Panel Discusses Racism and Other Social Injustices
Latest installment of “Heart Challenges Hate” seeks to enlighten
Sacred Heart University’s most recent “Heart Challenges Hate” discussion, “Let’s Talk About Race,” centered on the tough topics of systemic racism, white privilege and police brutality, with the intention of fostering better understanding of those issues’ impact. This conversation was the result of alumni asking the University to continue to make the discussions of race, diversity and inclusion a priority for both students and alumni.
“Despite the challenging topics, the aim of our conversation is to bring understanding, and with understanding, we hope to establish connection and community between and among all of us,” said Michelle Loris, chair of Catholic studies and associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, who served as the moderator to five panelists.
University trustee Daniel Thomas ’08 spoke first, answering Loris’ question on why the topic of race is so hard for people to discuss. “In my opinion, I believe it’s difficult because we’re not taught the entire story of race in our country. And because we’re not taught the entire story, we’re led to believe that if you work hard and you do everything right, then your fortune or misfortune is only tied to you; it’s not tied to anything else,” Thomas said, going on to explain that Americans are not taught about the 100 years of Jim Crow post-slavery and how those years affected Black people. America has been a country for 244 years, during which white people have had opportunities to better themselves without being subject to discrimination. Black people have only had the same opportunities for the past 56 years, Thomas said.
Julie Lawrence, chief diversity officer at Sacred Heart, cited Merriam-Webster dictionary’s definition of racism, which was changed in June. Lawrence said the new definition aims to fully capture what racism is and its negative impact on society, past and present. The definition categories racism in three ways. First, it describes racism as a social construct. Lawrence said white people designed race so that poor white people could feel more comfortable working low-class jobs, seeing others who were still considered beneath them. By doing this, white people created the stereotype that people of color are lazy and less intelligent, just to make one race feel superior. Second, racism is political and social in nature. It affects laws, voting rights, housing and more, and it has been present in society since white people landed in America, Lawrence said. Third, racism is institutional and structural. The fact that most Black families have to deal with their children telling them that they were called a racial slur means that racism is a systemic issue, Lawrence said.
People are uncomfortable with the term white supremacy because they associate it with groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, explained Bill Yousman, associate professor of media arts. However, someone does not have to be that extremist to benefit from white supremacy. “When all of the major political, social, educational, legal and economic systems in a nation are dominated by white people, to the disadvantage of people of color, this is really a system of white supremacy,” said Yousman. Being complicit in a disproportionate society is still a perpetuation of racism, he asserted.
Gary MacNamara, executive director of public safety and government affairs, offered his thoughts as someone who has worked in law enforcement for 30 years. He said people in law enforcement should always consider that, just because they know themselves, does not mean they know the past experiences that Black people have had with others in their field. “I think overall, from a law enforcement perspective, we are always taught to treat people equally. And it’s when you don’t treat people equally that you certainly further that racism model,” said MacNamara.
Aisha Lubin Losche ’07 spoke on the Black Lives Matter movement, saying that the counter “All Lives Matter” has been heard since the movement began about seven years ago. However, the rallying cry does not mean that Black lives matter more than others, she said. It reflects the reality that Black people have always been considered lesser than when it comes to the inalienable rights that all Americans should have. The Black Lives Matter movement is a non-violent, peaceful movement against broader issues of racial profiling, police brutality and racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system, Losche said. In a personal anecdote, Losche spoke about how, when her parents bought their home in the 1980s, their neighbors petitioned to get them removed from the area. “All lives matter, but [Black people are] looking at disparities and the chasm in which people are treated in this country,” Losche said. “All lives cannot matter until Black lives matter.”
Thomas closed the talk with advice for SHU students of all races to keep in mind. “Continue being who you are, continue learning, continue going out there and making and understanding our history so that we can build a better future,” he said.
Visit YouTube to watch the full discussion.