Feelings change, people change, and so can institutions.
On the first day of class for Designing Toward an AntiRacist Stanford, we did an exercise that imagined life in 2050. The “ideal” life in 2050 was a life of equality, peace, and flawlessness.
Feelings of excitement, positivity, yearning filled me as I looked around the class with those who wanted similar environments for our world. I went into the class with an idea that institutional racism was definitely in and around Stanford Campus but not understanding how to solve or how to bring these conversations up. I took this class to better understand the unknowingly ubiquitous racism that exists at Stanford and learn how to combat it.
Feelings turned quickly to sadness, pessimism, bitterness, heartache, as a few weeks passed and we began diving deeper into the different topics of racism on campus and sharing personal stories with one another. In addition, as we branched out to define ecosystems of racism at Stanford, I was shocked and discouraged by the multitude of ecosystems just our small class discovered by talking to others and each other. Disheartenment and discouragement filled me as I pondered our 2050 goals. The thought of that list becoming true with the state of where we are now seemed close to impossible. Yet, as weeks went by, the brainstorming began and the hard conversations were at the forefront of class. As the class came to a close, my classmate and I created a project that would solve the lack of support, mentorship, and tools for students who wanted to pursue individual projects and research on anti-racism and indigenous rights. There was a clear institutional gap that existed for providing information and resources as well as mentorship on these topics.
Feelings of hope, achievement, and passion fill me as the class comes to a conclusion. I will continue to engage in these difficult conversations and act on them, whether that means going to administration, talking to students, spearheading a class or program. Not only will I engage in these conversations but the others in the class are right there with me brainstorming, creating, ideating solutions for our Stanford campus full of inequity.
Along the journey of these 10 weeks, my feelings of hopelessness and shock from aggressions, stories, and racist actions taken towards fellow classmates and students at Stanford, are all a part of the story. The stories behind the opportunity for change on the Stanford campus and in other institutions. Our 2050 goals are possible if we can communicate appropriately, engage in these hard conversations, listen to every story and every side, and show compassion for one another. The willingness to change and the open-mindedness of the individuals in this class gives me hope for positive transformation in the institutional racism that exists at Stanford and gives me hope to getting on a closer track to an anti-racist Stanford and anti-racist, equal, and justice-oriented 2050.
