Nearly everything in the United States is centered around white people and being white. White people being at the center means that white norms are most commonly accepted while other norms such as African American norms are frowned upon. Everything is measured against whiteness because it is at the very center of racism and American society as a whole. White people have established that being white is good while being black is not, both consciously …
I always knew my parents were quite blind to certain inequalities and societal issues. In general, they weren’t super overtly racist in public but I always wondered why my mom had certain habits. For example, whenever we went to an area that was more urban, she would always lock her doors at red lights. My mom would say that it is because she grew up in a city so I never really thought it was …
Race is not talked about at Muhlenberg. One of the programs at Muhlenberg, and honestly the only program, that is mandatory for students to increase awareness about diversity is the Sedehi Diversity Project (a documentary theater project created by students, culminating in a performance for incoming First Years at orientation). I applaud all those involved in the emotional and extremely valuable play that is intended to promote not only race talks, but conversation about all …
For too long have white people ignored the discussion of race and actively avoided responsibility to end racism. No, not all white people, but the undeniable majority have clearly taken this path as it is 2019 and America’s culture is still overtly racist, and our systems remain institutionally racist. While I do believe we live in a morally unjust world, I personally think the majority of white people do not intend to be so hateful …
On April 13, many students of color and allies joined together in front of Muhlenberg College’s Life Sports Center to silently protest racism on campus. While all the rules were followed and the protest was a success, it is certainly not the last time the campus will hear about the Student Action Group. As mentioned in the “Muhlenberg Weekly,” “…the persistence of incidents like these has made it increasingly clear that this is in fact …
All stage of schooling can never properly prepare a student of color (SOC) to enter a predominantly white institution (PWI). There are no tricks or short cuts when it comes to adapting in a PWI as a SOC. However, through further research beyond what was taught during this course I have encountered a model known as Racial Cultural Identity Development model (RCID), that was proposed by Atkinson, Morten, and Sue (1979). A person’s cultural identity …
On college campuses, much like any other place, there is a drive to feel as though one belongs. However, for some this may be harder than others. Specifically, on primarily white campuses, students of color may not feel as though there is a place for them. However, research done on this population suggests that students often find solace in what are known as “counter-spaces.” These students used counter-spaces to help them navigate the institution which …
On March 31st, 2019, Nipsey Hussle, otherwise known as, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, an up and coming rapper was shot right outside of his store in the front parking lot. Prior to the shooting, the perpetrator and him had gotten in a small altercation inside the store. Nipsey’s community was immediately up in arms about his untimely death; they had a vigil for him in his parking lot the night he was shot. In a CNN …
What does it mean to be hypervisible and hyper-invisible at the same time? A recent article in The Chronicle Review details the lives and narratives of several black academics and scholars in America. The article and the outpouring of stories comes after a scandal was revealed involving rich white people bribing many people to get their children accepted into rich white institutions in the country. In an attempt to make space for the voices usually …
Black students in predominantly white institutions are, often, discussed in literature as objects of struggle amongst their white counterparts. Their experiences are reduced to micro-aggressions, theories of assimilation, and conflict avoidance, just to name a few. While all of these elements play a role in the minority experience within a PWI, they should not be the only lenses through which black students’ narratives are analyzed. Many black students within predominantly white institutions are excelling on …
The model minority emphasizes that Asian Americans are more academically successful than other racial groups. This is dependent on their hard work and individual effort (Atkin et al., 2018). We tend to see Asians being good at math and science, over all excelling academically. Due to the racial discrimination associated with Asian/Asian American, those who identify as Asian/Asian America are much more susceptible to negative health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc (Narra …
In 2015, racist posts were made targeting black students on several campuses, including ours, on the anonymous app Yik-Yak. The Huffington Post wrote an article shortly after asking 3 Presidents of private liberal arts colleges to speak about what they’ve learned from recent student activism around race. President John Williams was one of those three Presidents. President Williams represents the Muhlenberg campus in everything he does, something that inherently comes with the title of “President.” …