On Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. the Latine Student Alliance and the Black Student Alliance collaboratively hosted the Identity Jubilee event in DFRV.
The purpose of the event was to create an open space for students to discuss topics that affect the communities associated with the identity of LSA and BSA members. In an introductory presentation, the executive boards of both affinity groups stated that they “recognize that this might be a topic that hits close to home. We are creating a brave space for everyone to have open conversations. These conversations are meant to be taken further than this room: to our peers that aren’t present, to our cohorts and community members.”
Following the kind introduction was a set of guidelines to make the space as welcoming and respectful as possible. The procedures included the following:
- One Dive, One Mic (one at a time).
- No one knows everything; together we know a lot.
- We don’t have to know the exact words, but we’ll engage the responsibility of speaking (Building on Conversations).
- Be aware of time, and share that airtime.
- Embrace curiosity.
- Lean in when you disagree. The goal is not to agree — it is to gain a deeper understanding.
- Speak from your own personal experience (“I” statements), and avoid generalizations.
- Take space and make space.
After the procedures, the co-MCs, LSA President Mike Marquez and BSA President Estevan Lee dove right into the questions. In order to make their members comfortable, both hosts began the night with easy, entertaining questions. Asking things such as “Cereal or milk first?” “Messi or Ronaldo?” and “Are boneless wings chicken nuggets?”
After several laughs and sharing of various opinions on the fun questions/statements, the floor opened up to the more serious topics. Marquez led the way by stating, “I feel like I belong at DU.” One side of the room was divided into three sections: agree (right side), disagree (left side) and in-between (middle). Immediately after saying the first statement the students piled up on their corresponding sides. Each side had almost an equal amount of students. The “agree” side felt like they belonged but also acknowledge needing a big support group on campus. While the disagreeing side said, “We deserve to be here but not necessarily belong.”
Members of LSA and BSA discussing the Identity Jubilee questions. | Courtesy of Ana Ortega
Seven questions were asked that evening, prompting serious discussions on identity, belonging, and other issues that people of color face on DU’s campus.
Notable answers came from question four when LSA Vice President, Johanna Majano, asked students to share based on the statement, “I feel that trying to embrace my identity is exhausting at DU.” Paola Garcia, LSA’s Intergroup Liason, noted from the “agree” side that many people of color at DU “assimilated into white culture and so it’s exhausting to be who you really are.” Her group also said that their cultures are not represented at DU unless they do it themselves. They noted that holidays such as Latine Heritage Month or Dia de los Muertos are brushed to the side instead of widely acknowledged on campus like other holidays are.
Other questions brought up instances of microaggressions experienced on campus. Question five posed the statement, “I feel like my identity is being used as a statistic for the school.” The majority of the attendees agreed and shared their own experiences. Lee included his experiences at DU during orientation week. Expressing his disappointment at being asked to pose several times by DU photographers. He believed that they were specifically targeting him because he is Black, and it was an attempt to obfuscate DU’s lack of diversity on the school website.
The final conversation was about the Lunar New Year shooting that occurred in California the previous weekend. Several participants showed their dissatisfaction with DU’s lack of a quick response. Many members noted that several affinity groups emailed administrators including the Chancellor to accurately guide him into what the email should’ve contained going out to the whole student body, but were greatly upset at what the actual email contained.
After an hour-long conversation on serious topics affecting marginalized communities on campus, members left noting that they must rely on each other to create the support group that is both necessary and wanted for communities of color here at DU.
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