“I don’t hate white people. I hate whiteness. I hate how whiteness bleaches out its troubled past,” remarks an actor in the closing performance of Black Monologues. As I looked across the crowd assembled at Helms Theater, I was surprised such a diverse audience was interested in a performance specifically geared toward highlighting racial incidents on Grounds. At times, the University community appears uninterested in acknowledging issues of race at all, as was apparent in the mixed reactions to last year’s student protests of the exoneration of officers Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo. Perhaps the fact that such a crowd was interested in Black Monologues proves more students are willing to discuss racial issues affecting the Charlottesville community and the nation at large.
While Black Monologues discusses a variety of issues ranging from misogyny to homophobia, most acts focused on instances of racial hypocrisy, alienation and prejudice. As has already been acknowledged in a prior Cavalier Daily article, many of the monologues promote a sense of discomfort among the audience. While the aforementioned article emphasized the discomfort of white audience members, I believe it is crucial to consider the subject matter of the performances. At present, I cannot imagine a manner in which one could discuss the effects of racism and prejudice without conveying discomfort. One may even argue the discomfort felt by the audience is merely an extension of the same individuals’ reactions to the experiences from which these monologues are based. Indeed, the whole point of these monologues is to elicit an emotional response from the audience. It is only in this manner in which one can begin to question how such incidents could occur in a country that overwhelmingly voices agreement with the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The timing of Black Monologues coincides with a period of greater public scrutiny of race relations on college campuses. At Yale, the past two months have been marked by strife between student advocates and members of the school administration over the best way of guaranteeing a safe educational environment. While this tension was founded upon a series of racial incidents targeting the black student body — such as the tagging of several “All Lives Matter” signs with references to black criminality — most media scrutiny has focused on the school administration’s policy concerning offensive Halloween costumes. While Yale’s Intercultural Affairs Committee explicitly requested students abstain from wearing "culturally unaware and insensitive" costumes, a statement issued by Prof. Erika Christakis was largely seen by student advocates as condoning reprehensible behavior. While Christakis’ advice was made with good intentions, suggesting one should “look away” or “tell them you’re offended” does not properly address the underlying issues that have incensed student activists.
While student leaders have called for Christakis’ resignation, a reactionary movement has rallied behind her and accused student activists of being intolerant and irrational. Perhaps this movement is best embodied by Reason Magazine’s Robby Soave, who accuses protesters of seeking “emotional coddling” and rejecting “not merely a free and open campus dialogue, but adulthood itself.” It is easy for Soave to support such an absurd statement, as he will never be forced to endure the cultural appropriation and insensitivity to which minority students are frequently exposed.
Within the last year and a half, the nation has witnessed a multitude of racial incidents ranging from riots in Baltimore and Ferguson to the murder of black churchgoers at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. In these tumultuous times, universities should be seen as safe educational environments that, at the very least, offer a respite from the racial tension emanating throughout the country. Alas, this is not the case, as racism and prejudice have permeated our institutions of higher education, and have been largely ignored by the school administration. It is truly disappointing that in 2015, calls for greater empathy and respect have largely fallen on deaf ears.
As institutions priding themselves on their diverse student bodies, universities should be more proactive in combatting racism and culturally insensitive behavior. This is not to say, as some have already suggested, that universities institute speech codes or other extreme measures. While the racial tensions at the University are not as high as at Yale or Missouri, University President Teresa Sullivan should follow the former’s example and develop new initiatives to build a more inclusive community. This could be as simple as increasing minority representation within the school administration, and training said members in recognizing and combatting racism. In the wake of the events described in Black Monologues, it is our moral obligation to build a safer, more inclusive University for future classes.*
Brandon Brooks is a third-year in the College.
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