While my life has been shaped by the color of my skin, it does not define me. I've been lucky enough to live in NYC where there is a plethora of diversity. But ever since starting at Fordham, I have never been more aware of my skin color then here. I've gone to public school my entire life and I've always been surrounded by people of all races, colors, ethnicities, national origins and of varying ideologies.
However, there is one thing that seems to define Fordham at Lincoln Center: white guilt. It's full of apologetic white people who are genuinely trying to understand the brutal caste system that still defines America.
While doing this is important, I don't need your white guilt.
I will not pretend to understand an experience that I have not had. I cannot speak on behalf of a certain race or color, but it seems like I've had too. People notice when you don't look like them and they treat you as examine you as if your experience has been vastly different to theirs. Today, I was speaking in my Theatre class about the play "Airline Highway," which our theatre program did a rendition of. Race, caste, and class were super prevalent issues throughout the play as the main characters were victims of their own environments, sucked into the endless and hopeless cycle of poverty. Our class was having a discussion and I couldn't help but notice that everyone seemed to apologize for what happened in the play.
They turned to me and the few other POC in that class as if they were expecting an answer.
They wanted reassurance that they were doing something good or they wanted a pat on the back for being "woke." However, they consistently talked over the POC in class who were trying to get their opinions heard. They talked over me as I was voicing my opinion. They seem to have forceful ideas, but fail to see the irony in taking up space that is not theirs.
A white person has not had the same experience with race as a POC.
They need to stop pretending that they do, that they "understand." I do not understand. What I do know is that I should be able to talk about my experience as a POC without being talked over by a white person. This is just one example of the countless times that I've been spoken over, or ignored when trying to talk about my personal experience.
To all white people: Even though you might have the best intentions, your experience is not the same. Stay in your lane.
