Rhodes College claims to be a college
that is dedicated to diversity, community, and inclusivity. However much they
would like to claim this does not solve the fact that they are doing a poor job
at it.
For one, the college is predominantly
white. This is a scary fact because Memphis is predominantly African American.
How is this justified? I have heard from colored Rhodes students that are from
Memphis that Rhodes never visited their predominantly colored schools. If
Rhodes was for diversity, would they not reach out to the community that
surrounds them? If Rhodes was for the community and college building
relationships, would they put up a fence around campus? There was a time when
people from the community would gather in Oak Alley, but that time seems to be
unreachable since the school sent us all a message of how the fence is going to
stay up by the money they invested into re-painting it. How is Rhodes committed
to diversity if the only space they give affinity groups is the annex, an old,
red trailer at the very back of campus, which most people have not even heard
of?
There are many things Rhodes could be
doing to show their commitment to diversity, community, and inclusivity. For
one, they could make a statement by changing the name of Palmer Hall. Who cares
if the guy donated a bunch of money to Rhodes? Give him a plaque or something
if you need (or have to) recognize him. But do not name a building, which holds
the sacred seal in it, after him. By changing the name Rhodes would be making a
powerful statement that says they will not stand for anything that stands
against diversity.
Sometimes, it is hard to see the impact
of what the Civil Rights Movement has had on our college campus. Yes, we go to
a school that vies for diversity and such, but when you look at it (and you
really don’t have to look too hard) you still see a huge separation: in the
organizations, in the classes we take, in the sports teams, in the dining hall,
in the residence halls. I could go on. How has Rhodes failed to instill the
importance of tearing down these walls between its students? Especially since
Rhodes is located in Memphis, where many central things happened during the
Civil Rights Movement.
Rhodes should stop accepting people
based on who their families are and how much they could give back to the
college, and instead should seek to find the students that want to bridge the
gaps and tear down the walls because that is a great way for the college to
move forward in the ideals it is (apparently) so dedicated to.
The fence is something that has bothered me for quite a bit of time. When I first visited Rhodes, I didn't think much of it, but as I've grown and learned more about Memphis, it seems almost paradoxical to me. Rhodes is so community-minded that we shut the community out, so community-minded that we don't reach out to the community anywhere near as much as we should. Rhodes tells its students to "become essential" but how essential is Rhodes to Memphis? How essential is an institution that almost pretends that it is not a part of what it is?
ReplyDeleteRhodes unfortunately is in this position because they value their reputation and the affluence of their donors and incoming families much more than their "core ideals". A commitment to inclusion and diversity sounds great to rich, liberal white families making college decisions - and that's the point. Rich, white, conservative families want to see other rich, white, conservative kids, and they can find that too. As a result, rich white kids (and the occasional upper middle class person of color) are attracted to Rhodes and bring their connections, their academic prowess, and their money. They help build Rhodes' academic reputation and become successful professionals after leaving the school, largely thanks to their privilege and connections. Rhodes makes money and gains reputation. When you have all that going for you, as a private institution, why give more than lip service to actual diversity or meaningful community service?
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