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Race Matters Essay

Decent Essays

Jerrelle Borden Prof. Chris Gilliard WRA 125

When should we talk as if

Race Matters?

Unwittingly or quite knowingly people have built systems of inequalities around race but people have also built identity, friendships, and college mates around it. Nevertheless, several people I recently interviewed never appeared to be certain when race was a good thing or when it was a bad thing to talk about, which in my mind leaves us all struggling with a particularly intimidating question: When should we talk as if race matters? The culture of the Snyder-Phillips dorm, in my observation, appears to be different where it concerns race relative to minorities. My analysis is in comparison to the atmosphere …show more content…

Essentially, I interviewed this student on November 29, 2005 at approximately 2:00 p.m., and I inquired about any knowledge he may have about any seemingly inappropriate race issues in the said residence hall. This student, who once resided in the Snyder-Phillips dormitory, indicated that his “experiences as a resident in this hall were similar to some of the experiences” I previously listed and, more specifically, that he also, “recalled several incidents where non-minorities were intimidated by the presence of African Americans and, as such, they made every effort to distant themselves” (Wilson). I also was able to have discussions with other Michigan State students on this issue. One of the students who reside in Hubbard Hall had witness some race issues on campus, particularly in Snyder-Phillips where there are fewer minorities had said, “I believe people act differently in Snyder-Phillips because of different lifestyles. Over in the area of Snyder-Phillips, there aren’t as many minorities as there is in certain places on campus like Hubbard Hall, Brody Complex, and Akers Hall. I also think that its basically two different lifestyles” (Rutledge), while the other student I interviewed was Caucasian who once lived in Snyder-Phillips had some experiences

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