Today on Campus Voices, we continue our #VoicesOfUDel series, starting our discussion by responding to the suspected hate crime of Tuesday, Sept. 22, the Black Lives Matter gathering on the Green on Sept. 23 to share University reaction to the event, as well as the responses to the event in Wilmington.
From there, we launch into the larger issues surrounding and galvanizing the event, including institutional racism, white privilege, and the role of diversity in enriching everyone’s lives.
Listen to the Interview
#VoicesofUDel Discussion #3
29:59
28.8 Mb
Panelists for today’s discussion
Abbie Sarfo, A&S 2016, is an English major at the University and an intern for WVUD. She talks about her reactions to life on campus as a first-generation African American. She also raises the emotional challenges of confronting microagressions, the small derogatory comments and actions that members of the “majority” direct towards members of minority groups.
Dr. Guillermina Gonzalez, executive director of the Delaware Arts Alliance, incorporates regional reactions to the events of 9/22, including those of Wilmington’s Latino community. She goes on to discuss language bias in the face of immigration and a changing cultural landscape, and the importance of diversity in all levels of academia, up to and including the board.
Dr. Victor Perez, Assistant Professor of Sociology, adds his input on how the administration handled the communication with students regarding the event, as well as its psychological toll. He also examines underlying factors of events like the Baltimore riots, and the difficulties in discussing white privilege with a complacent audience.
Learn More
- Schedule for National Agenda: Race in America series at the University of Delaware
- Noose Scare Inspires Black Lives Matter Gathering, Matt Butler, The Review, Sept. 24, 2015.
- Microagressions Matter, Simba Runyowa, The Atlantic, Sept. 18, 2015.
- Honors Mosaic: A Safe Space to Discuss Race, Xiao Guo, The Review, Sept. 21, 2015.
- National Agenda: Telling the Story, UDaily, Oct. 1, 2015.
Other voices, students and staff alike, can be found on the #VoicesOfUDel YouTube page.
To add to the expanding discussion, use the #VoicesOfUDel tag in your Twitter posts.
