Over the past week, boxes were placed at various locations around campus for a project called “Ask a Minority.” Next to each box is a list of the different student diversity organizations who will be answering questins posed to them through these boxes via the Facebook page, “Voices of Marginality.” The description on the Facebook page reads, “Inspired to action by the University of Puget Sound Confessions page, Voices of Marginality represents an attempt to create a unified voice for the student diversity clubs on campus.”
Although I do support the creation of “a unified voice” for the diversity clubs on campus, I cannot say the same for this project. I realize that the intent behind this project really is to get a conversation started about diversity on our campus, however, I also see many problems that are probably not quite as obvious.
First of all, the “Ask A Minority” box in Wyatt has an explanation next to it that states, “Ever had a question you thought would make you sound like a sexist, a racist, or a bigot? Submit your questions and we’ll provide answers.”
The main issue I have with this explanation is that if someone has a question that is so questionable that they feel the need to submit it anonymously to get an answer, it’s probably at least somewhat offensive or is based on some kind of stereotype.
It’s human nature to be curious, but I do not feel that a truly meaningful discussion of these types of issues can stem from secrecy or anonymity.
Everyone knows what these stereotypes are and that unfortunately our campus is no exception to the fact that people with sexist, racist or bigoted views do exist. These boxes unfortunately and probably unintentionally have the potential to give a platform to these views and stereotypes.
By saying this, I do not mean to say that we should all pretend these stereotypes or people do not exits, but we should be aware of the implications of giving so much attention to these views.
Although these boxes might create a productive conversation, they might also be very destructive and hurtful.
Another issue I have with these boxes is simply the name.
Saying “Ask a Minority” seems more marginalizing than unifying. They essentially place all minorities on campus into one collection, but even then not every minority, only those students involved in one of the diversity groups.
The name of the project puts up a barrier between students who identify themselves as a minority and those who do not.
Furthermore, these boxes give the impression that the answers given somehow represent a given group of students.
Although there are no claims being made that this is the purpose, some people will feel this way, which will only lead to more stereotyping.
As a “minority” myself, I am not comfortable with the implications of these “Ask a Minority” boxes. What one person finds offensive may not be at all offensive to someone else, so these boxes will probably do little more than point out all of the stereotypes or negative views that we all know exist.
To reiterate, intentions are important, but I do feel that there are some very real possibilities of harmful effects coming from this project. I do not know what will come of this project, but I do know that many aspects of it worry me.
We should not blindly assume that all efforts in the name of diversity are going to be helpful, even if the intentions are to be edifying, because there is always the possibility that projects like these can unintentionally become a part of the problem.