UNDERSTANDING RACIAL PROGRESS ON CAMPUS H ardship and Hope

WRITTEN BY MACKENZIE CHRISTIE

DESIGNED BY AMBER SWAISGOOD

Walking through campus, there’s an atmosphere of tranquility and safety. Some call it the “Messiah Bubble,” but others call it life. You venture from class to class, dorm to dining hall in a place where everyone looks just like you. At a first glance, you fit right in…if you’re white.

Messiah University is considered a Predominantly White Institution (PWI), as defined by the Encyclopedia of African American Education, with approximately 80% of its student body being white. Despite the demographic disproportionality, this number is the highest it’s been in the institution’s history.

Despite the progress Messiah has made, similar hardships exist when examining the experiences of today’s students versus their academic predecessors.

Todd Allen, Vice President of Diversity Affairs, recognizes these pitfalls and mentions that the work of diversity and inclusion is one that is a constant work in progress.

“People are complicated, people are messy, people don’t know how to play nice with one another sometimes: diversity and inclusion will always be an ongoing work,” Allen said.

Drew Hart, ‘04, is a Messiah alumni turned professor. Despite being aware of Messiah’s lack of diversity, his experience was more difficult than he anticipated.

“Though my high school had a lot more diversity than Messiah, I assumed that I’d experience social flourishing at Messiah because most people affirmed a shared Christian faith,” Hart said. “In actuality, Messiah was a much more challenging a space than I’d expected.”

Hart recollects countless instances of discriminatory behaviors towards himself and other students of color that led him to process his collective Messiah experience as racial abuse.

“The Messiah community was one of the most racist social experiences of my life,” Hart said. “The longer I was on campus, the more I began to recognize the strange body language in response to my presence. I constantly felt like people were looking at me like I was a thug, like I was dangerous or scary.”

“I saw black women have their hair touched like they were animals in the zoo, I saw students mockingly participating in gospel worship during chapel as if it were a joke. There was a lack of understanding of other people’s culture, history, and heritage that made life difficult for students of color.”

Calvin Tucker, ‘09, echoes Hart’s sentiment, expressing that the campus community was not always wholly accepting of diversity amongst students.

“My worst experience dealing with racism was in the Union,” said Tucker. “A student bumped into me by accident and turned around and saw that I was black. He lifted both of his hands in the air and raised his voice, saying, ‘I’m sorry dude, I’m so sorry,’ so I said ‘It’s okay, you’re fine.’”

“He continued by saying ‘Calm down man, I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.’ I wondered why this young man who I’ve never met before would react to me like this, even after I had a smile on my face when I told him that it was okay.”

Camryn Wimberly, ‘22, expresses that her experience at Messiah was similarly jaded by instances of racism and discrimination.

“I’d dealt with microaggressions growing up, but I was unprepared for the blatant racism and discrimination I encountered at Messiah,” Wimberly said. “In my first semester, I had a professor make discriminatory remarks about my ability to succeed in a course based on my race.”

“Reflecting back as a recent graduate who dedicated time to studying the impact of attending PWIs, I know that those comments were completely unacceptable, and the experience heavily contributed to my discomfort on campus,” Wimberly said.

Aside from the glaring remarks, the mere absence of diversity in campus spaces amplified Wimberly’s sense of discomfort, and she is not alone in this regard. Drew Blanchfield, ‘22, reflects on the hypervisibility that impacted his academic studies.

“Being the only person of color in nearly all of my classes was draining,” Blanchfield said. “My professors seemed to think the current state of the world didn’t matter, and so I struggled to be present and learn.”

As a prior student athlete for Messiah’s men's basketball team, Blanchfield felt significant dismay at the lack of inclusive efforts within athletics as well, despite his efforts to enact change.

“I hosted meetings to speak to coaches and staff about conversations on race in intercollegiate sports. Teams across the nation were having discussions, hosting experts on race and gender, or even marching in the name of justice. But the team I was on had one zoom meeting where each black player spoke, one white player, and a few words by the coach.”

Over the years, there remains a lack of inclusivity that is ever present on our campus.

Annabelle Dionisio, senior English major and Multicultural Council Chair, remarks that she is often reminded that she is not within the majority in the classroom.

“It’s very common to be the only person of color in a space, but unfortunately that’s par for the course. I often feel like I have to check myself before I say something, or think ‘Am I going to be safe fully being all of who I am here?’”

“For example, I’m Filipino, and oftentimes in class the only mention of the Philippines is in the context of how they’re failing, the poverty, things like that,” Dionisio said.

Despite the hardships that accompany being a student of color at a PWI, many students and faculty recognize that the presence of diversity – no matter how small – provides space for individuals to meaningfully explore their identities and relationships.

Amy Nicols, director of International Student Programs, believes having a diverse student body is key to fostering intellectual and spiritual growth for students.

“If we don’t have a diverse student body, we are not reflecting the kingdom of God, and we aren’t learning or growing,” Nicols said. “We can learn a lot from one another, but we often don’t learn through similarity, we learn through difference.”

Hart expresses how the presence of varying identities on campus provided him with opportunities to explore his own identity and build stronger relationships with those around him.

“Messiah strangely gave me a deeper space to explore who I was,” Hart said. “I developed a greater sense of what it means to be a Black Christian man in the United States… it gave me an appreciation of white people who were responding in solidarity with black and brown students as brothers and sisters. I was slowly learning that navigating a society steeped in centuries of racism will require sustainable relationships.”

Dionisio feels that her position as the chair of the Multicultural Council allows her not only to foster a greater sense of community for other students, but it gives her a chance to explore her own identity.

“Sometimes my white peers think that the work I do as MCC Chair is an attack on them, rather than a liberatory act for myself,” Dionisio said. “The community MCC creates is something like no other because it prioritizes the safety of our brothers and sisters of color. Messiah emphasizes community, but MCC calls it family.”

Sierra Kinslow, ‘17, is now the current Associate Director of Admissions and Multicultural Recrui\tment. Though Messiah has its highs and lows, she ensures visiting families recognize Messiah is not without its faults.

“I tell visiting families of color that Messiah is not a perfect place, and it is definitely a function of society as a whole,” Kinslow said. “While our mission statement says we are passionate about reconciliation, it’s obviously not the ideal that is lived out by every person on our campus.”

Through the hardship and struggle, many students and faculty of color feel a sense of optimism due to the work that is being done.

Wimberly discusses her gratitude for the programs implemented to acknowledge diversity on campus.

“Fortunately, I was accepted into the R. H. Flowers Scholarship program, which connects first-year students of color with upper-class mentors to provide conversation on race, ethnicity, and culture. Through this program, I felt Messiah did a great job of emphasizing their dedication to inclusivity,” Wimberly said.

“Additionally, I believe that initiatives like the ‘Year of Reconciliation’ and ‘Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice’ are excellent starting points for facilitating change,” Wimberly said.

Kinslow reminisces on her own experiences with the scholarship program, mentioning that it was one of the primary reasons she committed to the university.

“I attended one of the Multicultural Scholarship days, which really sealed the deal for me. Being able to interact with others who were passionate about diversity and growth was so important to me.”

Hart expresses similar sentiments, but emphasizes a need for quicker action on behalf of our students of color.

“I think Messiah as an institution has creeped towards being more intentional, but I also think the change has been too slow, gradual, and moving in small increments,” Hart said.

Ultimately, our faculty and staff are seeking justice for individuals who have experienced harm on campus. Allen hopes that now and in the future, students will be proud of the University they are leaving behind.

“I want students to know that no place is perfect, and we are going to fall short,” Allen said. “Some days we will exceed the mark, but in the bigger picture, we are on a journey. I want students to be proud of the institution they chose to attend, engaged while they’re here, and be honored to call themselves an alumni of Messiah University.”