#respectfuldifference

Working in Higher Ed has taught me to be aware and conscious of students and the issues that affect their experience in the college setting. As a white woman I am also aware of my inherent privilege, I am aware that it is impossible for me to understand the development and everyday life that a person of color lives.

I just recently posted my review of Hairspray which highlights a problem with race in America and the inequity that exists between black and white. The original movie made in 1988 has 1962 as its setting. Then, as if race is not something that is part of daily life, the Ferguson decision pushes things into the national spotlight for a few minutes. 

Then this evening I attended an event with my public library and started a conversation about race and privilege with six other white women who were there to share their most recent read. I shared that I am reading A Time To Kill by John Grisham which is set in 1984. I have read this novel before and I have seen the movie but we talked tonight about race and how conversations about Michael Brown and Treyvon Martin bring these same issues to the national stage that are found in Hairspray and A Time to Kill. This film and book were created over 30 years ago. Thirty. 

For the book group tonight we were asked to bring a word cloud describing our books. Mine included words like ethics, inequity, criminal justice system prejudice, politics in the police and justice system, along with words like race and violence. This group of women of varying ages talked about our privilege and how we want to encourage others to have conversations just like this. 

One could argue that our circle was a relatively safe space for us to be honest. For some of us this was the fourth month in a row we had spent the evening discussing books we all have read. From my experience working with students, they find themselves in a safe space when they are in a group that looks like them. No matter the attempts that we as Higher Ed professionals to create safe spaces for our students to discuss their concerns, address their problems, and learn the resources that we can offer to move things in the direction of their choosing. But as white administrators we may never be able to create that space for our students of color. There are times when I mistake my feelings here as frustration rather than inspiration to continue to try harder to be an asset to these students. I am not afraid to start a conversation about race and I am not afraid to be part of conversations that confirm my privilege that I know is there. 

I will continue to communicate this to students I see everyday and I will continue to be part of the group of educators that advocate for these populations. Student growth and development is just awesome to see first hand and I have yet to find a year where I did not learn things as well. The collegiate environment is ripe to host these conversations and encourage our students to respect one another, disagree at times, support one another and their ability to express themselves, and learn from one another. I am lucky to be part of such a process that can help us to stop hearing the same words describe movies, novels, and news stories thirty years from now. 

I will continue to try to create that safe space for my students. I will continue to start, participate, and facilitate conversations about race, racism, inequity, privilege, or anything else that students need or should be talking about. I am not afraid of these topics nor am I afraid of learning the things that I could not possibly understand first hand. I will also continue to be an advocate for students in the four years they are here to learn.