Martin Luther King Jr. is known for asking what he called “life’s most persistent and urgent question”: What are you doing for others?
Marquette is known for its answers to that question.
The civil rights leader dedicated his life to racial equality over forty years ago. But Marquette’s student body – along with other top universities’ – remains primarily Caucasian.
This year, the first week of second semester starts with Martin Luther King Day and wraps up with O-Fest. It’s a perfect reminder of the action we’re responsible for taking toward social progress.
For advice on maximizing the benefits of interracial connections, I contacted Cord Jefferson, senior editor of GOOD magazine, whose reports on race have appeared on NPR and CNN, as well as in countless written publications.
“The two main things you need to begin destroying bigotry in your community,” Jefferson says, “is a desire to change things and the bravery to risk being alone in
your battle.”
This is true –– but at Marquette, where we’re all growing up into men and women for others, we’re less alone in that battle than most. Here are five tips for becoming more racially aware:
1. Realize ethnicity does not define identity
When browsing your options at O-Fest, consider some of Marquette’s numerous cultural clubs. “Clubs for minorities are important,” Jefferson says. But don’t feel obligated to join a cultural club because you look like a majority of its members. “Finding your place in the world is hard, and it becomes even harder if you place silly restrictions on who you’re going to surround yourself with. Society does a good job of dividing us already; we shouldn’t help it along.” Instead, let your interests, athletic abilities, or professional aspirations guide your decisions.
2. Join a community as an equal
Community service is central to the Marquette experience, but there are also egalitarian ways to involve yourself in Milwaukee. To get a better understanding of minorities, “find a place to participate in an activity with them instead of just offering them your condolences about their lot in life,” says Jefferson. Try worshiping at an off-campus parish or chapel (Gospel Lutheran Church on the North Side offers a lively Sunday service), taking an acrylic painting class at the Milwaukee Recreation Center or playing a pick-up game of soccer in Walker’s Point.
3. Explore “bad” neighborhoods
Our urban campus is one of Marquette’s selling points. Some kids, after all, are surrounded by cinderblock walls and soybean fields; we have over a dozen ethnic
neighborhoods and bus routes connecting us to all of them. Although student safety has been an issue as of late, smart traveling is easy: do your research and go with friends in daylight. “In my experience,” Jefferson says, “the most striking, important, and magical events in my life have been ones I had to put something on the line to enjoy.”
4. Remember your sense of humor
Scholars and social activists claim that humor is an effective way of changing how we think about race. In demolishing awkwardness, comedy transfigures race into a more accessible topic. So where can we get our fix? Jefferson recommends compelling comedians like Robert Townsend, Wyatt Cenac and Patrice O’Neal, in addition to a video you’re probably familiar with: Franchesca Ramsey’s “Sh*t White Girls Say to Black Girls.”
5. Watch your language
When these personalities succeed at getting a chuckle out of you, they effectively include you in the conversation about race. But that’s only half the battle; How you participate in the conversation matters, too. Sensitivity is key, as is aversion to slurs –– no matter what color your skin. “I know people believe there’s power to be gained in adopting slander as your own,” Jefferson explains, “and I think history has proved that belief incorrect: Black people have been casually calling one another ‘n****r’ for centuries now, but it still doesn’t hurt any less when a white person says it.”