Running Head: FINAL DIVERSITY REFLECTION

Final Diversity Reflection

Cameron Jernigan

Florida State University

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When considering my growth and development as a result of being enrolled in Diversity

in Higher Education, and engaging in discussions centered around the experiences of

marginalized groups and systems of oppression, I am reminded of the James Baldwin quote “The

paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to

examine the society in which he is being educated” (p. 7). For the past few years, I have been on

a journey of learning, growing, and becoming aware of systems of oppression, some of which I

benefit from and some of which I am oppressed by. This semester, and largely this program, has

been a time for me to more specifically interrogate these systems of oppression and their place in

both larger society and in my communities and everyday life. Prior to this class, I believed I had

a strong grasp of systems of oppression and how they staked their claim in society. More than

that, I believed I had an even stronger grasp of my personal experiences as it relates to diversity

and oppression. I can say with confidence that I was wrong about both of those statements. This

course showed me the truth of the statement “you don’t know what you don’t know.” I think

that, generally speaking, it is easy for those who hold marginalized identities (myself included)

to forget or lose sight of the privileged identities we hold. Moreover, I think that it is also easy to

forget that we benefit directly from these systems of oppression, whether we are fully aware of

them or not. My time in this course was spent reminding myself of this reality, educating myself

on these systems, and grappling with this new information. Further than that, I spend this course

considering ways in which I can use the privilege I hold to work to tear these systems down.

Being a “Good” Ally

My most visible, and arguably most salient, privileged identity is that of my gender. As

someone who identifies as male, I am constantly reminded of the privilege and power I hold in
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society and try to actively work against the system of oppression that is sexism. While I do not

think that members of privileged groups can give themselves the title of an ally, I would hope I

have done the work to justify that title. If we are working with the Sensoy and DiAngelo (2017)

definition of the term ally, or “a member of the dominant group who acts to end oppression in all

aspects of social life by consistently seeking to advocate alongside of the group who is oppressed

in relation to them” (p. 211), then I think I have accomplished that, at least in the realm of

sexism.

When it came to other “isms” that did not affect me directly, however, my actions were

much different. I was largely aware of, but not particularly working to end oppression, in other

cases. I was either actively staying out the way (or what I now understand to be willingly

engaging in said system), or willfully ignorant to the oppression of others. I realize now that, for

a long time prior to this course, I somewhat unconsciously believed that since I was working to

use the privilege that comes from my most salient identity to fight a singular system of

oppression that I was a “good ally.” It was not until I stepped outside of my very small bubble of

the world, did I see the error of my ways. However, even after this, I largely became what

Edwards (2006) refers to as an ally for self-interest:

Aspiring Allies for Self-Interest are primarily motivated to protect those they care

about from being hurt. They often seek to be an ally to an individual with whom they

have a personal connection rather than to a group or an issue, and see themselves as

protectors who intervene on behalf of a specific individual from an oppressed social

group (Edwards, 2006, p. 46).

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Many of my entry points into using my privilege for good began as me attempting to advocate or

protect those that I cared about. While I was aware of the oppression that the LGBTQ+

community faces, I did not use my privilege as a heterosexual person until my best friend came

out as gay in the weeks following our high school graduation. Still, the usage of my privilege to

advocate for the queer community was relegated to solely my best friend and those within our

small community. Like Edwards (2006) states about allies for self-interest, I was able to see the

way that individual members of the queer community experienced individual acts of

discrimination, but still failed to see the larger system of oppressive structures that hindered the

community’s ability to live freely in society. This would be a recurring theme for me in the years

to come before I felt I became an ally for social justice. I say this with the caveat that, while I am

committed to the ending of oppression in all forms, I am not the fully formed social justice ally

that I think sometimes is assumed by that title. I am committed to this work because I fully

believe that none of us are free until all of us are free. However, I understand and acknowledge

that I am still on the journey to most effectively use the power and privilege I hold to end all

forms of oppression in society.

Diversity AND Higher Education

While this course and the course readings largely focused on diversity within the context

of higher education access and equity, I think I learned and intellectually struggled just as much

when it came to diversity outside of the higher education context. I think that speaks to the fact

that higher education is a large part and a microcosm of the greater world. This is particularly

evident in the Case et al. (2012) reading that argues “Traditional institutional policies in higher

education enforce the status quo as it relates to GCP although simultaneously discriminating
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against those from the transgender community” (p. 147). Within the reading GCP refers to “he

benefits associated with behaving in ways that align with gendered expectations,” (p. 146). This

status quo not only applies to higher education, but our greater political and social world. It now

makes sense why we began each class period with diversity fouls in society, not only as it was

related to higher education.

While some may argue that colleges and college towns can be beacons for liberalism and

progressivism. Some may even say that university administrators themselves are liberal and

progressive. While this may be true, by and large, many still stand by the status quo of society.

For this reason, it is evident that I cannot treat the university campus and the greater world as

two connected, yet separate and disparate, entities. Through our weekly discussions, I have come

to realize that it is not enough to be what Karunaratne et al. (2016) refers to as a tempered

radical. While tempered radicalism can be used as a smart tactic to make incremental change and

successfully navigate the terrain of higher education, my work as a student affairs professional

committed to equity and freedom for all parties within this field cannot start and stop with that.

One of the most insightful moments of the final weeks of class was the day we spoke

with professionals across campus. When speaking with one professional about being an ally, I

lamented on not feeling as if I had a seemingly “big moment to speak up for a marginalized

population. In response, the professional argued the importance of small victories in prep for the

those big moments, because it is hard to step up in those big moments if you have not prepared

for them with the small moments that no one sees, hears, or otherwise knows about. That

moment showed me something I had been looking for all semester: how to effectively fight

against the status quo of oppressive structures when you do not feel you have the power to do so
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within an institution, irrespective of the social privileges you hold both within and outside of said

institution. While I still do not have all the answers on how to navigate these struggles as a

professional in the field, or even as an everyday person in society, this course has definitely

helped provide me with a more nuanced understanding of power, privilege, and oppression, as

well as my place in all three.

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References

Baldwin, J. (1963). A talk to teachers. ​Child development and learning​, 7-12.

Case, K. A., Kanenberg, H., “Arch” Erich, S., & Tittsworth, J. (2012). Transgender inclusion in

university nondiscrimination statements: Challenging gender-conforming privilege

through student activism. ​Journal of Social Issues​, ​68​(1), 145-161.

Edwards, K. E. (2006). Aspiring social justice ally identity development: A conceptual model.

NASPA journal,​ ​43(​ 4), 39-60.

Karunaratne, N. D., & Koppel, L. (2016). Navigating a Social Justice Motivation and Praxis as

Student Affairs Professionals. ​Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and

Student Affairs,​ ​3(​ 1), 1.

Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2017). ​Is everyone really equal?: An introduction to key concepts

in social justice education​. Teachers College Press.