From: "Debra Mubashshir Majeed" <mubashsh@beloit.edu> To the Beloit College Community:

"The academy is not paradise. But learning is a place where paradise can be created. The classroom with all its limitations remains a location of possibility. In that field of possibility we have the opportunity to labour for freedom, to demand of ourselves and our comrades, an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries, to transgress. This is education as the practice of freedom." -- bell hooks

As some of you know, I recently sent an email to faculty
and the BSU listserve detailing my concerns about what
I perceive to be an escalation of unacceptable (and
perhaps racist) behavior on campus. My email
responded ˆ and referred ˆ to an earlier notice issued
by Bill Flanagan and John Winkleman about experiences
that some students of color have endured. At that time,
I also indicated that the current campus atmosphere
precludes me from successfully recruiting students of
color.

Since that email, others have raised their voices. I write
again, this time to the entire community, to inform you
of the connection of recent events to a portion of
tomorrow‚s Senate meeting. I write, too, to share with
you what some initially wrote privately in the hope that
we as a community realize our responsibility and
accountability.

In response to my initial communication, some of my
faculty colleagues continued the conversation via email.
I met with Flanagan and Winkleman about the possibility
of them facilitating a discussion at tomorrow‚s Senate
meeting ˆ they agreed to do so, and Lynn Franken
agreed to revise the Senate agenda accordingly. I also
met with Pat Johnston, special assistant to President
Burris, who, at her discretion, will communicate
forthcoming activities. While the public email
conversation continued, other members of the
community ˆ staff, students, and faculty ˆ
communicated their experiences and perspectives
directly to me. Given the mix, I requested permission to
include excerpts of their comments without attribution.
I was unable to reach one colleague, thus their remarks
remain private.

One writer raised concern about the utility of the
Affirmative Action Committee, which according to this
individual has yet to meet. Another questioned the
campus‚s limited interaction with the local Beloit
community. Two others communicated what they
believed to be important agenda items for both
tomorrow‚s Senate meeting and the special faculty
meeting scheduled for Oct. 30. I begin with remarks
associated with the latter. This email concludes with a
description of the initiatives that three faculty members
say they take or have taken. Their remarks are included
not because they are special or unique, or even because
classroom pedagogy is the most natural starting point, 
but because they were expressed to spur further
conversation and action.

I urge you to read the excerpted comments that follow.
Perhaps this airing will encourage others to speak out,
more of us to take positive action. For, as these
comments illustrate, we have much to learn from and
about each other.
Respectfully,
Prof. Debra Majeed

I would like an update on the racial tensions that are
prevalent. At that meeting, I would also like to
address the fact that we are not leaders even among
our students in making this campus a safe and
visionary space in Wisconsin for more than mere
tolerance. Tolerance can suggest maintaining the
so-called status quo and I would like Beloit to be a
leader in social justice, particularly as we sit between
racially troubled Rockford and racially intolerant
Janesville. I think BSU ought to present a history of the
racial tensions in the past 10 years or so on campus and
suggest a course of action they would like to see work.  
I think that FYIs ought to attend such a discussion, so the
future can change among the youngest students.

I've been hoping concerns about race could be
incorporated into the discussion about academic rigor. 
Recognizing that there's an elephant in the living room
and deconstructing its significance is a meaningful and
timely application of academic rigor. Race is a critical
issue on the best campuses in the country: UCLA, UC
Berkeley, Univ of Michigan, Stanford, Brown, and
Harvard. I've attached a document put out by Harvard
on teaching in racially diverse classrooms. I particularly
like the self-directed questions at the end that a
professor could review for some self-study on the issue.
This seems like the single most important issue on
campus. What is shocking is that a good percentage of
the white student body does not acknowledge that a
problem exists. Is it possible the faculty doesn't
acknowledge it either? It is clear to me that one step
that must be taken is to recruit more faculty of color in
all disciplines here. I hope we will include the issue of
racial sensitivity in everyday practices, and in student
and faculty recruitment at the next Faculty Senate
meeting.

In my mind, attention to cultural competencies is key to
the mission of the College and needs to build and
undergird what we hope to accomplish with the strategic
plan, so that is one place where we need to continue to
have follow-through.

Like you, I want to have us discuss these issues on a
broader faculty wide basis. Things HAVE to change. 
In addition, I think that we need to discuss how we as a
white academy function in a town that isn't as white as
we are. I think our behavior is getting more and more
embarrassing as we interact with our surrounding
community. So, count me into all discussions and
actions that make Beloit College a more welcoming
place for a more diverse population in a diverse
small town. I have heard countless times in my three
months at Beloit that Beloit is an "international college"
or "a diverse college" or "a place where everything is
accepted". I have heard this from faculty, staff,
international students, and domestic students. I feel like
the majority of people who I have heard say this, say
it as if they have come to believe it without questioning
it. This has disturbed me mostly because if we
unequivocally believe that we have already completely
achieved this ideal, how do we approach making
changes/improvements. If we have, in many people's
opinion, reached this ideal, why are events such as the
racial discrimination, the flyer sent out by security, and
the offensive comments I have overheard about sexual
orientation happening at Beloit? Where is the disconnect
between the ideal we have supposedly met and our
actions because it seems to be a rather large disconnect
in my limited experience at Beloit. If we have met this
ideal, why are students telling me that they have been
laughed at for their accents or required to answer for
their entire country or race at an "international/diverse"
college? When we believe we have already accomplished
something that I believe is never finished (I don't believe
any institution/group/individual never finishes the
journey of becoming aware/accepting/etc), I wonder
how we can approach changing/improving the situation. 
I have felt as a new faculty member that if I were to say,
"I don't think we are an international/diverse college" or
"I think we could make several improvements to be more
international/diverse" that it would be equivalent to
blasphemy because I am countering a belief so widely
held and would be met mostly with resistance (there
are of course some who would welcome it).

Though I am outraged, I am not surprised by this
behavior, nor am I surprised by the racist tone of
"security alerts," which, among other things, have
served to increase levels of fear on campus. I am also
sure you are aware that students are not the only ones
at whose doorsteps these behaviors must be laid. 
Some of our faculty/staff have curious ways of talking
about the Beloit community itself, its schools and
neighborhoods, using terms such as "dangerous" and
"unsafe" as code for Race. Taking this conversation
beyond a handful of courses on campus is long overdue. 
Though I am a younger faculty member, I would strongly
endorse faculty workshops on these issues. we are, all
of us, susceptible to intolerance, perhaps ESPECIALLY
because we pride ourselves on our tolerance.

I am more aware than ever of the gravity of this
situation because my roommate is black (Dominican)
and right now I don't know how sure she is that this is
the place for her. There is a girl on our floor who has
made a couple of inadvertently racist comments to her
and my roommate and i have been trying to figure out
for a couple of weeks now how to approach her. We
never hang out with her, especially now that we
discovered her prejudices. If I had been present when
she made the comments I would just talk to her myself,
but I wasn't and so I think it's important that my
roommate talks to her directly. I keep suggesting that
we talk to her together, with me just being the sort of
mediator, but my roommate feels just so weak and hurt
and tired that I think she will just continue to avoid this
girl and try to forget about it. Maybe I should just let her
do that, even though now I feel uncomfortable around
this girl, but it feels like it would be irresponsible of
me, as the ONLY person my roommate feels comfortable
talking to about this, to not do something about her
feeling unsafe on her own floor. Do you know of
anyone who I or my roommate and I could talk to at the
school about how to have the kind of confrontation I
want to have with this girl? Do you have any
suggestions? Your letter proposes creating more
sensitivity to differences starting with the people who
we assume are more mature, more knowledgeable,
more wise with experience, and therefore more
sensitive as well. This, however, is not the case. I have a
teacher who I believe has, inadvertently, been insensitive
to racial issues by simply not mentioning something that
could be seen as racist in a text we read for class. My
roommate and I both have stories of teachers saying
questionable racial comments, which we felt were
insensitive, so I think you are absolutely right in saying
that teachers here need to be reeducated in sensitivity
to differences. Again, I think that all students should
have the opportunity to read what you wrote to the
faculty. Who knows how the next attempt at discussion
about race will be made, but I can almost be sure that
whoever makes it will be far less straightforward,
knowledgeable and unoffensive as you were in your
letter. I think your letter would set a good precedent
for discussions to come, I also think that it would be
empowering for students of color to see that the
entire campus is reading something from an authority
writing to other authorities at this school about issues
which they may not feel comfortable vocalizing.

It seems to me that the individuals responsible for the
vandalism should be expelled or suspended. However,
that would not be sufficient to address the concerns of
all the students who have reported being subjected to
racial discrimination. We cannot pretend that punishing
the most blatant offenders is an adequate solution to a
problem that appears to be more widespread and
subtle.

My only concern is that, just as we did in our student
affairs meeting when this subject was approached, too
many people are centering on educating and confronting
the students. It is not just a student problem. We seem
to have missed the fact that the students are
"wrongfully"interpreting what they see from staff,
faculty and administration. They see securities
constant harassment, questioning and stalking of
students of color on this campus. There were
questioned raised about treatment in classrooms that
non-minorities see. They hear about diversity and
have verbalized seeing none or any initiative to really
address it. I have had non-minority students say to
me it is obvious that Beloit College does not want
African-American students here. They do not recruit
them and the ones that come or visit are driven away. 
They see how minorities are treated not by students but
by administration, staff and faculty. It does not excuse
childish, ignorant, racist behavior. But minority students
are being questioned, treated differently in the classroom
and on this campus not by students but by staff. I believe
non-minority students can feel they are "acting in the best
interest of the college" and/or they feel comfortable doing
so in the environment that has been established not by the
students but by the adults. Either way, I have seen
student problems escalate as staff protocol and attitude
have manifested itself more and more. Do we need
courses to educated and strengthen students
understanding and awareness of course. But I think
there should be more attention paid to the many heads
of this beast. It will be hard for students to really
understand it is not acceptable and won't be tolerated if
they continually see that is being tolerated at a higher
level and nothing is being done to not just "address" 
it but to stop it.

After reading [Bill Flanagan‚s and John] Winkelman's
notice, most people who were not directly made to feel
unsafe by the news forgot about it, for lack of knowing
how else to respond. All students at Beloit should feel
as uncomfortable about this news as the students of
color are. Your thoughts in the letter are indispensable
in this discussion, which will hopefully continue, and I
believe you speak for most students of color who do
not feel safe enough to say the things you said. Your
letter proposes creating more sensitivity to differences
starting with the people who we assume are more
mature, more knowledgeable, more wise with
experience, and therefore more sensitive as well. This,
however, is not the case. I have a teacher who I believe
has, inadvertently, been insensitive to racial issues by
simply not mentioning something that could be seen as
racist in a text we read for class. My roommate and I
both have stories of teachers saying questionable racial
comments, which we felt were insensitive, so I think you
are absolutely right in saying that teachers here need to
be reeducated in sensitivity to differences.

Pedagogical Initiatives:
? I make no pretence of addressing the large issue of
racism in any way other than as it affects what I do in
and out of the classroom. For me the process involves
two components: treating all human beings as equals
and striving in the work I do to provide a context that
encourages or if necessary forces students to deal with
difference. The first needs no further explanation. The
second involves teaching materials such as Ngugi wa
Thiong'o's Petals of Blood so that they (and I) have to
increase our awareness of race, and particularly race in
Africa.

? In my course on constructing differences, we engage
in the oftentimes uncomfortable/painful conversations
about race, ethnicity, gender, social class, none of it in a
superficial way. I regularly exhort my students to
further the discussion outside of class, and to challenge
the racist comments that they encounter on campus,
whether they are inadvertent or not. This is especially
difficult, I think, given the level of privilege and
entitlement many have. But it is an important start for
many. I know that others do not have the opportunity
to take up these issues in the direct way that I do, but
they contribute to respectful dialog in other, equally
important, ways.

? I have two introductory cultural anthropology
classes, one at 9am and one at 10am. On Monday, I
wrote three discussion questions on the board that
students were required to think about for today's
discussion: (1) is a genuinely pluralistic society possible?
What would it look like? (2) Are so-called "indigenous
societies" inimical to capitalism? Must they succumb? 
(3) What are the main causes of ethnic violence? I
started the class this morning by reminding them of
these questions, and then saying something like, "ok,
according to this memo from Flanagan and Winkelman,
we aren't doing very well at pluralism here at Beloit
College..." Then I read your message. What amazed me
was the difference in responses in the two classes. 
More evidence that different classes have different
personalities, at least partly depending on who the
dominant talkers are. In the first class, there was
concern that they really didn't know what had happened
and didn't want to say anything until they had the details.
The memo didn't tell them enough; they wanted more. 
They were surprised that such things could happen
here. There was also lots of talk about the role of
alcohol and how it makes people do all kinds of stupid
things, not just racist ones. At this point, I said
something like "you're really trying to make this not be
a racist issue, aren't you? Why is that?" and there was
silence. There were many students who did voice
serious concern about the issue, but the dominant
tenor of the class was "well, if it really happened, then
it's bad. But..." The class ended with the only
African-American student in the class saying that he
wanted everyone to know that this memo did not
reflect the sentiments of all black students, that some
of them didn't agree with it. He continued by saying
that this kind of thing makes him feel even more
alienated because he doesn't belong with the whites
and he doesn't belong with BSU either. Also said he'd
been talking about this for three days and he was tired
of it. Needless to say, that ended the discussion! The
second class was much more on the ball. The first
comment came from a young woman who said that she
was surprised that people were surprised-- why would
we think this place any less racist than any other? We're
predominantly middle- and upper-middle class white
kids; look at the complexion of this class [white,
Hispanic, Native American]. We're the dominant group
and of course we don't notice because it doesn't affect
us. She got the discussion going along relatively
productive tracks. Some people "confessed" that the
memo had surprised them, but now realized how
protected they were from discrimination. Then the
conversation turned to "what to do?" Show support, but
how? can't walk up to someone and say hey, I want to
support you and be your friend... Anyway, it was a
much better discussion on the surface. I don't know
what will happen as they cogitate on it.

"The academy is not paradise. But learning is a place where
paradise can be created. The classroom with all its
limitations remains a location of possibility. In that field
of possibility we have the opportunity to labour for
freedom, to demand of ourselves and our comrades, an
openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality
even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond
boundaries, to transgress. This is education as the practice
of freedom." -- bell hooks

Debra Mubashshir Majeed, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies
Beloit College