When I was a rising senior in high school, I was nominated to attend Project Uplift by a counselor because I was in the top portion of my class — and also because I am considered an ethnic minority.
The experience cemented my previously unsure 17-year-old self’s decision that UNC was where I wanted to be. This choice had a lot to do with the idea of UNC's “diversity,” which the program promoted nearly every moment.
But diversity can be an empty word. UNC often touts this quality to prospective students, but once many students of color get here, they begin to feel alienated because of their race. In exchange for the “diversity” I provide, I would like more spaces for me and other students of color to be able to unpack our experiences.
UNC was not founded with students of color in mind. It was only 60 years ago that the first black undergraduates were allowed to attend. UNC’s campus geography is still riddled with the foundations of its racist past.
While it can be useful to engage a “diversity” of opinions in discussions of racism, treating the lived experiences of students of color as equal to the opinions of individuals who want to invalidate them is harmful.
If UNC wants to continue using students of color to push an image of racial diversity, perhaps there should be more direct conversations with them, rather than around them. If any progress is to made, UNC needs to listen to students of color more than it does now.
