Student Leaders Reflect on the Legacy
of Brown
By Sherwynn Umali, graduate student intern,
AAC&U
As a recent college graduate and aspiring higher education
administrator, I have begun to look critically at the
dynamics of the undergraduate student body and its evolution
since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision.
College and university mission statements and literature
on the importance of campus diversity suggest that fifty
years after the Brown decision, diversity is
an enduring value of many institutions of higher education;
I wonder if it is a value held by students. Does the
fact that Brown delivered a devastating blow
to segregation and racism still resonate with students
today? I spoke with student leaders attending the University
of Maryland College Park (UMCP) to gain insight into
their experiences and their perceptions of diversity
and integration at UMCP, and to explore their understanding
of the legacy of Brown.
Student Support of Diversity
Two students generously volunteered time from their
busy schedules to meet with me.1 The first student was
Denise, an African American senior majoring in computer
science and Spanish. The second student was Chris, a
white male in his junior year majoring in business finance.
Both Denise and Chris hold leadership positions in student
organizations. Both have completed some type of diversity
training on campus and stated that diversity is a deeply
held personal value.
Denise seemed to understand the Brown case
and its significance in helping people of color gain
access to educational equity and the rights guaranteed
by the United States Constitution. With this knowledge,
she was able to put her experiences regarding integration
at UMCP into an historical perspective.
Chris had a very different upbringing but shared many
similar college experiences with Denise. Because of
his high level of involvement in campus activities,
he felt that he had more experiences with diversity
and integration than many of his peers. He stated, “I
think a lot of students think they’ve experienced
diversity because they fulfilled the diversity course
requirement, but it’s so easy to fulfill it without
learning anything about why diversity is important.”
Chris recalled that it was not until he took an American
studies course that he really learned about Brown
and became interested in issues of civil rights, equality,
and social change.
Both students found it interesting that despite their
affiliation with diverse groups of people, their closest
friends were those who looked like themselves. Denise
believes that students self-
segregate “no matter how much diversity training
and interaction with other races [they have] experienced.”
Both Denise and Chris attribute their valuing of diversity
to many factors. Most significantly, they have had the
opportunity to get to know people of many different
backgrounds. But they have also gained new knowledge
of struggles for democracy from courses they have completed.
Denise adds emphatically, “I think that it’s
important to interact with diverse groups of people.”
The legacy of Brown goes beyond the colors
of the faces that fill our classrooms. Institutions
of higher education have an opportunity, and perhaps
an obligation, to foster the knowledge and motivation
to create social change.
Denise and Chris are the type of engaged students seen
in some of the most popular research on how students
succeed in college. I believe their commitment to social
justice, equity, and diversity goes hand in hand with
the goals and principals of academic excellence. In
my own professional work, I plan to honor these students
by serving as a change agent and advocate for diversity,
democracy, and inclusion. Having a sense of the history
of the struggle for social justice that Brown
provides infuses that work with deeper meaning. By incorporating
this history into what we do everyday, Denise, Chris,
and all of our students can be empowered to carry on
that struggle.
Notes
1 Names have been changed to preserve
anonymity. |
