this article you concede to my assertion that the majority, white population has gained immense privilege at the expense of minoritized populations via racism. After reading, you can assess the validity of this statement by doing some research of your own. I do not doubt that we will remain in accordance. So, now that we understand racism as having benefited primarily whites in the United States, we can prove that American society is by no means post-racial. If it were, then any person who benefits even indirectly from racism would redistribute their wealth to those who have even indirectly been exploited, thus leveling the playing field. I am not saying that "40 acres and a mule" is the answer, simply that race still affects privilege in America. Because of this, equity is needed in addition to equality.

The Bulletinrecently published an article entitled "UMEC restricts white students." Sadly, the message of the article presented nothing novel. The article cemented views held by many white GU students. When talking to people about the article, it was not uncommon to hear, "I thought that was a well-known fact." The "fact" is the belief that UMEC is some sort of "reverse-racist" institution that is unwelcome and closed to white students. The article is an embodiment of sentiments that many students have. In this way, we must not address the article as the pathology, but as a symptom. The pathology has its roots in the two aforementioned assumptions: seeing equality as equity and believing the United States to be a post-racist society. This is not to say that because you are white, the struggles of your family and cultural identity are irrelevant. As pointed out by one student, Irish and Irish-Americans have endured persecution and exploitation on terrible levels. This does not, however, negate the fact that they benefit from the construct of racism in contemporary American society. By virtue of being part of the majority, I and other Irish-Americans benefit from the privilege established because of racism. Therefore, things like affirmative action are still necessary because of the privileges that remain unearned and given to people solely based on the color of their skin. Having suffered is not an excuse to refuse help to the suffering; if anything, it gives more reason to do so. We, people, must be awake to race, gender, creed, and any constructs that societally endow privilege.

As a student worker of UMEC, I have been exposed to multiple perspectives that have helped me see the world a bit more clearly. I realize that by acting out of our comfort zones and hearing others' perspectives, we gain a better understanding of larger issues in our society. We must work in solidarity toward equity. We must be conscious.