A Conversation on Racism in Connecticut Provides Glimpse of Daily Experiences

College students Krystina Jackson, Matthew McClain, Vanessa Villar, and Sneha Jayaraj came together for a podcast conversation two months ago, “to share their experiences attending predominantly white institutions as students of color.”

It was the debut episode of Inside Out Outside In, a podcast “framed around the themes of diversity, inclusion, and equity” and “developed for and by colleges and universities.” It is hosted by Christiana Best-Giacomini, Assistant Professor of Social Work and Equitable Community Practice at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford.

The riveting and eye-opening hour-long discussion pre-dated recent events in Minneapolis that resulted in the death of George Floyd, release of the video showing the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, and the Central Park call to police wrongfully accusing Christian Cooper.

These four students, however, were no strangers to the racism and bigotry evidenced in those incidents, and which, as they described it, are an everyday element of campus life.

The students interviewed included Jackson, a graduate student at the UConn School of Social Work; McClain, a UConn masters candidate in secondary education; Villar, a recent UConn graduate with a degree in communications; and Jayaraj, who earned her masters degree at UConn in public policy.

 Said one student, in reference to racially motivated events on campus, such as saying the “n” word, the occurrence is not as surprising as “people still think they can do these things and get away with it.”  They also expressed concern about the lack of immediate action, as administrators “wait to see if it will fade out first” before issuing a statement or acting to stop such instances, a delayed and limited response that one student described as “mind-boggling.” 

“I’m not surprised at all at how these students are acting,” one student said, explaining that racist behavior was present in high school and even younger, but “it needs to be stopped.”  “It’s just normal language,” for many on campus, added another of the students.

The students discussed the impact of racism on their lives, and how they have decided to navigate the endless barrage of racist comments that permeate their daily experiences, recognizing the “burden of having to teach everyone” what they should “know is wrong.” 

They also expressed concern about the absence of real honest conversations about race.  “Everyone knows it’s a problem but they don’t want to address it.”

The podcast’s goal, to “educate, inform, and build community as well as inspire change, through engaging interviews with students, faculty, administrators and community leaders,” was reflected in the initial episode, addressing campus life and programs as a microcosm of society at large.

“In this society everyone is a little anti-Black until they unlearn it,” another student explained, describing her perspective.  One student recalled advice she was given by faculty members: “they said I should keep my head down and keep going.”   But the student voiced her objection to that approach, referring to a faculty member: “If she’s not able to welcome diversity of thought in her presence, then she’s not someone I want to learn from.”

What they see and hear, in the media and in their day-to-day, takes a toll which must be grappled with.  Explained one of the students, “For people that exist in marginalized populations, it’s much harder for us.  This anxiety I’m having is not because I’m producing it, it’s because of the world around me.”