At first I was very reluctant to write this column. In our current environment of confusion and discord regarding racial matters, sharing my opinions could compromise relationships with classmates, especially because I play basketball for Bowdoin. Getting along with your teammates is essential in every sport; unity and uniformity are usually recognized as positives. But on the Bowdoin College Men’s Basketball team, I am one of only two students of color and the only African-American. While I don’t necessarily feel culturally isolated, I do recognize that my experience, exposure and connection to various communities and cultures may be very different from many of my teammates’. Therefore our sympathies and opinions may differ as well. Race is such a sensitive topic that a simple disagreement could lead to an awkward locker room environment. I’d rather not be in an uncomfortable situation all year long, so I decided it was best to just keep my insights to myself. However, in hindsight, the decision I made to be mute indicated that I in fact had to share my opinions. Because I was so afraid of the consequences of the conversations I was avoiding, I was also preventing discussions that are necessary for progress. If we are not at a point where we can comfortably have a conversation about race—a subject that when not properly understood has historically led to severe conflict—then we are not where we need to be. The only way to make it to that point is to start getting comfortable talking about it, even when the conversation is difficult.
There are ways to have civil discussions about race and many people do, but it requires compliance by all parties involved. This summer a coworker and I had an extensive conversation about “Black Lives Matter.” We heavily disagreed on a majority of points presented and he even said a few things I perceived as rather offensive, but I didn’t revolt because I knew he wasn’t trying to be. All he wanted to do was explain how and why he came to the conclusions that he did. So I listened, and then he did the same for me. At the end of our talk there was no feeling of relief for making it through another discussion about race alive; the stress wasn’t there. We understood each other’s perspectives better and we actually made progress, not because we agreed, but because we allowed each other to explain our competing thoughts in depth. I have no sympathy for bigotry, but I do find it problematic that many people are afraid to express themselves. Prejudice and other forms of unwarranted bias are not to be tolerated, but if we can’t identify these issues (because we force them into hiding) then how do we expect to address them? If we can’t or simply refuse to listen to those who disagree with us, then how do we expect them to listen to us? Instead of having heated racial debates, we should aim for constructive racial dialogues. This is not a competition. There is not one winner or loser but rather group (all of us) success or group failure. It is a simple concept, but it is one that we can’t seem to grasp.
This past year we witnessed the reassertion of racial tension all over the country and even here on campus. We were poor communicators to say the least, but more specifically, poor listeners. If we as a community can be more mature about how we approach controversial topics such as race, the increased dialogue can have a positive impact on our growth as a community. However, if we fail to have the necessary discussion in an appropriate manner then we will continue to create barriers between us, especially social ones. It is in the best interest of not only each other and ourselves, but also in that of our education, for us to make it a priority to get comfortable talking about race.
Harrison Dunne-Polite is a member of the Class of 2019.