Valuing Diversity

If you identify as white or European American, you are a part of the majority culture. This means that, often, many parts of Calvin College are familiar and understandable to you and you will find easy access to professors and various others who look and think like you. Here are some tips to consider as you serve a community and make space for all residents to thrive in.

1. Begin to do some of your own work around white racial identity development. Google “white racial identity development”, ask your RD or AC. Read the news. This is a real thing! Many white people believe that being colorblind, ie not seeing race, is the best way to get along with other people. However this is often a hurtful way to approach people of color because you are ignoring their experiences and essentially saying that you do not think that their history or identity matters.

2. Listen to people of color and attempt to understand their experiences. The author Drew Hart says to white people, “Do not trust your gut” about issues of race in America. White people are not being trained by the dominant culture to see, understand or empathize with the experience of being a person of color in the US. If a person of color speaks about their experiences, hear them out! You should never attempt to correct them or explain what “actually happened” when they are talking about their experiences living in the world. Issues can be debated, but experiences should be validated and heard out.

3. Listen harder to people of color. If a person of color goes beyond their personal experiences to talking about deeper social or political issues and you disagree or it makes you uncomfortable, start by asking questions and listening more. If you are uncomfortable, ask yourself why. Don’t blame the other person, but see what is being stirred up in you.

4. Don’t confuse race and culture. These are different things. Race in the US is a social construct, related to skin color, and culture is the natural result of human beings living and making meaning in the world. Race does not tell you about a person’s culture because a culture has to do with how and where a person developed. Don’t assume that someone’s race will tell you all there is to know about their culture.

5. Keep talking about race with people, don’t tune out when it gets hard. White people have the privilege of not thinking about or talking about race if they don’t want to, most of the time. If you want to grow as an ally (supportive white person) and if you want to gain the trust of people of color, you need to stay with the conversation and learn and grow.

6. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone who talks about race and culture and attempts to develop relationships across racial and cultural differences will make a lot of mistakes. It is better to try and fail than to do nothing. That said, if you do make a mistake, just own it; people will likely forgive you, especially if you are sincere.

At Calvin, you might hear the acronym BIPOC to represent students who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color. As an RA, you will play an important role in helping to shape the culture of your community. We know that BIPOC students will experience certain challenges while in college that are different from their peers who are part of majority cultures. As a Resident Assistant you will be trained, challenged and supported in your work to expand hall or apartment culture and foster a community that is inclusive for all students.

As an RA we will ask you to prioritize being:

A learner

If you are an RA who is white, find ways to increase your knowledge about racial injustice. Talk with your AC about how to engage in what will likely be hard, challenging and life-changing learning.

If you are an RA of color, TCK (third culture kid) or international student, find ways to learn about self-care, affinity groups, and areas of racial justice that are important to you. Being a minority culture student leader in a majority culture community will make this work different and with hard challenges. Residence Life is here to support you.

Inclusive

As an RA, you have influence over how your community grows and what gets prioritized. Keep at the forefront of your mind how your community practices can foster inclusion. This will be an ongoing conversation with your team and supervisor.

On the following page you will find a practical resource guide for fostering racial inclusivity in the Residence Halls or KE.

Racial & Cultural Inclusivity - Leading Well as a Resident Assistant

ASK QUESTIONS

• What is your experience of Calvin?

• Was your high school anything like Calvin?

• Did any of your friends come here?

• Have you been to any Calvin events? What do you think of them so far?

• How has the dining hall food been for you?

• Have you been able to come to any floor/building events?

• What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

• What ideas do you have for floor/building events?

• Are you getting along with your roommate?

• How has Grand Rapids been for you?

• Have you found a group of friends here?

• Have you found a faith community here in GR?

• What was your faith community like back home?

BE CREATIVE

• Ask students on the margins what kinds of events would appeal to them, and plan those! (past examples: Latinx student panel + salsa dancing, international students leading cooking lessons)

• Invite and inspire students of color and international students to join your SET

• Consider door decs, t-shirts, and other “décor” choices, be sure they are culturally sensitive.

DIG DEEP

• Consider your own racial identity and what it means to you.

• Keep educating yourself on racism; there is always more to learn.

• If you make a mistake, ask for forgiveness; do better next time.

• Have courage to say "I don’t get it. Can you explain what you mean?"

SPEAK UP

• Resist the use of color-coded language (ghetto meijer, rough/sketchy neighborhood).

• Be able to share why ISDO/MSDO are important.

• Watch out for demeaning language (her food smells bad).

• Stand up for RAs of color: all of you were hired because you’re amazing!

SHOW UP

• When there is only one person of color in class, sit with them.

• Attend Intercultural happy hour, ISDO/MSDO events, Unlearn Week events.

• Attend events that your residents of color are involved in.

• Participate in advocacy efforts.

STAY INFORMED

• Think about your news sources.

• When reading, pay attention to color coded language.

• Stay current on major events.

• Diversify your news sources and news commentaries.

For Students of Color

• Seek out safe spaces to recover and be yourself.

• Talk openly with your RD or AC about your RA experience.

• Remember that Calvin is yours too! You belong here.

• Do not apologize for who you are- food, way of speaking, music, etc.

• Explore all of your interests. Don't let anyone put you in a box.

International students join the Calvin College community with anticipation that they will find an engaging and inclusive community in which they can learn and grow. Far from home, they work hard to learn about the new cultures that surround them. As a group of leaders, RAs can have a significant impact on the interactions and experiences that international students have throughout their time at Calvin. This information will give you some specific tools and ideas to best support international students in your community.

Characteristics behind the best practices for supporting international students:

Community

The essence of community is that all are equally important to the whole. People should feel that their culture is valued. “RAs should make it clear that in each floor people come different backgrounds and that we all are different people in the floors, but that we got to celebrate our differences and learn from each other” (Edgar Aguilar Lopez – KE RA 2017-2018).

Partnerships

Utilize your connections with friends and other departments on campus to come up with ideas and build connections that will best serve your students. Invite upper class international students to join some of your community events. International upper class students “can explain to an international student the differences in culture so that they are not overwhelmed by culture shock” (Charlotte Ntim – KE RA 2017-2018).

Active leader/learner role

In as many ways as possible, provide students opportunities to lead in your community and to share about themselves as well as learn from others in the community.

Practical Ideas for Supporting International Students in your Area:

Make numerous invitations to events“One of the ways that my RA supported me my Freshman year was by pushing really hard for me to get involved in floor events” (Fernando Vigil – BB RA 2016-2017; BV RA 2017-2018).

Correct Name pronunciation

Ask others to help you with pronunciation. Record it so you can go back to it when you need to.

One-on-ones are super important

International students at Calvin have reported significantly lower levels of feeling a “sense of belonging” on their floor. This group has also reported that they highly value one-on-one conversations with their RA.

Good questions to ask during a 1-1 might be…

• What have you enjoyed most about your time at Calvin so far? What would you change about your experience?

• Tell me about your family.

• What are some of the differences you have noticed between your home country and the U.S.?

Foster peer relationships

Ask other people in your community to invite or connect with international students on your floor and follow up to see if they did it.

Some key points regarding LGBT+ students:

1. According to national survey data, approximately 5-10% of college students in the US identify as LGBT+ (this includes a significant number identifying as bisexual and as asexual, as well as those who don’t fit neatly into the boxes of male or female). On your floor or KE building you will likely have several LGBT+ students, although they may or may not be out to you or to other residents.

2. LGBT+ students are diverse! (in sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, background, faith identity, political leanings, interests… and in how they approach questions of theology and marriage).

3. LGBT+ students may be deeply in the closet, hiding an intense internal struggle. They may be comfortable acknowledging and disclosing their orientation/gender identity and fully supported by parents and friends. Or they may be anywhere in between these two extremes.

4. Students may come to Calvin with a lot of baggage from bullying/harassment at their previous school/s and church, from negative social stereotyping, and negative messages from church/family. Students may struggle because they have internalized these negative messages about themselves (internalized homophobia/transphobia).

5. National research identifies LGBT+ students as “the least accepted group” on college campuses. Derogatory language from peers is the biggest contributor to a hostile campus climate and has negative impacts on mental health, belonging, academic success, and student retention.

6. Studies show that LGBT+ youth experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, homelessness, and suicide than non-LGBT+ peers. LGB youth are 5x as likely to attempt suicide than straight peers, and each instance of victimization increases the likelihood of self-harm by 2.5%. Youth from highly rejecting families are over 8x as likely to attempt suicide as those from LGBT+-supportive families. Transgender and non-binary youth are at greatest risk.

7. Many LGBT+ people go through different stages of identity development: from confusion and comparison, to tolerance/acceptance of their difference, to pride (overcoming shame) and identity synthesis. How LGBT+ residents feel or act may reflect where they are on this progression.

8. You CAN be Christian and LGBT+. These are not mutually exclusive categories, though working out how they fit together can be challenging and people resolve the perceived tensions in different ways.

9. The Trevor Project published a national survey in 2021. Here are some important takeaways:

• Transgender and nonbinary youth who reported having pronouns respected by all of the people they lived with attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected by anyone with whom they lived.

• LGBTQ+ youth of color are more likely to attempt suicide than their LGBTQ+ white peers

• LGBTQ+ young people who were subjected to conversation therapy reported more than twice the rate of attempted suicide compared to those who were not.

• More than 80% of LGBTQ youth stated that COVID-19 made their living situation more stressful — and only 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming.

The complete 2021 survey is located here, if you are interested: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021/?section=Introduction

What RAs can do:

1. Make it clear that differences of sexuality and gender are part of the diversity at Calvin and at every college. LGBT+ students are present and welcome at Calvin.

2. Attend the LGBT+ workshop in your dorm and encourage all residents to attend (dates TBD).

3. Tell residents about Calvin’s resources:

• SAGA (Sexuality And Gender Awareness) is a safe place for LGBT+ students and straight allies to learn and support each other. SAGA meets Weds at 5pm. Contact Julia Smith. More info at https://calvin.edu/offices-services/student-organizations/sexuality-and-gender-awareness

• Campus Ministries support group meets weekly. Contact Pastor Mary.

• Attend Sexuality Series events on LGBT+ topics

• CCW offers a confidential support group for LGBT+ students, called Without Shame. See Groups schedule here: https://calvin.edu/offices-services/counseling-and-wellness/services/seminars-workshops-groups/

4. Be attentive to language:

• When talking about inclusive community and respectful speech at your first floor meeting, include "that's so gay" as an example of slurs/offensive speech that is not acceptable. Always challenge disrespectful language and behavior and expect residents to do the same.

• Avoid use of terms like "gay lifestyle" and "gay agenda" that play on negative cultural stereotypes. Talking about "homosexuality" is fine, but when speaking of people, use the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, instead of “homosexual”. Also, the phrase "Love the sinner, hate the sin" is unhelpful because it confuses orientation and sexual promiscuity and demonizes LGBT+ people in a way we wouldn’t do with any other class of people. Help your residents reflect on how words like these may impact LGBT+ residents.

• At Calvin we use the word “gay” to mean a consistent, unchosen attraction to members of the same gender. It does not say anything about a person's sexual history or relationship status. Be aware that some students will have negative stereotypes attached to this term: listen and clarify.

5. If someone comes out to you, listen well, thank them for their courage, and ask them about confidentiality. Never out someone to others without their permission.

6. If someone comes out to you as transgender or non-binary, don’t assume they are out to others. Respect their name and pronouns, and clarify who you may use them with. The student’s safety is paramount.

7. Avoid activities that assume everyone is straight and cis-gender (cis-gender = not transgender). Help students recognize that things like serenading and floor “dates” marginalize and exclude gay, bisexual, asexual, and transgender students. Find language that includes all.

8. Learn more about Calvin and LGBT+ questions here www.calvin.edu/student-life/ss/faq.html

Content from: Julia Smith, former Sexuality Series Director and SAGA Mentor & Kelsey Colburn, current Coordinator for the Sexuality Series & SAGA Mentor