The Table hosted the Ally Initiative on Thursday, Dec. 8, to discuss the experiences people of color have at The King’s College. The Table’s president, Kylia Ford, and vice president, Edwin “Chivo” Perez, along with exec members Natalia Gaytan, Sofia Larez and Philip Molestina, began the conversation by familiarizing the attendees with King’s Mission Statement and Unity and Diversity Statement.

Ford explained that the goals behind the Ally Initiative are to create a space for minority conversations and to encourage sensitivity following the Table’s intention to be “a community of Black and Hispanic students who meet to support the minority populations at King’s and to engage the broader community in discussing multicultural issues.”

The Table anticipates this event to be the first of many Ally Initiatives, continuing the discussions and progress concerning diversity at King’s. The Table structured the discussions around four main areas where they have observed a lack of representation: Christ, Curriculum, Community and City.

Perez initiated the conversation around Christ, explaining that oftentimes worship is restrictive to people of color because of predominantly white styles of worship or language constraints.

Ford noted the common “suffering servant” motif in Christian circles, saying, “race is only likened to suffering to put others down.”

Often, people of color are silenced or pressured to conform to traditional western expressions of worship, which the panel agreed is damaging to minorities in churches.

“Chivo brought up how he could only pray in Spanish, and I thought that was cool,” said Jetrude Ragas, President of the House of Clara Barton. “I grew up praying in Tagalog and saying the Lord’s Prayer in Tagalog, but I’ve lost it now.”

“Western culture has traditionally taught people of color that suffering in silence is to suffer for Christ,” Gaytan said, “but we are called to discuss struggles, not ignore them.”

The panelists then discussed issues concerning King’s curriculum and the exclusion of minorities by the Western-focused core classes. People of color’s representation is sparse, whether that be in a history class or a philosophy class. Although King’s does offer courses that teach Black history in America, they are available as electives, and no classes cover Hispanic culture or history. Perez noted that this lack of representation causes a gap for minorities, as they are typically unfamiliar with the names and readings required for many of the courses.

As they discussed academic freedom, Ford and Gaytan also noted that professors should be open to discussing areas where they may be wrong or subjects where the students may feel slighted. The panel discussed the need for constructive conversations between students and professors and reflected on previous experiences where little to no room for healthy discussion existed.

“Why would I give intellectual respect to someone who doesn’t even give me basic human respect?” Ford said.

Larez emphasized that being intellectual does not justify holding dangerous prejudicial sentiments. She explained that ending racially biased ideas would end the spread of that harmful narrative. Gaytan reinforced this sentiment by noting that academic freedom requires holding people accountable.

Ford highlighted that the leadership at King’s have made progress toward inclusivity and diversity as the panel transitioned to discussing the community. She credited the school with offering more inclusive courses and having a more diverse staff, and she acknowledged the students who have fought for people of color to be heard and respected.

The panel also discussed ways that King’s can continue this progress, primarily that the House system and faculty should provide more support for struggling students of color. The panelists recounted times when they failed to receive support because no one knew how to advocate for students of color.

Gaytan recalled her struggle living in student housing, saying, “When I spoke about [a racially-motivated incident], nothing happened, and when a white student spoke up, then it changed.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, The House of Barton released a statement on Instagram in response to The King’s Council’s rejection of the Diversity Initiative Proposal. While saddened by the outcome, Ragas believes that “the Ally Initiative was totally the right space for awareness of students of colors’ experiences. Especially surrounding their white brothers and sisters. However, I would like to see the next steps in the Ally Initiatives giving room to talk about the positive experiences of students of color (if any).”

The panel emphasized the importance of creating a safe environment for students of color within the King’s community and further challenged students to engage with New York’s community outside of King’s. There are many misconceptions about minority neighborhoods being unsafe or their culture being dangerous. Ford encouraged students unfamiliar with those communities to see the beauty of other cultures, and to embrace their presence in the city.

“As a white person, it was interesting to hear insight as to how people of color feel and are being treated at the school,” said Graham Meyer, a sophomore in the House of Winston Churchill. “It’s not something that I tend to think about, but it’s a good reminder to be mindful of what others may be going through, and the changes that have been implemented through staff and others seem to be in a good direction.”

As the event came to a close, Larez urged the students of King’s to seek ways to embrace other cultures and support fellow students of color.

“Recognize our invisibility,” Larez said. “The first step to overcome invisibility is to realize you’re invisible.”

Mandie-Beth Chau is a freshman studying Journalism, Culture and Society.

“Recognize Our Invisibility” — The Table Hosts Ally Initiative