Finally in Person: Reflection on the Systemic Racism Roundtable
The roundtable on systemic racism that the Chair held on the 8th of September was my first in-person event—seeing more than just the heads and shoulders of the speakers felt strange and exciting. Rather than staring at a zoom screen, I sat in my fancy clothes and listened to our panelists speak openly and powerfully about how racism is woven throughout our education systems.
In Dr. Ray’s opening remarks, it was interesting to hear how he met Dr. Mahmoudi and how this edited volume had been conceptualized and realized. Hearing the authors dive deep into the ideas they shared in the chapters shed new light on the words I have been reading and reflecting on all semester. Not only is their writing impactful, but their ability to speak on such complex topics demonstrated amazing eloquence and passion.
I was particularly struck by Dr. Carter’s discussion of the missed opportunities in history. I was interested in the patterns and movement of wealth and people and how these forces contribute to and perpetuate systems of racism without requiring hatred or discrimination on an individual level. During the Q and A portion, she pointed out how even if we change the hearts and minds of all people to eliminate prejudice, the systems are set up in a way that will continue to create unequal outcomes.
Dr. Johnson highlighted how the social sciences can create an accepted narrative that does not reflect reality. Highly educated people, sociologists, and academics are not free from the influences of racism, and these systems influence the same people who study them. Having the perspectives of scholars like Dr. Johnson is essential.
I was also struck by Dr. Mahmoudi’s discussion of the roots of prejudice. In educational systems, it is also important to examine how we socialize children to accept prejudice and inequality as normal. The systems are perpetuated by the foundational structures of our society but also by the people who grow up within these systems and never seek to alter them. Education can be a powerful tool to maintain the status quo or to create meaningful change.
Finally, this roundtable helped me examine my own experience at a majority white private school. A major reason my parents chose to send me there were the increased resources, including teaching quality, smaller class size, and experiential learning. I heard familiar language in a new light as the speakers examined the euphemistic nature of statements like “I want my kid to go to the best school or be competitive for colleges.” It revealed yet another way that my privilege has allowed me the ease of mind not to consider how I contribute to systems that perpetuate inequality.
The speakers all communicated their ideas so effectively and broke down complex topics into comprehensible explanations. Their unique perspectives combined into a discussion that kept me engaged the whole time. This was an ideal first in-person event experience, and I look forward to holding more in the future.
You can watch the video of the roundtable here.
About the Author
Stella Hudson is a Graduate Assistant with the Baha’i Chair for World Peace. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2021 with a B.A. in English. She is attending the University of Maryland and pursuing a Master’s of Library and Information Science.