Although it is outlandish to suggest that we have reached a
post-racial period, we have as a nation made many strides toward changing the
attitudes of society towards race. The election of President Obama reflects
this on a large scale- he received the majority of our country’s vote from
citizens of all races- but there are many other small scale changes that
reflect our movement as well. Post-racial may not be the best term to describe
the way in which our views are changing because it suggests that we are living
in a way that is beyond race- a way that looks past race in every facet of our
daily lives. Our society seems to be taking a different approach to the race
issue than simply looking past it; instead we are embracing diversity of our
society and celebrating the many different races which surround us.
A new attitude seems to be in place, particularly in the
Mid-South that was not present before. In the past couple of years, even our
own school has created a new position in admissions responsible specifically
for recruiting multicultural students. Many schools are also funding more
scholarships than ever to provide tuition for students who come from less
wealthy economic backgrounds. These changes reflect our country’s realization
of the importance of a highly diverse student body to create the most rewarding
environment for students. Campus’s which attempt to create very multicultural student
bodies allow their students to become aware of all sectors of American society.
It is these campuses, as students have
experiences outside the classroom, that foster the development of the most well
rounded individuals.
It is interesting to look at this new push for diversity as
I apply to graduate programs. Every day I find myself receiving information
packets and emails from schools describing their minority and underrepresented
student population and the support systems their school offers. Although I know
the goal of these programs is to offer a compassionate and helpful environment
as I enter the next part of my life, I sometimes feel that it is not actually
in my benefit to join such a program. One of the first programs I was exposed
to when coming to Rhodes was S.O.S. whose goal is to provide a welcoming
environment for students of color and orient them to the culture of the
institution and assist with their adjustment to college life. I greatly
appreciate the efforts which this program makes to help students however
sometimes I wonder if it is effective to immediately separate students of color
from the rest of the student body. I know that the program aims to make
students feel comfortable and a lot of times people feel most comfortable with
someone who is of the same race as them, but doesn’t this just further
encourage students to only feel at ease with their own race?
While I know that every student's experience is different, I have to question whether or not these strides in racial inequalities on college campuses are quite as big as you have described. I feel that colleges like Rhodes in the mid-south are still fairly homogeneous and are still in need of more dialogue about diversity. If we as a campus truly value diversity, we must examine the socioeconomic realities of tuition, Greek life, and other aspects of college culture that may or may not continue to alienate minority students. However, I appreciate your perspective and understand that you do not wish to be defined by your race. That raises a larger, complex question: is there a way to acknowledge the distinct needs of a black college student without limiting that student to a particular identity?
ReplyDeleteI agree that we as a nation are moving farther away from racial inequality compared to years in the past. However, I don’t necessarily agree that we have taken a far enough step to embrace other races and cultures on a large scale, but more so that we have just accepted the notion of race relations within society. Race is still a touchy subject that a lot of people feel uncomfortable talking about. The fact that Rhodes had to establish a multicultural office that attempts to make students of color feel more comfortable in a predominately white school makes me question how far we have actually come. It reminds me of the Freedman’s Bureau set up after the Civil War to help African Americans transition into White American society. Almost 150 years after the end of the war, African Americans still need help with transitioning into a predominately white society. While we have come significantly far concerning issues of race in America, I feel as though we still have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteAs a student at Rhodes, I find it interesting that this process of receiving information about the minority of the campuses you are applying to is shocking to you. Rhodes did and does the same thing. Also as a SOS mentor, I would like to make clear the purpose of the SOS program. It is not to separate multicultural students from everyone else on campus; it was established to show minority students that although Rhodes is a predominantly White campus, there are students that look like you and if you need advice or help navigating this type of environment, those students are there for you. Yes the information is sent to all minority students, but it is ultimately their choice whether or not they want that form of support. Addressing your final question, I don't think programs of this sort just encourage students of color to only feel comfortable with people of their own race; instead, I think the programs foster the idea that it is okay to explore and immerse yourself into the college life, but know that when or if things get overwhelming, you have a mentor that you can turn to that has most likely experienced the same feeling or can connect you to helpful resources. This is no different than what I assume a sorority "big" to be.
ReplyDeleteNaturally people gravitate toward the same. With that said I think programs that promote fostering relationships between minority groups on campuses like Rhodes are useful in starting the dialogue about race. Minority organizations are rarely exclusive and provide an opportunity for majority groups to introduce themselves into an environment similar to the one that we face everyday. The job of these organizations is to bring attention to the situation minorities must navigate and to foster a sense of inclusiveness, never to separate.
ReplyDeleteAs a S.O.S. Mentor, I'd also like to clarify that our program is not aimed at separating blacks from whites. Instead, our program helps incoming multicultural students adapt to the college experience by providing them with mentors who can help answer questions, give advice, and provide moral support because sometimes coming to a PWI is a big adjustment for some multicultural students who may be experiencing a cultural shock for the first time. Some of the mentees in S.O.S. simply need to feel comforted (from the support of a mentor who most likely shares a similar background or has some common experiences) before delving into the mainstream of campus and meeting others.
ReplyDeleteI think you've raised several hot button talking points in this post Piper. I agree with many of the comments made above. As someone who works with Admissions for Rhodes, I know there is always a push for minority candidates for admssion. While I believe that this push is designed to encourage diversity on campus, part of me wonders what Rhodes would look like if there were not specific marketing/scholarship decisions made based on race. I think that in the future, Rhodes and our peer institutions may be able to gain diversity of applicants in our own right, but right now that is unlikely. Like Jenna mentioned, we are a PWI, that is private, and relatively isolated from the city in which we reside (though that is changing). I can imagine the challenge of trying to recruit students of color to come here if no support systems or programs were in place. In the future, these programs may become less important but until we move into this post-racial period, I do not think that is likely.
ReplyDelete