This week I did a guest spot on the Georgia College Connections: Student Media Roundtable audio show. I stayed on for the broadcast's first segment, a discussion on the protests at the University of Missouri led by Concerned Student 1950.
You can listen to the full show using the player above. I was happy to sprinkle in a few words with some of GC's current students, who gave awesome responses. You can hear me at 3:42, 15:00, and 21:45.
We hit a few different talking points in a brief amount of time, so here's more insight into the thoughts and stories I shared on the show.
3:42- "Diversity" in higher ed.
I worked in college admissions for a little over three years. During this time, I got to explore the other side of the ivory towers- the one behind colorful brochures, slick websites and carefully planned open house events.
What I found was that many colleges had bragging points that were marketing tools designed to get students in the door, bringing in more money. Yep- schools are really run like businesses. The chief of these was diversity. Diversity was a buzzword in the higher ed realm. Every school claimed to have it in some form, but nobody could explain what it meant or how they offered it on their campus.
The problem I found with schools promoting and seeking diversity lay in the motives behind it all. The interest in diversity seemed self-serving. Prospective students are told that diversity is on the checklist of what to look for in a college, so administration finds a way to sell it to them. This increases application numbers and drops acceptance rates, turning Directors into VPs and sending VPs into a cushy retirement.
Students of color go from become commodities. Their presence on campus (and in staged brochure photos) allow a school to appear culturally vibrant even if the environment is at best, tolerant and at worst, unwelcoming to minorities. Emphasis is placed on accumulating students of color over accommodating them, leading to no real change.
Diversity is attractive to colleges and universities as long as the price is right. The sacrifices can't get too large. The average minority applicant is undervalued despite the potential impact their unique perspective could bring to campus, because they won't improve the schools academic reputation (average SAT/ACT scores) or athletic prowess and thus, prestige and revenue. In pushing for the valedictorians and star running backs, schools miss out on the organization presidents, student ambassadors and otherwise active coeds that might not be superstars but serve as the lifeblood of campus life.
Why? Their impact can't be measured statically and their achievements don't look as good in an alumni magazine. In other words, university higher ups can't determine a rate of return on the money invested into "diversity" initiatives. Again, schools are run like a business.
15:00- "All the black kids..."
The white student in class explaining how black students got admitted into college wasn't the only time during my college years when someone got racial in class. The highlights:
- Freshman Year- in a Sociology lecture on offensive portrayals in Hollywood, an older student got fed up with being told that minstrel shows weren't OK. His outburst? "That's just showbiz! Get over it."
- Sophomore Year- a university guidance counselor, an individual who I honestly believe meant well, informed me of just how special I was. "Why?", I asked. "Well, he said. "Look around. I don't see many other black males on this campus." Well look at that! I'm the magic negro. A part of the Talented Tenth! A book reading, fancy talking colored boy. I'll be damned.
- Senior Year- my professor is conducting a lecture on stereotypes seen in advertising. She proceeded to play this phony Taco Bell spot as an example, laughing as the rest of our class watched uncomfortably. She smirks then asks me, the only black student in class,"Bryan, are you a hip-hopper?". "No", I told her. "I prefer country music."
21:45- Speaking up
I hated sitting in a class with several minority students (an incredibly rare occasion) and ending up as the only one to talk when race was brought up.
Speaking up to offer an alternative perspective in class is not only good for educating. It's also about making your presence known. Commanding an equal voice in conversations on polarizing issues eliminates ignorance as an excuse for those who wish to remain blind to a viewpoint outside of their own. It lets them know that even though you're small in number, you're not invisible. It says to them that if they don't acknowledge your existence, you'll impose it on them anyway. In a place where learning is supposedly paramount, its crucial that all voices (not just the loudest) are heard.
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These are a few of my experiences. To read more, check out the #BlackOnCampus hashtag on Twitter. You can follow me @PhlyinBryan.
