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This essay is based on an interview I conducted in February about how culture affects views and experiences on issues. I interviewed Marc Spektor, an afro-Latinx man, about his experience and perspective on racism in predominantly white institutions. As a writer, I learned what it means to take a huge step back. The essay focused on another person’s narrative more than your own. I also learned how to take detailed notes during an interview. 

  Conversations surrounding Racism at Predominately White Universities

Racism is defined as prejudice and discrimination against a particular race or ethnicity by a racial group that believes itself to be superior. The United States has an extensive history and relationship to racism. Racism can be seen in daily life and has haunted communities of color for centuries. Universities across the United States have low diversity rates–composed of a majority white student body. Attending one of the few diverse universities in the country, I interviewed a student attending SUNY New Paltz– a predominantly white institution– to compare and contrast our experiences with racism while attending college. The interview was held over a video call. This paper examines how the racial demographic at SUNY New Paltz impacts Marc and compares and contrasts it with my experiences at CUNY City College.

 I chose to interview Marc Spektor, an eighteen-year-old man of color who is in his first year of college. He identifies as an Afro-Latinx–His father comes from Panamanian descent and his mother is African- American. During the interview, Marc wore casual clothes and looked worn out–his hair wasn’t combed like usual and he had dark circles under his eyes. As a man of color, Marc experiences the effects of racism in his daily life. Located in upstate New York, SUNY New Paltz is a public institution. Marc’s university is composed of a largely white student body, faculty, and staff. Like Marc, I identify as an Afro-Latinx and I am currently a first-year student at CUNY City College. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast Marc’s experiences with racism at his university and his perception of racism in universities across the states– to my perception and experiences as a student attending a diverse institution. 

During the interview, Marc tells me that he has heard of countless acts of racism and hate speech on his campus– some examples are Swastikas on bathroom doors and xenophobic comments. According to Marc, there was a rise of hate-crimes at SUNY New Paltz after the 2016 election. The results of the election generated a lot of hostility and fear on his campus. Marc has not experienced any racially motivated actions on his campus but tells me that he “would not be surprised” if he does at some point. While I haven’t heard of any racist actions or hate crimes on my campus, I did hear that after the 2016 election a lot of political science classes were having discussions on what could occur from the election. There was a widespread fear across my campus centered around what will happen after Trump gets inaugurated.

Marc spoke a lot about what needed to be set in place to provide a feeling of safety for students of color in the interview. He believes that teachers, faculty, staff, and students should undergo sensitivity training when discussing the concepts of identity and race– and highlighted the importance of representation. On his campus students of color feel as if they aren’t seen–Marc states that white students “aren’t interested in a lot of things communities of color have to offer and have to talk about”. He theorizes that it could be the reason for the racial divide on his campus. Like Marc, I also feel that my university is in need of more representation in its faculty and staff. Despite having a diverse student body, the body of faculty increasingly gets less diverse with time. Professors of color feel like they are not seen by their white coworkers and tend to search for other jobs where they are more heard.

Marc and I perceive the racism occurring in other institutions similarly. We were disappointed when we heard that students attending Colorado College posted themselves in blackface and faced no punishment. The college stated that the students could not be punished because they were exercising their first amendment right.  During the interview, Marc mentioned that “a lot of people like to use the first amendment for their hate speech and their blatant discrimination.” He believes that the first amendment should not protect these students and that they should be held accountable for their actions. Like Marc, I have heard a lot of cases where students and administration have used the first amendment to justify hate-speech. I similarly agree that this should not protect the students who commit such actions.

As a collective, Marc and I shared similar yet different experiences at our universities. Suny New Paltz’s demographic has an impact on Marc’s emotional safety. The lack of conversation on his campus motivates his desire for sensitivity training and representation. This assignment made me realize that even students who come from similar backgrounds can face completely different emotions on their respective campuses because of the racial demographic. For this reason, there has to be more diversity in universities, to allow students to feel heard, seen, and safe.

Sources

Miller, J. R. (2019, September 12). College won’t punish students for blackface photo, citing First Amendment. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://nypost.com/2019/09/12/college-wont-punish-students-for-blackface-photo-citing-first-amendment/

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