Over the past several weeks, North Carolina’s House Bill 2 has sparked numerous conversations about the marginalization of the LGBTQIA community. These conversations are necessary to combat oppression and discrimination, but it seems that Elon University students and administration are only quick to have them when current events prompt them.
After the passage of HB2, Elon was fast to make a statement denouncing the bill, SGA swiftly penned a resolution and The Pendulum wrote an editorial against the legislation. The actions were and are all necessary and beneficial, but the question remains: Why don’t we take such strong, immediate actions in support of other marginalized groups, and not just when some significant event makes it awkward to not address the topic?
Senior Chris Tarpley, an academic senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, ignited a debate about race at an SGA meeting two weeks ago by asking that exact question.
The actions of SGA and Elon’s administration in response to HB2 have been progressive and admirable, but the groups must take similar measures in order to increase inclusion and safety of all minority groups on campus.
It’s easy to focus our energy on the struggles of certain groups when they seem particularly timely — but for minority groups, especially those without passing privilege, these issues are constant. Oppression doesn’t only affect these groups when the media is paying attention, but every day of their lives. We must not wait for discriminatory legislation or high-profile cases to get us talking.
At the meeting two weeks ago, Tarpley and other members of SGA voiced their concern that constituents who identify within racial minorities do not feel supported by SGA. Even after a presidential task force report from September 2015 showed that many minority students do not feel included and represented on campus, little progress has been made to change the experiences of these students.
The findings of the task force could be seen in a similar light as the passage of HB2 — it sparked conversation and awareness about discrimination against a particular group. But, after this was published, why didn’t we see similar large action taken by the university?
In many ways, it seems as though the university is prioritizing some discrimination as more problematic than others. This can be especially confusing and difficult for those students who identify across many marginalized groups. In these conversations, we must not neglect the importance of intersectionality.
But even so, why do we need a task force or HB2 to start talking? We should be having these conversations constantly, and it shouldn’t take a popular current event for students to feel compelled to join in.
Whether we like to admit it or not, there is a clear divide between white students and minority students at Elon, just as there is a divide between the LGBTQIA community and the straight majority. This is clearly seen in the attendance of speakers advocating for diversity or Spectrum meetings. This divide is greatly problematic because it limits important conversations and education.
University community members need to work harder toward lessening this divide and ask themselves why they pick and choose to act on certain issues.
Elon students still remain too comfortable. When we neglect the voices of minority students, we are fostering an environment of ignorance and oppression. We need to take greater actions to create a better home here for minority students and to further conversations that will lead to growth.