Mindful Inclusion: An Open Discussion on Race, Ethnicity and Gender with Orlando Bailey

Last night I had the opportunity to attend an open dialogue on mindful inclusion, diversity and equity led by Orlando Bailey, the community engagement manager of Eastside Community Network. Bailey was joined by a panel consisting of Professor Biko Gray, Professor Regina Luttrell, and student advocates Maya Bingaman and Jalen Nash. The event took place in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium of the Newhouse school of Syracuse University.

After spending my night thinking about how powerful this event was and what I truly learned from it, I want to begin by acknowledging that as a white woman, I am born with an inherent and unearned privilege in this society because of my genetics and my skin color. The event last night really allowed me to explore and challenge my own privilege, which is not always comfortable to think about or vocalize. However, as Professor Gray stated, "Discomfort is the space where transformation occurs." After deep thought, I realized that although I can't control my DNA, I can control what I decide to do with that privilege.

Taking action begins with identifying the systematic problems that exist within Syracuse University and in American society as a whole. The first issue is pure ignorance. The biggest mistake that people can make in this country is failing to acknowledge the fundamental problems that exist. This lack of awareness usually stems from the fact that we are simply products of a system in which whiteness is considered a norm, and we often don't even realize. Unconscious bias is built into the structure of this country, and it is so ingrained in our culture that people don't even realize they are making assumptions and automatically assigning a certain kind of identity/personality to others. Making unconscious assumptions and placing people into categories is exactly what leads to situations such as the shooting of Tamir Rice, an unarmed 12-year-old black boy playing in a park with his friends. We are currently living in a society that is failing because too many people think the work is already done. Too many people think that racism is no longer an issue. Too many people genuinely think that we live in an inclusive society, and the fact of the matter is that we don't.

So where do we go from here? Talking about these tough topics in open discussions like the event that I attended is a start, but this is only a small step toward actually creating structural changes. These conversations are not effective until they lead to substantial action. And how do we take action here at Syracuse University? We stop making excuses for people not being at the table. We engage in mindful inclusion by not just inviting more people to the table, but by using equity over inclusion. As Jason Nash mentioned, when he shows up to a club meeting knowing he is going to be the only black man there, it is not real inclusion in the slightest. Creating a transformative campus that incorporates equity and mindful inclusion into its fundamental structure is up to us as students. This includes working to restructure the university around the forgotten and marginalized communities who have put in the work to make this place what it is. This also includes taking the conversation beyond the walls of our university and making people talk about it. It is important to incorporate these discussions into every classroom and workplace, not just making students take a three-credit course on diversity and calling it a day. Even simple tasks can be effective, such as asking professors to assign readings that aren't just written by white men, which is the norm in academia, or pushing for more diversity and racial sensitivity training among our campus police force. Now is the time for us to challenge the norm and it starts with us being empowered to do so at our school.

So back to my internal conflict of wanting to be a part of the change but struggling with my inherent privilege of being white. Will I ever understand what it truly feels like to be a racial minority on this campus? No, but I can continue to grow and educate myself on these topics so that I can effectively be part of the transformative action that needs to occur. I am here, eager to learn, eager to grow, and eager to step out of my comfort zone and push for change, and I hope others will continue to join me.