How many black women writers can you name? How many of them have you actually read? For the majority of us, this answer is limited to a just a few: Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou.
The erasure and exclusion of black women writers is a common fact of academia, which is why reading the 1859 Harriet Wilson novel, "Our Nig," was such an enlightening experience for me. The book is one that very few people have read; it was only rediscovered by Henry Louis Gates Jr. in 1983. By having a black female protagonist, the book helps to bring visibility to a largely underrepresented demographic of people.
Over the past few years at Tufts, I've taken English courses in which students found it especially difficult to identify with black female characters. I respect the honesty of my classmates, but I also think that it is telling how the majority of readers are more willing to identify with ancient and archaic tales featuring white men — and even white women — from hundreds of years ago, but not the stories of people of color. It is important to read works that challenge our perceptions of the world. This general curricular distance from blackness and black women in particular translates into campus life.
As I was reading "Our Nig," I found that many students expressed their discomfort, partly because of the provocative title and the cover's presentation, and I received more than a few awkward stares and even occasional comments. My edition of the book boasts a daring bold red cover with the title "Our Nig" taking up most of the page. I noticed, however, that newer editions have a more welcoming cover, with the text written in a smaller white font, which competes with a busy image of a black child who looks listlessly toward readers and passersby.
But it wasn't just that other students felt uncomfortable with the book. I also felt self-conscious about reading it and bringing it with me around campus. My discomfort was amplified by my being a black woman, who is "othered" by both gender and race. By carrying it around with me, I, a black woman in a predominantly white environment, felt as if it was glaringly apparent that my place on campus is just another sprinkle of diversity — a rare commodity, brought in to enrich the education of the white student body.
Our school appears to make progress on racial discourse. For instance, the Tim Wise talk this fall was probably a point of pride for many administrators and students who preach racial awareness and sensitivity, but the whole event left a bad taste in my mouth. Why was it necessary to get a white man, whose occupation is founded on the existence of others' oppression, to come to our school? To be blunt: because he's safe and not a threat to our majority-white student body.
This environment placates white students and makes them feel more comfortable about their privilege, when in fact they should be a bit uncomfortable and aware of race, just as students of color often tend to be. Earlier this month, a friend of mine encountered a disgustingly racist situation while just walking down the street. This week. On campus. This is a problem that is far too common. It is unacceptable that some people are made to feel completely left out from the general student body for any reason.
I've found that many Tufts students are often indifferent to race relations on campus. Every year since I've been at Tufts, there has been a scandalized "bias incident" which is taken seriously only by a few, including faculty and administration, with the majority believing that our culture has become too politically correct and sensitive. There have been countless times when I've heard someone express completely misguided and erroneous beliefs that race is not a problem in post-racial America, because the U.S. president is black, after all. Too many marginalized groups of students, students of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, are made to feel uncomfortable here everyday because we are a part of a community that does not completely accept or try to understand itself or others.
I know students are uncomfortable talking about racism and bigotry on campus. Yes, it is a problematic topic. It makes us aware of our privileges and the privileges that others have that we do not. We all have vast amounts of privilege by just by being at this university. We need to use our advantages to make things better for one another.
