“Class Dismissed.”

I must preface this post by saying that it shall not do complete justice to addressing recent events[i] that have occurred within our community. The complexity of racism does not exist in such an identifiable mass as to be easily battled by periodic stances of activism, or one short blog post.

Rather, I hope to guide us into a focused address on one element of racial tension that I heard addressed at the Race Monologues, relevant for its place as a part of racist patterns of thought and behavior. Many who spoke in monologue told us they were tired. Fed up. One by one, our fellow students of minority groups on campus stood up to share what it means to navigate the world as they do. But not only do they deal with systematic racism for being of a minority race in America, they said, they summon the courage to speak out to the student body -- currently, of which is over 2/3 White -- about their circumstances. And not solely during this dedicated occasion.

What I heard is that minority students at Lewis & Clark feel their life histories are demeaned by serving as “racial schooling” for homogenous populations. Does this happen elsewhere? Absolutely. These students were acknowledging what sociologist Patricia Hill Collins terms 'racial voyeurism'[ii], which proposes that the lives of people who are different or less privileged become valuable only when the Whites (or other social group with a majority) desire to talk about their issues. Collins gives the example of professors selectively calling on Black students in class only when a ‘Black’ issue arises. This effectively demonstrates to minority students that their intellectuality isn't being valued each and every day, but only when it serves to provide a 'Black[/minority] experience' for their White classmates.

Could voyeurism be an inherent product of minority populations? Does the fact that only a few minority students are physically present in the composition of most classrooms at Lewis & Clark, where topics of race may be discussed, mean that they inherently feel they have to speak for their whole race?

It seems to be so. I cannot authentically speak to this issue from personal experience, but I'd like to show data tracking the College's racial diversity[iii] to advance this point:

  

To compare whether minority representation at LC is on par with percentages of U.S. population and national percentages within all Undergraduate Universities, we can look at data from the National Center for Educational Statistics, which tracked postsecondary institution enrollment from 1976 to 2012. It states:

Racial composition of the United States’ population in 2014:

[iv]

Here’s what we can gather. Nationally, all Universities show representation of minorities within student bodies that align very closely with national population statistics. The White population at Lewis & Clark is 3.7% higher than the national average. And it's been increasing since 2009, when it was at its lowest in the span of 10 years: 54.8%. Sure, the incoming freshman class of 2015 may have added a few percentage points of diversity, but that change constitutes a small shift in the right direction.

As of 2014, just 2.2% of our student body is composed of Black/African American students – compared to 15% as a national average. 8.8% are Hispanic or Latino, compared with 17.4% nationally. Even the 6.6% of “unknown race/ethnicity” could not fill the gaping discrepancies in statistical representation.

Being part of a minority group within the social setting of a majority is unsettling, bringing with it potential feelings of social anxiety, fear of persecution, and a displacement from cultural or behavioral norms. As our college increasingly gets less diverse, it increasingly gets less welcoming and comfortable for students whose diversity of life experience and identity would serve our community a world of good. If our campus doesn't feel safe and welcoming to prospective students of diverse backgrounds, it might increasingly turn away those students from attending. With the prospects of a feedback loop taking hold, I worry about the loss of vibrant pluralism of opinions, expression and wisdom that multiculturalism brings. 

It is crucial to acknowledge our lack of diversity if we are to challenge it. Furthermore, I argue that increasing student body diversity is critical to breaking down tainted appreciations (racial voyeurism) and racist sentiments (hate speech) toward the students who "diversify" our campus. Diversity must be valued in a new way.

I hope that our understanding of diversity might move away from the labeling of groups into certain identities based on mere categorical subjugation, and begin to search for its value in the variation of intellectual ideas and cultural backgrounds. As long as our campus environment remains safe for students of diverse expression to thrive, the biggest challenge comes in listening to all of our diverse voices and stories of identity. Our lips will speak of different histories, our minds might arrive at vastly different conclusions, but our souls will together be immersed in exploration.

Perhaps I am too naive and think too idyllically. Perhaps the frequent comfortability I am awarded while living within American borders fosters my optimism. But I am dedicated to bettering myself, even -- no, especially -- if that means having these difficult conversations. I challenge us to keep actively listening and challenging our assumptions every day as we see our vision come to life.

Bigotry is a tendency that must be faced by all of us, no matter our race; it is squirreled away in patterns of human behavior. Besides its negative presence, bigoted perspective becomes dangerous in the presence of homogeneity; is it too much to propose this is one circumstance from which sprouts racist intolerance? Diversity with acceptance is, therefore, racism's necessary eradicator.

And, finally: please, let's not expect peers of different walks of life to be the instructors of our cultural education. That's what the professor -- and world -- are for. Instead, let's demand from ourselves and others the practice of being compassionate, inclusive individuals, and actively seek to diversify our personal experiences and student body. I am proud of my community when it's made up of people willing to engage themselves in deep questioning and careful change.

So, reach out with authentic curiosity and a mindful presence. We might just become friends.

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[an editorial note]: The title of this post is a quotation of the last words spoken by students at the Race Monologues this year. I altered my piece after the events of Nov. 17 and 18. 

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[i] regarding racist remarks made (Nov. 17) in close proximity to the Lewis & Clark's campus and the sit in by students in solidarity with their Black peers that followed (Nov. 18)

[ii] Patricia Hill Collins

[iii] http://www.lclark.edu/live/files/18606-enrollment-informationpdf; navigation from home page to body of ‘Institutional Research’ files: About, Student Consumer Information, under ‘Student Outcomes (Undergraduate): Retention and Graduation Rates

[iv] http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html