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DETROIT — There’s a road here called Alter that makes up the far northeastern border of the city. On the other side of the road lies Grosse Pointe, Mich., the epitome of suburbia, where I spent 12 years of my life.
Within three blocks of crossing Alter, you go from burnt-out bungalows that sell for less than $1,000 to Tudors that go for $600,000. You go from 90 percent black to 95 percent white. You go from total dystopia to the American dream. In high school, the only reason anybody would cross that border was to get fast food, buy drugs or booze or go off-roading in their Jeep Wrangler.
This is where I grew up. A place where people turn off their lights on Halloween at 8 p.m. because “that’s when people from Detroit show up.” A place where until the 1960s, real estate agents would decide whether people could live there based on a point system related to your race and affluence — blacks and Asians need not apply. A place where people neurotically lock their doors at night because they might cross the border and break in. A place where, after a few drinks, making jokes about black people being lazy, welfare-loving bums is socially acceptable.
Many of my fellow white suburbanites at UW-Madison from Milwaukee, Chicago or Minneapolis had similar experiences growing up. We don’t talk about it much. But we exist. There are thousands of white UW students, myself included, who have never been to a bar mitzvah, have never been to a non-Catholic mass and have no idea the ways in which Hmong people have been oppressed over the years.
There are also thousands of others from rural Wisconsin who have never seen a black ghetto, have never shopped at a gas station with bulletproof glass guarding the cashier and have never even stepped foot into a room where they’re the minority.
For us, there is a bit of a culture shock when we arrive at UW, even if we don’t admit it. I’m lucky to have been blessed with an open mind, good parents and a solid worldview. But others aren’t so lucky, and so it is up to the UW community to educate them.
This is not anybody’s fault; our culture is simply set up to make higher education the place for this learning experience. But before we try to improve relations for people of color at UW through the 2010s, let’s accept a few things.
One, it’s not about filling quotas. We should take a page from former Chancellor John Wiley’s book: This is the state school of Wisconsin, so by the nature of the state and the Midwest, it isn’t going to be as diverse as other universities and other regions of the country.
It’s about campus climate — mere numbers aren’t going to do it. In fact, I’d almost argue an increase in minority students could do more damage if we stay as socially segregated as we are. See Detroit versus Grosse Pointe.
Two, we know little of each other’s cultures when we arrive at UW. See this as a teaching and learning experience, not an unacceptable lack of knowledge. Your white floormate isn’t a bigot if he assumes you speak Spanish since you’re Hispanic and from Southern California. Your friend isn’t completely ignorant if one time he gets drunk and calls your gay housefellow a “faggot.” Your roommate from Wausau isn’t just some hick because you’re the first Jew or black man he has ever had a serious conversation with. I’m not a white elitist because most of my friends from home are White Anglo-Saxon Protestants and I laugh at Eric Cartman’s Jew jokes on South Park.
Some of us are just left misinformed or without certain experiences based on how and where we were raised. It’s our job to keep an open mind, and it’s the job of those informed of other cultures to educate your fellow student.
Three, let’s face a difficult fact: Whites hang out with whites, blacks hang out with blacks, Asians hand out with Asians, gays hang out with gays, and so on. Of course there are exceptions. But I think most will agree with this principle in general.
There are several arguments about this. Some say it’s a natural, understandable sociological tendency — you know, birds of a feather flock together. While that’s true to an extent, it’s more the result of larger socioeconomic and cultural differences. The problem is these differences may be insurmountable. Not to mention that when there are large groups of homogenous people together, inappropriate comments and jokes toward different people are regrettably inevitable — again, see Detroit versus Grosse Pointe.
Four, to the minority organizations of UW, please, for the love of God, quit using emotions that appeal to white guilt — they cause many on this campus to get defensive. Practically everybody at UW understands this is a sensitive issue. Don’t go on the attack if somebody with different views says something at a forum or writes a column for the Herald or the Cardinal. It is detrimental to the entire process and characterizes minorities as hyper reactive, single-minded whiners instead of problem solvers. Focus on the bigger picture, not the predictable hiccups along the way.
This also means broadening your membership, particularly for groups like MultiCultural Student Coalition. I say this after speaking with several friends who have felt as though their views have been squelched by MCSC and other minority efforts on campus. Minorities from the inner city of Milwaukee will always have the same opinions if you tell them what they should be thinking when they join as freshmen. Have a conversation, not an argument. Be understanding and reasonable, not reactive. Engage the campus; don’t complain about how it’s unfair to you.
In short, white students, recognize the various forms of bigotry that may have existed in your past, and be open-minded as you work to resolve them in Madison. Minority students, understand this isn’t an “us vs. them” battle, and don’t take offense if someone is ignorant about your culture or disagrees with you in a reasonable manner.
These are pretty simple concepts. But they were difficult for me to write and I’m sure they’re even harder for the rest of campus to accept. It will take the hard work of Bascom Hill administrators and the student body to recognize these truths and integrate them into plans to make UW more diverse.
There may not be much hope for Alter Road. But I have faith the Madison community can openly embrace different races and cultures better than any campus in the nation — provided we can get past the short-term quibbles.
Kevin Bargnes ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism.
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Leave it to some geek boy with an ugly green tie to write drivel like this.
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what the hell is the Badger Herald’s obsession with race this week?! Don’t the editorial staff have anything better to write about?
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There was a huge movement a couple weeks ago when several minority organizations on campus were fed up with an article that ran in the Cardinal. Herald opinion editors said they would dedicate must of the last few weeks of classes to the issue of race to keep the discussion going.
What else would you rather have them write about? How far up your a*s your head must be?
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It’s saturation journalism, and it’s not going over well at all. And go fuck yourself, libtard asshole!
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Its people like you who just shouldn’t comment.
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Kevin,
As a white UW Alum who grew up in West Bend, WI (not quite close enough to Milwaukee to be a “suburb,” but had the race and class elements to be one), and who spent a good portion of my time at UW working for Res Life and in SEED classes, I have a few -what I’m hoping will seem- “reasonable” disagreements with what you said.
First off, though, I want to say that I do think it takes a lot of courage to write about race as a white male. I commend you for that, and for your advice towards the end to both minorities and whites on campus. (“In short, white students, recognize…”)
However, I am personally offended by two things in your article; first, that you wrote some of your statements as FACT, especially these statements:
“It�s the job of those informed of other cultures to educate your fellow student.”
-and-
“Three, let�s face a difficult fact: Whites hang out with whites, blacks hang out with blacks…”
I fully recognize that this is an op-ed article, and that opinion writing is a vehicle to present opinions as fact at times. However, I have had countless conversations with minority students who have said that no, in fact they do not see it as their “job” to inform whites of what it is like to be a minority. The are not monkeys to be studied, you see. If we as whites want to learn about someone, then I would argue that the most natural way to do that is to either ask them or befriend them. If whites on campus aren’t willing or able to do that, then they really are too bigoted and/or unworldly in this 21st century.
Furthermore, as a white male, you are in an incredibly privileged place to have made all the remarks you did, in the tone you did. Minorities aren’t afforded that same status as “truth-sayers,” for lack of a better word. So what you perceive as defensiveness or aggression MAY just be a really frustrated person trying desperately to be heard among all the “white noise.”
Second, I do not refute that minority groups tend to form groups and whites tend to form groups. However, have you ever thought about WHY that is? From the time minorities are in middle school, perhaps even earlier for some people, they experience racism in a way that they can actually identify it. (Whites could too, if they looked.) If a white friend in seventh grade is given higher or lower expectations than her white classmates, then confides in a white classmate about it, how often do you think that white classmate says, “Oh don’t worry about it. I’m sure the teacher didn’t mean it THAT way!” Often—perhaps because of white guilt, perhaps because of fear of losing respect for a teacher, perhaps because the white student was right, or any other number of countless reasons.
On the other hand, a fellow minority student may say, “Yeah, I have the same thing!” Thus, confidence and compassion is stronger among minorities in this instance. Over seven plus years of that system, wouldn’t YOU come to see whites as non-allies, bigots or ignorant? I sure as heck would. It will take a lot more than simply talking to a minority student in the dorm or sitting next to him or her at lecture to create true change in terms of racial/friendship make-ups on campus.
As a side-note to my comments about middle school and high school, part of that questioning of authority can be traced to adolescent development. Also, Beverly Tatum wrote an incredibly interesting book about minority adolescent race identity in the book “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” Check it out.
Kevin, I wholeheartedly agree that the climate on campus needs to change, and I also agree that writing about it is a great way to create awareness and advocacy. However, I challenge you to go a little deeper in yourself and your own relationships before presenting your thoughts so strongly; uncareful words and unlived experiences could make the climate even worse, no matter how pure-hearted the intentions.
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I actually liked this article. Didn’t seem to call anyone out as the “problem” and said it’s the entire communities responsibility.
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And you probably like Kanye West too.
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Which is relevant because? Troll much?
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I agree, we need more articles like this in the campus-wide diversity debate. It’s not perfect, but Kevin doesn’t point any fingers. We’re all in this together!
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I’m in agreement with 3:19 and 11:40. We have a War in two fronts, interesting issues in Israel-Palestine, a crumbling economy, among multitudes of another things, but yet, all we get is more of this stupid diversity bullshit. This Opinion section is such a fucking joke it’s not even funny. Where’s any commentary on any current events in the month of December? You have let the entire student-body down, you tools. Do you guys just not understand how sick of this shit students are already?
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But your opinion doesn’t count unless you make an argument for something. Ranting is just that - ranting.
If you think diversity is stupid bullshit then explain why. Maybe you’ll convince someone. Otherwise it’s just an exercise in masturbation.
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It also doesn’t count if you’re writing about a topic in a way that one and only one demographic is to blame for something for which virtually ALL demographics are to blame. Broad-swording all whites for racism makes about as much sense as broad-swording all blacks for violent crime, or all Muslims for terrorism, or all Canadians for lousy beer, not to mention all Americans for bad grammar and spelling.
Get the idea, libtards?
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Libtard? If you think its socially/morally acceptable to use a word like that, you should not be commenting on anything.
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Yeah, the effete, elite, permanent political class is junketing in Copenhagen right now with the objective of spending trillions and increasing government control over every aspect of our lives - and what do we see here? Nothing?
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they’re out there in copenhagen, laughin’ it up, smokin’ hash and finishing up the details on their plan to take over our lives. why can’t anyone see what’s really going on here? why is no one talking about it? Oh yeah, cause you’re a fucking moron
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No, we’re sick of articles about Israel-Palestine too! I don’t give a shit what goes on over there anymore. The day we end our dependency on foreign oil will be the day NO ONE in the US cares anymore about the Middle East.
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To all the liberals who feel offended by the off-color comments posted here and anyone else…
It’s easy to understand the standoff-ish response to opinion pieces like this one. Those of you who were still kids or were born after 1988 probably don’t remember what Madison was like back in the day. It was a welcome change to see the arrogant conservative mentality finally confronted. In the beginning, 1988 to be exact, a bold new attempt at social reform was implemented-political correctness. Every verbal reference deemed offensive or stereotypical was cited for removal from the general American-English vernacular. I used to say “paddy wagon” all the time without being aware of the paddy-Irish connection. And I’m half-Irish!
Then things took a wrong turn. Sensitivity training sessions for all incoming freshmen and transfer students suddenly became mandatory. You sat in a room while some militant dork got up and screamed at all of you and tried his/her best to make you feel so guilty that you’re white, heterosexual, male and not as worldly-wise as him/her. After awhile, this really started to annoy a lot of people, but any attempt to appeal to unnecessary hardline tactics was immediately met with a fire and brimstone response, often accompanied by spitting, punching and kicking. Ultimately, you paid a visit to the Dean of Students, who would concur with the complaintant(s) that you were a hateful little bastard who had no right to be alive on this Earth. And then, you transferred to another school.
Sometime around 1992, protests, rallies and marches from Library Mall to the State Capital became an almost daily occurrence. Woe unto thee who standeth in the path of the angry multitude, for thou art an enemy of the oppressed and an ardent opponent of…whatever the hell those little shits are protesting this week.
Another disturbing trend that came into vogue was the impromptu street drama, in which one or more individuals would mozey on up to you, then somehow start a confrontation by either bumping into you and blow up in your face, as if the collision were your fault, or they’d simply cut to the chase and just yell “WHAT?! YOU CALLIN’ ME A FAGGOT?! HEY LISTEN, MR. MACHO BAD-ASS, IF YOU GOT A WILD HAIR UP YOUR ASS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOU, THEN JUST TAKE A FUCKING HIKE BACK TO THAT TRAILER PARK YOU CAME FROM!” Honestly, you didn’t even have to say or do anything to get that kind of unwanted attention. Apart from being an old drunken redneck from the homeless shelter who couldn’t shut up if he tried, you only needed to stand in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And then one day, September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four planes and did some “really, totally fucked up damage, dude!” Suddenly, being a liberal was more disgraceful than being a Marketing major. Any liberal who dared to speak one unkind word about a newly-elected president, who may or may not have been actually elected, was a low-life, a pariah, lower than whale poop. And for the next eight years, the most liberals could do was make idiots of themselves (i.e. “There are FEMA camps sprouting up deep inside Alaska, black helicopters are spying on you, Bush is the Antichrist and you’re homophobic because you won’t go see Brokeback Mountain.”). Even the arrogance of the average conservative went unnoticed for awhile. Arrogant, delusional liberals were the new Joe McCarthys, who oddly enough was from Wisconsin.
So now we have a new president who, unfortunately, has not quite lived up to the expectations of the liberals who voted him in. Either he is continuing along the path taken by his predecessor to avoid the bitter fate of the last charismatic Democrat (JFK) or the self-aggrandizing, preppy-boy white half of him took over and said “Thanks, bud, I’ll take it from here.” Whatever the case may be, liberals are hoping that a liberals’ ascension to power will somehow give new legitimacy to the once-prolific bastion of left-wing extremism.
And then one day, a giant meteor hit the Earth and all its inhabitants were destroyed.
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Wait… what?
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what? WHAT?!!!! What’s your boggle, 9:11PM?
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I mean what are you talking about? People bumping into you on the street? 9-11? Antichrist? Did you read the same article I did, because your comment was totally unrelated. So… what?
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“who may or may not have been actually elected”
Not that old canard! EVERY study concluded that W won Florida.
There’s easily a better case to be made that JFK was elected by the graveyard voters of Cook County - but Nixon (NIXON!) had too much class and respect for the country to make a federal case out of it, unlike the Goracle.
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Actually, Nixon’s campaign promise to get us out of Vietnam is what got him elected in 1968. And of course, he reneged on that promise until the start of his second term in 1973, when the outrage was too much for him to bear. Interesting parallel between Obama and Nixon, though. Pledge to bring the troops home, then do the opposite. What’s entertaining is that Obama’s supporters have yet to acknowledge the fact that he’s broken just about every campaign promise he ever made. Instead, they’re like Tammy Wynette-Stand By Your Man. OK, that last sentence was a low blow. Sorry, Hillary.
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What does this have to do with 1960? Are you illiterate?
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“What does this have to do with 1960? Are you illiterate?”
1968, you stupid libtard! Who’s illiterate now, huh?!
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“What does this have to do with 1960?”
Are you that same idiot who posted on the wrong board of another article? Log off, geek boy!
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Oh, for chrissake… it sounds like he meant THE 1960s. Are you really so dense you couldn’t figure that out? He has a good point though - what does this article have to do with Nixon and the 1960s?
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Well, if he meant the 1960s then why the hell didn’t he type the 1960s?! Are we supposed to be fucking clairvoyant or something?! why don’t you PM the shithead and ask him to re-post?! Don’t sit there and type shit to us, dick-munch!
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I think they DID mean 1960, which is when JFK stole the election from Nixon, with help from Mayor Daley the First.