Afro-Latino Society Conducts Exclusive Black/Brown Forum
The Afro-Latino Exonian Society (ALES) hosted a forum open only to “black or brown” students last Saturday night. The forum hoped to provide a safe space for people of Afro-Latino descent to discuss race and identity. However, the lack of invitation extended to other minority groups and the exclusive nature of the event caused contention.
ALES hosted the forum as part of its celebration of Black History Month. The purpose of the forum was to discuss the effects of systemic racism among the student body, experiences at Exeter pertaining to racial and ethnic identities and the position in which minority students are placed on campus.
“As underrepresented students at an institution like Exeter, our students question the role they have in addressing the imbalances some experience in our school community, in their home communities and the country at large,” said Nahin Jorgge ’07, Associate Director of Admissions and a panelist at the forum.
The forum was intended to give Afro-Latino students an opportunity to candidly share common experiences. “It was meant as a safe space where every person in the room would have a firsthand experience with what everyone else was talking about, so it could be a more supportive environment,” upper Lauren Wilson, a member of the ALES board, said.
“We must not only understand the challenges of being an underrepresented student at high achieving intuitions, but at the same time the responsibility that access carries.”
The forum lasted around two hours and featured a panel discussion. Aside from Jorgge, on the panel were religion instructor Russell Weatherspoon, Dean of Multicultural Affairs Rosanna Salcedo and physical education instructor Olutoyin Augustus-Ikuwakor.
During discussion, emphasis was placed on the role of faculty in the success of minority students. The impact that mandatory diversity training would have and the importance of hiring and retaining a diverse faculty were major conversation points. Many expressed the positive influence that faculty of color have on minority students. “Students were appreciative of the efforts of faculty of color to assist them through difficult situations they may be experiencing either academically or emotionally,” Jorgge said. “It makes a significant difference to learn from instructors who have lived through similar issues in their own paths.”
The forum was only open to black or brown students to express solidarity and provide a space to openly share and discuss deeply personal race-related struggles without politicization or judgement. “This forum was only open to black and Latino students because we often don't get to see large numbers of Afro-Latino students all in one place, gathering just to talk and express themselves in regards to their racial and ethnic identities,” Wilson said.
Upper Chris Agard, a member of ALES, particularly emphasized the importance of affinity spaces. “It’s always refreshing to be in a room full of people who look like you and because of that face similar experiences,” he said.
The forum was also closed due to concerns raised by the added vulnerability that would result in an open forum. “Emotions regarding race, inclusion and equity can make one feel vulnerable. Had this been opened up, the discussion may have become more generalized,” said Jorgge.
ALES will further explain its intentions in opening the forum only to black or brown students through an opinions piece also published in this week’s issue.
The forum received positive reviews from those in attendance. “The forum was extremely successful, as we really highlighted the fact that supporting each other on campus is really important to our success on this campus,” said Wilson.
Many were thankful for being given a space to openly share with one another. “People just got to talk, and that’s always a good thing,” said Agard.
The forum was also viewed as successful for giving students the opportunity to confront and discuss the complexities of the minority experience on campus. “It allowed our students to feel comfortable regarding some of the feelings some students experience at the Academy,” Jorgge said.
Students and faculty members both benefited from sharing experiences with each other. “I heard the students say that they felt closer to and more supported by the adults in the room, after hearing our own perspectives and experiences,” said Salcedo.
She also learned from the experience and said, “I appreciated hearing the students talk about their experiences, as it can inform the work that I do in my role as a faculty member and adviser.”
After others in the community learned of the forum, controversy sparked over the forum’s name. Some students even felt that a large portion of the student body was being excluded, although Senior Julie Chung did not see that as the issue. “The problem isn’t that we were excluded from the conversation since perhaps the struggles between Asian and Afro/Latino students of color differ and require different conversations,” she said. “But it’s important to note that by using black/brown interchangeably with Afro/Latino and subsequently telling South Asian students who identify as ‘brown’ that they are not allowed to be in the discussion, they are further marginalizing these students and invalidating this facet of their identity.
Knowing the importance of affinity group meetings, students have been taking action to involve different races to make students feel comfortable sharing their own experiences. “The school still has major problems in retaining diverse Asian faculty and falling under the model minority myth—these problems ultimately hurt many of the Asian students here. The ALES board along with faculty like Dr. Wade, however, have been very supportive in our efforts. I’m hoping to create more informative panels as well as more interracial dialogue to better explain to students the role of API’s in race relations throughout history until today,” said Chung.
Despite the controversy raised, the forum hosted by ALES gave Afro-Latino students a chance to share similar experiences and also let students realize that groups of minorities should not be marginalized. Jorgge shared his perspective with the students who attended and the message he wishes to get across to students.
“We must not only understand the challenges of being an underrepresented student at high achieving intuitions, but at the same time the responsibility that access carries,” he said.