After watching the provocative “Diaspora Flow” performance March 6 and after attending the Tim Wise lecture March 9, I was initially quite pleased to see so many people in the audiences; their presence signified an interest in multicultural life and a willingness to create change. In briefly talking to a number of acquaintances after both events, many of them told me how these events were “so amazing,” their eyes wide as if to suggest their understanding of the shows’ immense societal importance. However, it soon occurred to me that while many of these people attend the performance-oriented activities that cultural organizations sponsor, I do not see people continuing their initial interest in multicultural issues around the Macalester community. That is, I hear a lot of talk, but I do not see any action. This is puzzling, especially when recalling the extreme popularity (at least by Macalester standards) of big cultural activities.

In trying to reconcile this disparity, I thought perhaps while the attendees at the various shows and lectures enjoy the performances, these activities are not engaging enough as to actually inspire people to do something about the problem at hand. But rather, I think the issue is that we believe by simply showing up, we can wear our anti-racist badges proudly and without hesitation. And honestly, the idea that we need only attend a few racial awareness events every month and avoid perpetuating racial stereotypes in order to do our part in achieving racial equality is a most comforting notion. Unfortunately, it is not enough.

Beverly Daniel Tatum, the author of the wonderful book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? (it’s in the library—check it out!), likens the continuation of racism to a moving walkway at an airport. Some in our society are actively racist, seeking to further the mission of white supremacy and all it entails. This is akin to briskly walking forward on the walkway. Then, there are those who choose not to move on their own accord, but instead choose simply to stand still, allowing the walkway to carry them along. These are what Tatum refers to as passive racists, the category most of us fall under. While we may not agree with the ideals held by active racists and we may not like the discrimination we see, in the end we will eventually arrive at the same destination as the active racists. What our society needs, says Tatum, are active anti-racists, those moving in the opposite direction of the walkway at a pace faster than those moving forward. After explaining this analogy to a group of friends, one of them blurted incredulously, “But that means you’ll be facing opposition! Going against the grain!” Many of us giggled at the all-too obvious nature of this comment, but it then dawned on me that perhaps we first need to accept that this struggle will not be easy. Like anything worth attaining, the fight for racial equality will require dedication and perseverance. But I wholeheartedly believe it can be done.

Expectedly, the next question asked of me after finishing the analogy was, “So how can we do this?” To begin with, I think we first need to realize that the problem I have described has been perpetuated by both white students and Students of Color (SoC) alike. Thus the solutions I am suggesting are applicable to both of these groups. I think the first step, as has been the topic of this column for the past few weeks, is engaging in meaningful dialogue about racial issues. I know that there may be a fear associated with open discourse concerning topics of race, so, especially on a college campus, we do not want to be viewed as ignorant should we accidentally say something offensive. To this I would say that I am one person who is quite eager to discuss any of these issues with you. I’m sure once you take an active role in multicultural and racial issues, you’ll find many more students and faculty members who are just as willing.

Additionally, the Lealtad-Suzuki Center sponsors several collectives to facilitate these discussions by providing safe spaces for members of various racial groups. However, as alluded to earlier, I do not believe that social change will be brought about by any number of people who simply think about the problem. Certainly, as we have seen over time, racism will take much more than talk to undo. I think that advocating for SoC (and thus, for equality) can be achieved through everything from joining a cultural organization to simply speaking up when you hear or see an incident involving racial prejudice. Yes, this may mean not passively listening to another one of Uncle Jim’s racist jokes or perhaps questioning your best friend’s motives behind a seemingly light-hearted racial generalization. Furthermore, white students need to become allies to SoC and vice versa. If you are a SoC who does not identify with a particular culture or ethnicity enough to join a corresponding cultural organization, I urge you to begin assessing for yourself what you identify as.

In conclusion, I would refer those interested in learning about multicultural affairs first to the Lealtad-Suzuki Center, whose primary goals include providing “multicultural training and development to Macalester faculty, staff and students to increase awareness, knowledge and skills pertaining to diversity and multiculturalism.” I implore you to ask yourself which direction you are traveling on the walkway. As cliché as it is (although clichés become clichés because they are invariably true), I’m going to paraphrase Gandhi by saying that we must be the change we want to see in this world. The decision to take action or to remain passive rests in our hands. Let’s choose wisely.