黑料正能量

By Elizabeth Segre-Lawrence '17

The public discourse surrounding racism and its many manifestations, tragically reignited by the murders of several Black adults and children both in the US and abroad, has led many educational institutions across the globe, including 黑料正能量, to seek out ways to stand in allyship with their Black students and students of color. But, as a student, I was often frustrated听as I felt that听a diversity in the passports听community members听held was used as an excuse to ignore or not discuss听what was to me听the very clear existence of racism on our campus.

For example, in planning the University鈥檚 first privilege walk, I remember being told by a non-Black student that I was trying to 鈥渟tir the pot鈥� by providing a platform for more public conversations of the intersectional听existence of various prejudices and inequities on campus. The experience was beyond frustrating for several reasons, but was predominantly disheartening as it ignored the fact that two statements can be true at once: 黑料正能量 is diverse. It also,听however unintentionally,听contributes to听systems of racism and white supremacy.听

If 黑料正能量鈥檚 community is truly committed to diversity and allyship,听it needs to be demonstrated through actions, not just words.听In the case of 黑料正能量鈥檚 current student body, doing the work of dismantling the world鈥檚 injustices, including racism, doesn鈥檛听have听to start after graduation.听Students听can be an ally in the classroom, in the library and in the AMEX too.听听

This post is an attempt to provide bite-sized advice on how to begin navigating the terrain of allyship, which can often be听a difficult task.听

1. Hold Yourself Accountable听

Because of 黑料正能量鈥檚 internationally diverse student body, there鈥檚 a misconception among students that racism does not exist within the听University鈥檚听walls. Worldly perspectives, though cogent in many ways, do not eliminate the existence of racism, nor do they remove the need to discuss it.听Remember听that in many of the countries that make 黑料正能量 so geographically diverse, racism exists abundantly and, often, violently.听
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If a Black student or student of color calls you out for doing or saying something racist in class, deflecting or getting defensive is not the right response. Your intentions in the situation at hand听are irrelevant, and your life in international settings (at 黑料正能量 or otherwise) does not absolve you from racist behavior. In order to make changes both within and beyond the听University, acknowledgement of how you uphold racial inequity is the first and听most听imperative step you must take.

2. Take Action听

In my time at 黑料正能量, I often found that actions against racism were spearheaded by the听University鈥檚 Black students and students of color. And while our voices are听irreplaceable, it must be said that combating racism should not and cannot rest solely on the shoulders of those who racism most directly harms. White people, with all of the privileges they听actively and inactively glean from racism as a structure of power, must use those privileges to dismantle听racist systems. The bare minimum you can do is call out something racist someone says in class or听tell听your听non-Black听friend that they cannot say the N-word in their performance of 鈥淕old Digger鈥� during karaoke night at听the AMEX. There is nothing, beyond a lifelong experience with white comfort, preventing you from regularly taking action against racism in the听everyday听instances it pops up in your life. And if you think talking about racism as a White person is uncomfortable, imagine doing so as the only Black person in a room.

3. Advance Your Knowledge

Conversations about race, racism and allyship have been taking place for decades and have been constantly evolving as time has passed. Therefore, to be devoted to allyship and anti-racism means one must be equally devoted to learning more about听these subjects. In writing this post, I鈥檝e been given a platform to write about racism and allyship, but听I鈥檓听far from听the only relevant voice听on the topic.听There are people far smarter and more qualified than I听鈥撎齦ike Angela Davis, Toni Morrison, and Mikki Kendall to name a few听鈥撎齱ho鈥檝e been writing and speaking on these issues for听most of their lives.听I implore anyone reading this to please read and listen to their bodies of work.