One of the reasons I started writing for the DTH was because I wanted to be in dialogue with my community. Not many of my columns over the years have sparked political debate, but I am contributing to a narrative, and that has been a wonderful way to express my opinions as a student here.
I might also be contributing to a narrative that silences others. Many of us are — take the administration's refusal to remove Silent Sam.
Other times it’s harder to know when you’re silencing others. Does the fact that I love Taylor Swift contribute to the white feminist narrative? I’ve had conversations with some people who make me feel that way, even after saying I love her music, but not her (lack of) politics.
We are all learning. As young people, we possess some of the greatest awareness when it comes to social justice issues. Like everyone else, there have been times when I was unaware of larger narratives. People have called me out for it; sometimes graciously and sometimes not as much.
Sometimes when I’ve been approached by an acquaintance about a misstep, a lot of assumptions about me by that person were made. It’s struck me how positively I’ve improved when called out in a productive way.
This is my idea of a productive way to call someone out for a misstep: “Hey, what you did made me feel uncomfortable. Here’s why it wasn’t right. I just wanted to let you know why others might perceive that negatively.”
When you correct someone for being offensive or uninformed, talking down to them is not the answer. This becomes especially important as we get closer to going home for various breaks and holidays. Your relative won’t appreciate a condescending talking-to if you don’t preface it with welcoming a dialogue. You can’t assume you know everything about someone’s identity from a few exchanges.
The first step is to listen. Ask questions. More importantly, don’t risk your own well-being trying to change someone else’s opinion.
I want to learn. Some people are given voices at the expenses of others. It’s not up to a person with a marginalized identity to fix racism or sexism or ableism. I want to put myself out there and acknowledge aspects of my identity automatically enable me to have certain privileges. But I want others to know I have a disability. I have a mental illness.
