After concentrating my learning this term on theories of social justice I have found one blatant truth; there is much that I was not and sometimes continue to be unaware of. As I have been learning more and more, I have been recognizing racism and other forms of oppression that exist everywhere around me. Part of where this starts is in my own head and the times I classify people. Our minds are wonderful computers with the ability to classify different objects in order to survive. For example, it would be difficult and overwhelming to recognize over and over again that a knife is sharp or that a stove top is hot. Although beneficial and necessary when dealing with objects, this can be severely detrimental when carried over to classify people. I know that when I look at someone, I can automatically put that individual in a category. It’s how I go about everyday life. I don’t mean to hurt anyone, but I have realized what I have been doing is generalizing and stereotyping the people around me. I automatically assume certain things based on the way they look, dress, or act.
It wasn’t until I started asking questions about myself that I started noticing what I was doing. I’m not saying that I was oblivious to it, but I am saying that I was ignoring it and taking it for granted. The ability to classify objects led me to start classifying people. It is still a challenge I face every day. I struggle with recognizing people for their social identities, without using what I see on the outside to shape my opinion (or classification) of them without getting to know them. I also realize that I want the same exact thing from other people.
I know I will continue to classify, but it won’t ever stop me from trying harder. So now I put the ball in your court; can you see people as individuals AND as part of their social identities, at the same time not classifying them because of their social identities? I challenge you that it might be harder than you think.
Kameron Beeks
CRF – Eastside & Co-Ops
Appearing Adverse
It is interesting what we see when we look in the mirror. What is the first thing that you see? I see the clothes I wear, my body size, and blemishes, but there is a lot more in my appearance that I take for granted. I do not analyze my skin color or the fact that I am a male. I do not consider the features that I cannot control necessarily, but I am aware that other people do. This causes me to ask questions that some other people do not think about. Do you feel comfortable around other people, both males and females, every moment of every day? Do you feel comfortable in your classes working in groups with people of other social identities; may it be their sexual orientation, social class, gender identity, race, etc? Are you a member of an underrepresented group (racial, gender, etc.)? Now imagine yourself as a person with the opposite social identity of yourself: opposite gender, race, etc. Try answering the same questions as above and compare them to your previous answers. Do you take anything for granted? I know I do. In the end, remember to respect people from other social identities and truly and wholeheartedly treat them the way you want to be treated.
Kameron Beeks
Community Relations Facilitator
Eastside & Co ops
As a community relation facilitator (CRF) for University Housing and Dining I actively engage in peer education with social justice and diversity issues through facilitation and events in the residence halls. I also act as a liaison between RA staff and the cultural centers. With my job comes a lot of professional development to further my knowledge on social justice and diversity issues. An opportunity given to me to further my development was attending the Power of One conference put on by both the University of Idaho and Washington State University. This conference was great for furthering my knowledge about the LGBT community and on how to become an even better Ally to the community.
I recently attended a meeting at the University of Idaho and Washington State University known as the Power of One, a leadership conference for LGBT and ally students. This was an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about issues ranging from the identities of transgender people to the oppressions of the LGBT community and people of color within the community. What I learned the most from was not the conference itself, but from the reactions of my family members when I told them that I would be attending this conference.
First, my grandfather heard me just mention the word “gay” and he exploded with frustration and anger towards the community. Asking questions like, “They aren’t trying to turn you gay, are they?” I became confused as to how I could ever explain to this man, whom I deeply respect, and who comes from a generation that has not been the most accepting, that “they” could never turn me gay. The people around me at this conference didn’t make a choice to identify in this way. In fact many shared their struggles as how they tried to conform to what society claims to be the norm, but they knew deep down that it was not possible for them to do so.
Then I had a conversation with my mother who said she was deeply concerned. She couldn’t believe that my job wanted to send me to an LGBT conference when I identify as a heterosexual male. She thought that I was forced to go rather than volunteering. My mother said she was not concerned that my job was trying to change my sexual identity, and that she accepts the gay community, but was concerned my friends would make fun of me for attending this conference. I told my mother if my friends didn’t accept what I believe in and decide to make fun of me for being surrounded by people from the LGBT community, then they were not my friends at all!
Hearing from my grandfather and my mother showed me views that are held by many in our society today. It crushes me to know that many within my own family claim to be accepting but in reality they are far from it. Our society has progressed leaps and bounds from my grandfather’s generation to mine, but we still have a long ways to go. They say the hardest people to confront and try to inform are those who are closest to you, but I feel if I can make even the tiniest baby step with my family, then I can clear even the largest obstacles set by my peers.
-Kevin Rodemack
Community Relations Facilitator – Westside
