Story by Jewell Parnell, December 20, 2020

Several valuable conversations are taking place at this point in history. Whether these conversations happen in a professional setting or with loved ones, they are happening for good reason.

  At the forefront of these conversations are the topics of race, diversity, discrimination and inclusion. People are engaged in a revolution of not just thought, but practice. Great minds like Martin Luther King Jr. have dreamed of a world where our nation’s creed would be upheld—that all men are created equal. A world where justice is no longer accepted as bankrupt and cannot continue to overlook the urgency of a moment. 

  Still, here we stand over 50 years later. Everyone knows there is still work to be done to ensure justice, and people are having conversations—hard ones, uncomfortable ones, unifying ones. The work begins by recognizing diversity, understanding what inclusion looks like, and talking about it.

  At the University of Arkansas, 79.2 percent of students are white while only to only 9.2 percent of students make up the Hispanic/Latino population, 4.5 percent are Black or African American, 2.7 percent are Asian, 0.8 percent are Native American or Alaska Native and 0.1 percent are Native Hawaiin or other Pacific Islander, according to UA’s Fall 2020 enrollment report.  The majority is obvious, yet this campus falls right above the national average of diversity on college campuses in terms of age, ethnicity and gender. So what does diversity actually look like on American campuses? What does it feel like, other than numbers?

  The following stories are from four different students from the University of Arkansas who are not just doing the work, but living it. By describing their experiences on campus, these students offer insight and perspectives to be considered when thinking about our own interactions on campus. 

  Let them be our guides into the age where we love and understand not just our classmates, but the rest of humanity, and respect one another’s plight that is so very different from our own. 

 

Obed Lamy

One day in March 2019 as I was packing my bags to head off to America for my master’s program, a friend who has lived in the country for years called me and said, “You’re going to Arkansas? It’s a very racist state!” Like other advice I was provided upon taking my Fulbright adventure, that conversation I assume, was well-intentioned to make me more cautious about approaching life in unknown terrain. 

  Indeed, when first I arrived in Fayetteville, everything was new to me; yet, it has never felt strange or unwelcoming. From classrooms to churches to restaurants, the spaces I have found myself share a common denominator: only a few Black people, if not only me, are present there. In itself, that has not troubled me much. Maybe my excitement to discover the magnificence of this country impaired my curiosity to capture the human stories behind some statistics, but less than 5 out of 100 students at UA are Black, according to UA’s fall 2020 enrollment report. 

  In the summer there was a flood of testimonies under the hashtag “#BlackatUark” on Twitter, opening many eyes to discriminatory behaviors Black students have faced on campus. I don’t think I have ever been through similar experiences. 

But I started to pay more attention to these dynamics of race relations a bit earlier when I undertook a documentary in fall 2019 on how an African-American student managed to navigate this predominantly white university. In normal times, the campus has a cosmopolitan atmosphere populated by students of all nationalities. However, beneath the facade of multiculturalism lies sometimes a reality where individuals tend to confine themselves within small circles of friends who look like them, with hardly any desire for interchange with outside communities. I have seen different public events hosted by Black students on campus, with very few attendees from other ethnic groups. The opposite could be observed, as well.

  It was interesting to see many more Black faces on ZOOM meetings about systemic racism, held both in and outside of the University, during the heat of racial protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd last summer. The same thing usually happens in class when discussing minority issues; students who are seemingly less affected by these problems are more inclined to remain silent. If education is a social equalizer, then schools should be a good place to engage in the conversation about inequality. 

  Fortunately, my work has brought me around many leaders who successfully champion the cause of creating a more diverse and inclusive campus at UA. Still, I am concerned that the restrictions of social distance and remote learning imposed by the pandemic undermine for a long time the possibility of interaction between different groups, which is crucial to sustaining diversity and mutual understanding. How can we make sure that the “invisible groups” don’t remain literally in the shadow on the ZOOM screens and feel they belong to the community? That’s a serious question the University authorities should seek to address. 

Jissel Esparza

As a child, I never thought I would go to college. I didn’t know anyone that had hair like mine or skin like me, that went to college. It was a distant thing that only the white people I knew did. 

  Looking back, the best decision I’ve ever made was to attend the University of Arkansas. I’ve had the opportunity to partake in Latinx cultural events and learning opportunities. I’ve been able to attend seminars and learn more about my own culture and background, an opportunity that I never really had in high school. All of the knowledge of my Mexican culture, I had to learn from the Internet before coming to Arkansas. The Latinx student community on campus is there to lend a hand when you need it. No matter what. We all share this deep bond and friendship. I’ve been able to become friends with Latinx students from all over Latin America, and not just those of Mexican descent, like me. That is not to say that UA doesn’t have places to improve. 

  As a first generation college student, at my Freshmen Orientation, I was filled with questions. Unlike my friends, I couldn’t really turn to my parents for help, even though I really wanted to. During my sophomore year, I served as an orientation mentor, and I saw this so many other Latinx students experience the same thing. I wish the UA would recreate Spanish resources for the parents of Latinx students. That way, just like native English speaking parents, they are able to understand what UA is all about. I also wish the Latinx population percentage was higher. I believe that this could happen if the University created initiatives to attract Latinx students throughout the state of Arkansas. The Latinx population percentage in the state should be reflective at the University. I do applaud the state of Arkansas for allowing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients to receive in-state tuition. I know this has impacted a significant amount of Latinx students on campus, and in future years, will increase the amount of Latinx students. This is not something a lot of states offer, especially in the South. On a more personal level, I am honored that I get to serve as the Student Body Treasurer and represent the Latinx population in a way that we normally don’t see.

Shalu Jivan

In my three years at the University of Arkansas, I have been involved in countless organizations in order to find my place at this institution. I have participated in programs such as Razorback Food Recovery and Passionate About Learning with the Volunteer Action Center, Associated Member Program, as a member and staff, Office of Financial Affairs for Associated Student Government, Indian Cultural Association and Leadership Walton. I am also currently working as a Resident Assistant on campus. Having been a part of so many different organizations, I have learned how to love UA

  I have wanted to do more to improve my home here at UA, but I have realized that I have to work significantly harder than many of my friends and peers due to being a part of the minority as an Indian American. Though there are many resources such as the Multicultural Center and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion on campus, there is still a lack of connection between students representing the University and the demographic breakdown of the actual student population. 

  I have seen this lack of representation in most of the organizations I have been involved in except my job as an RA. The majority of the campus RA’s have hometowns in various parts of the country and even the world and have extremely diverse backgrounds and majors. Being an RA has made me feel the most included, filling me with a sense of pride to be working for my University. There have been many pushes to increase representation across many organizations, and I have seen success in most of them. The need for diversity is not simply to show representation but also to inform other students that people with similar backgrounds are being included in these organizations and to encourage more to join. 

Kolten Long

The important issues that surround both equity and inclusion are definitely not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the state of Arkansas. As an out gay man that has grown up in the South, sadly, it is so easy to find moments of discrimination and microagressions that occur almost on a daily basis. 

  Coming to the University of Arkansas just a few months after coming out to my family and friends, I was absolutely filled with anxiety as to how I would find people that I felt both safe and comfortable around while completing my undergraduate degree. Being any type of different in the current world climate is already challenging, so starting an entire new chapter of my life proved to be a daunting task. 

  As a cisgender white gay male, I am one of the most privileged members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I know of numerous people that live in the Northwest Arkansas area that have faced various forms of discrmination in the short time that I have attended UA.

  During my freshman year at the University, I spent much of my time trying new experiences on campus to find where I felt most comfortable. Luckily, I found the Volunteer Action Center, a group of service minded individuals where I felt both accepted and supported to be who I am. However, this is not the case for everyone that attends UA. 

Although the city of Fayetteville prides itself on being an inclusive community and the University has taken steps to increase awareness of these issues, it seems that UA has much room for improvement in the equity and inclusion area in order to make all students feel like they belong here. 

Stephanie Verdaris

Inclusion to me is accepting others and making sure they feel welcome, as I have been welcomed. Growing up as a proud Razorback from Little Rock, I found my home on the Hill to be welcoming. Orientation exposed freshman me to so many opportunities to be involved in this community, and I quickly fell in love with the potential to develop myself and find community in various areas on campus. I joined Greek Life and other RSOs that welcomed me with open arms and served as an outlet for me to be a part of something bigger than myself while giving me the opportunity to serve my community.

It was through these organizations that I became a part of the Razorback family. They taught me the importance of including others. As I begin to face the halfway mark of my junior year, and first year as an upperclassman, I have inherited the roles of those who came before me and made freshman me feel included. I now serve the important role of making sure that new members, and the future leaders of our campus, feel welcome. Inclusion can be so easy, if we open our minds, but especially our hearts, to our differences that make each of us distinct.

While I have had a positive and inclusive experience on our campus, I don’t doubt that for many, that is not the case. In it all, we are Razorbacks furthering our education to better ourselves and the world around us. Most importantly though, we are children of God, made in His image and likeness, and we are to love one another exactly as that. I believe that if we work together, we can help better the experience of inclusion for the many that feel excluded. This is our community, and it is up to us to improve it. It is up to us to set an example for the next generation of students to come—to mentor, develop, and include every new student, just like upperclassmen did for freshman us.