In order to stir consciousness and highlight opposing viewpoints about the role of religion in racial issues on Elon University’s campus, The Truitt Center of Religious Life partnered with the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education to hold “Engaging in Privilege, Faith, and Love,” Tuesday, Jan.12.
The two-hour event, which featured faculty-led round table discussions, encouraged individuals to openly articulate their feelings about racial privilege in light of recent national incidents and the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
“After this talk, I hope we can keep talking about privilege,” said Joel Harter, associate chaplain of Protestant Life at Elon. “Maybe now, folks will feel a little more empowered and stand up when their friend says something they shouldn't. It’s a learning process.”
During the event, each of the 30 people in attendance braved the frigid weather in front of the Pi Beta Kappa Commons for an activity know as a “Privilege Walk.” Participants stood in a straight line until the speaker gave a scenario that prompted someone to move forward or backwards depending on his or her personal answer.
These situations included if the students feel their race is unfairly represented by the media, if they ever changed their speaking mannerism to seem more intelligent or if they felt safe walking home at night. By the end of the walk, nearly all of the white participants were in the front while the black participants were in the back. This poignant visual representation served as an eye-opening experience for several students concerning the everyday routines often taken for granted.
“I feel like there’s some shame in it,” said Doug Arms, a faculty worker for the Christian campus ministry InterVarsity. “Because I’ve had these privileges, other people haven’t and I take that personally.”
Earlier this fall, the Elon Presidential Task Force revealed that only 21.3 percent of African-American students genuinely felt safe on campus. In a report by Elon Local News, SGA President Avery Steadman was incredibly unpleased by this finding, saying that safety is a necessity.
“Personally, I don’t feel unsafe and that was shocking that such a large percentage of black students feel unsafe,” Steadman said.
While students are advocating for improvements in how they are represented on campus, black students appreciate the university’s awareness and wiliness to act. Senior Evan Gaskinsaid he felt uncomfortable during the privilege walk but hopes his experience will have a positive outcome.
“This can be an opportunity to help other people, especially if you recognize it,” he said. "It’s important to embrace the awkwardness. It will make us ask the question, ‘How can I change it?’”