Reflection: Systematic Racism in America Roundtable

This is an insight written by Meredith Friedland on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace Roundtable, Systemic Racism in America, held at the University of Maryland on September 8, 2022

Finally, we are holding events in person! The Systematic Racism Roundtable was my first in-person event since I began working at the Bahai Chair. There was something powerful in the room that night. A special feeling, sitting around other individuals who like myself are interested in as Dr. Ray put it “becoming racial equity learners”.

I felt as though a lightbulb went off during that event. The light was being shed on the ways that racism is systematically woven into our education system that I had always been too naive to realize.

I attended a Science Magnet school for grades 6-12. Part of the reason I chose to go there was because of the large number of resources and special programs they offered. I knew this was unlike many of the other schools in the school district. I knew that my school was a majority of white students as opposed to the other schools as well. However, I didn’t make the connection between the diverse student population and the lack of resources that the other schools around me had. 

That was something that Professor Carter emphasized that really stuck with me. The years of systematic racism that is so embedded in our institutions we don’t take a moment to think about the history behind them. The racism that is so common it hides in our normal conversations and weaves into generations and generations of ideas. 

I never took a moment to realize that the “dangerous schools” or “bad schools” meant schools where there were students of color. I never realized the connection between the lack of resources and teachers who motivated students and the student population's skin color.  

The extremely knowledgeable speakers presented in a way that was both passionate and informative. They created a “brave space” where you could reflect on the institutions you grew up in. A space where they challenge you to not just “not be racist” but actively work to unravel the very institutions where racism has made a home for all of history. 

I didn’t just work at this event. I listened, reflected, and acknowledged the ways that I could improve as a racial equity learner. I look forward to continuing to meet our speakers in person and to seeing the faces of others trying to make our society a safer and more equitable one. 

You can watch the video of the roundtable here.

About the Author:

Meredith is a senior at the University of Maryland majoring in Marketing and Management. After college, she hopes to travel the world and learn more about different countries and cultures. Meredith wants to combine her interest in business with her passion for helping others.