When discussing racism, there’s always mention of the divide between people -- a divide that continues to grow, splitting us into separate factions cut from the same cloth. People are becoming more defined by that divide, now more than ever before. That divide is founded in understanding, or a lack thereof. After studying Claudia Rankine’s acclaimed novel "Citizen," the common read for Queens University students this semester, I have observed that it is the slight nuances created by years of ingrained racism that speak volumes. Not all racism is blatant public outbursts and police shootouts, but rather something that we can see and hear almost every day of our lives, and completely ignore for the most part.
People ignore those signs and offenses because they don’t want to feel uncomfortable. They don’t bring attention to their friends, their family or their peers for making these sorts of comments because they don’t want to offend. People stay silent because they don’t want to make anybody uncomfortable by calling out their racism or checking their privilege. This is where the dialogue on racism needs to begin. These are the moments where understanding is born. Not through argument and vicious words, but through conversation.
When Rankine spoke at Queens, she offered a piece of advice not just to young people of color, but to human beings in general: “Do not stay silent.” She spoke about how important those moments are, the awkward, uncomfortable ones, where nobody really knows what to say without starting an argument, so nobody says anything at all. That decision to stay silent in those times only widens the divide of understanding between people, and contributes to a much larger problem at hand. Rankine suggests that speaking frankly and openly about the subjects of racism, bigotry and hate is the first step in coming to a better level of understanding.
This feeling of discomfort and awkward tension isn’t limited to any setting or group dynamic. In a collegiate setting, I’ve noticed a great step forward in one of my most unique classes. It is one of my only classes that shows the diversity of Queens’ student body, and it made for a perfect setting to discuss the values and lessons of "Citizen." I think one of the most important factors of the conversation was perspective. In this class, the perspective was widened, and everyone in the class was able to hear different viewpoints, gain insight into issues that we may not have had before that discussion and further our understanding of such a complex subject like racism. There were definitely notes of awkward tension throughout the conversation -- not between students, but a general flinching at some of the material. But this awkwardness and discomfort did not halt the discussion; in fact, it propelled it forward. It was a true display of a group of people bridging the gap of understanding through conversation, embodying the message that I believe Claudia Rankine had in mind with her novel.
When discussing racism, there are plenty of divides to be addressed. Narrowing the divide of understanding begins with a conversation. It begins with opening a dialogue.
