Going Beyond the Box

Over the last couple months, I have had the opportunity to do some research on the current issues relating to minority groups in Walla Walla County. Though Walla Walla has not had an instance on record of a hate crime being committed within the last decade, it is obvious that minority groups in Walla Walla are still confronted with discriminatory encounters against their sexual orientation or race.
My goal for this project has solely been to educate the populace of Walla Walla of the continuing struggles that racial minorities and GLBT minorities face on an everyday basis and present resources currently available to the citizens of Walla Walla to help combat this issue and hopefully encourage people to get involved in lessen these issues. Following the conclusion of my research, I discovered that the major issues in Walla Walla were: lack of exposure, lack of interest in educational programs, and lack of knowledge about resources.

My first discovery was made after I interviewed a number of WWC students about their experience with diversity related events and programs on campus. To my dismay, I found that only two out of ten people were in support of the culturally related activities that are annually celebrated on the Walla Walla Campus. One of the most prominent cultural events mentioned was African Heritage Weekend which is celebrated, annually, at the end of January at the College Church.
During this weekend African speakers are asked to speak for Vespers and Second Service on Saturday morning. Along with the spiritual activities, WWC also hosts African College Days which allows prospective students of WWC the opportunity to witness the events that are available on campus to celebrate the different cultural heritages of our campus and our country. For many in direct opposition of these events, many wondered why those of African heritage were singled out of the many other cultural groups that are represented on campus. Many Caucasian students often found that the African church service was a lot harder for them to follow and relate to in comparison to the traditional church service that takes place during the other 51 weeks during the year. As a student of WWC, I cannot condone the negative reaction and behavior that is seen, annually, during the services that take place during this weekend. It was my observation that many students left during the sermon and those who stayed often had negative comments about it later on. When asked why they did not like the church service, many could not come up with a logical answer. Many said that it was unfamiliar and others said that it was unfair to celebrate one group and not another. One student exclaimed, "Why isn't there a month to celebrate Caucasians?" To which I pointed out that April was, indeed, "All-American Month". I can't say that I agreed with any of those on the opposing side, nor the logic that they used to back up their beliefs, but one thing did appear to be evident-there is lack of exposure of other cultures on our campus.
There is no way that I can say that everyone should have equal representation because I realize that that would be impossible, but I do suggest that we do more as a campus to actually celebrate other cultures through more ways then listing their name on the calendar and providing specific foods, characteristic of certain cultures, in the cafeteria. One group of people should not be celebrated over another, rather, we should take the opportunity to expose our campus to the cultural diversity that is part of our society. Through art, music, ethnic food, speakers, presentations, and video showings, we can offer our campus and the community the opportunity that it should be allowed to have.
Much of this section has covered the second issue: lack of interest, but one point that I would like to specifically point out is that there is an issue that comes in direct correlation to the fact that there is lack of interest on campus of attending events that educate on ideas of cultural harmony and equality. This is issue is evident in the racial discrimination that still is in effect in Walla Walla. One of WWC's students, Willy Armstrong, a Social Work major, described to me some of the unfortunate encounters that he, as a man of darker skin color, has had to deal with, including: stares made by other pedestrians on the street, assumptions that he, as a man of a minority group, did not have the funding to own a business suit, and assumptions that he may be a violent person. According to Armstrong, his greatest disappointment was the lack of interest that people had to get to know him. "I have nothing to hide", he explained, "I want people to talk to me if there is a misunderstanding in communication or if I have offended them in any way-I want to have the opportunity to make it right." It is obvious that this is an issue that we, as a society, should fix. We, as collegiate aged adults in Walla Walla, represent a new generation of society that has the ability and the know-how to make a dramatic difference in com batting social issues that clearly affect innocent people in a negative way. This is special because it does not discriminate against those who are obviously bad people, but assumes that because of their exterior they are presumed to be bad people, which is clearly unfair.
The third issue that I would like to address is regarding the lack of knowledge about resources that are available to help educate and inform people in Walla Walla about other cultures and the benefits that they can bring to society. Up until this project, my knowledge of diversity services, even on campus was minimal, not to mention the services that are available throughout the county of Walla Walla. Many of these resources are listed on the Shield Race page with available links to connect you directly to their websites. My favorites are the ones listed on the Whitman Campus website and the Diversity Coalition of Walla Walla. To my astonishment, there are open forums conducted in Walla Walla every month that allow community members to discuss and brainstorm about ways to better educate citizens of Walla Walla about the minority issues apparent in the community and the programs needed to aid in the extermination of them. Not only are there many resources that are available, but there are also many events that are offered during the course of the year, many of them annually, that community members are encouraged to attend.
This social issue has been my passion for almost an entire year, and it has been my privilege to research it so extensively. Though it seems that Walla Walla has only a mild case of racial discrimination, we should still strive to better the environment to which we are a part of. No one wants to be looked upon unjustly, and it is our duty as US citizens to protect those around us and ensure that they are protected. Be inspired-make a difference.