As a working-class student of color, I face daily battles in the classroom setting that may seem trivial to some. The issues I will talk about in this piece are based on experiences encountered by me and my peers. Tokenism is a significant issue students of color face in class. There is an expectation for a student of color to speak about issues regarding their own identities and communities as a way to educate their white classmates. The lack of education and misunderstanding of marginalized people roots from the lack of representation of their identities in the school curriculum. For instance, from elementary school to high school, the majority of my education was Eurocentric and problematic. Marginalized people are often recognized in a narrow lens where their oppression is both simplified and justified. In terms of race, students of color should not be expected to generalize nor educate white students about their identities. One, there are multiple resources on this campus, such as literature, research and classes, that people can access to educate themselves about marginalized people. Second, generalizing the experiences of different marginalized people does not recognize the complexity and intersectionality of their identities.
Another significant battle I’d like to address is calling problematic statements out. There are multiple occasions I’ve challenged a statement of another student because the statement was offensive, a reinforcement of stereotypes, etc. However, I received no support in the moment which made me feel anxious and excluded. There are even moments where I will not vocalize my perspective due to fear of exclusion. The labor of educating people becomes exhausting when everyone hears what you are saying, but does not try to listen.
Lastly, stop cutting me off and lower your voice. I mean, give me a chance to speak and express my thoughts. Recognize how dominating a space drowns out my voice. Recognize that students of color have the right to articulate their perspectives without interruption. I should not have to scream to be heard. Also, stop questioning my capability and intellect. My fellow white counterpart, if I cannot seem to figure out a problem, give me time to figure it out myself. Yes, it will take me more time, but so what? The reality is I did not attend a high school offering college preparation. The black and brown students who attended my school were not viewed as capable nor competent enough to be challenged. Instead, the educational system funded school safety officers who policed students and conducted random searches. However, I am just as capable to complete collegiate studies, and I belong here as much as anyone else.