Image by Falon Opsahl Editor's Note: This article was originally published in a special section on race in the Graphic. Time and time again, I find myself being a part of, or witnessing, a conversation about race that involves people of color getting angry and the other side, the majority, becoming defensive. When that happens, the conversation ends and absolutely … [Read more...] about Let’s Turn Race into a Conversation, Not a Debate
Perspectives
Recognize Black Girl Magic
Image by Falon OpsahlEditor's Note: This article was originally published in a special section on race in the Graphic.She is sugar and spice and everything nice. She is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. If you look deeper, you just might discover a glimpse of her bliss.She’s the erudite student who is wildly articulate. She’s the leader of an … [Read more...] about Recognize Black Girl Magic
Structural Issues Enable Campus Racism
Image by Falon OpsahlEditor's Note: This article was originally published in a special section on race in the Graphic.Why do we not classify people based on the shape of their bellybuttons? Innies, anyone? Why not be team innie or team outie? Instead, we characterize by skin color and hair type and assign our ideas about culture to physical characteristics.This may seem … [Read more...] about Structural Issues Enable Campus Racism
‘Officer, Why Did You Pull Me Over?’
Image by Falon Opsahl Editor's Note: This article was originally published in a special section on race in the Graphic. I started teaching at Pepperdine in 1993. The cop who pulled me over recently was still in high school in that year. Occasionally, I enjoy teaching night classes at Pepperdine, especially if they include film. But I dread the prospect of being … [Read more...] about ‘Officer, Why Did You Pull Me Over?’
I Dropped My Toothbrush on a Hostel Bedroom Floor: Lessons I Learned While Traveling Between Semesters
Art by Peau PorotesanoThere are some moments in life you can’t change; like the time I dropped my toothbrush on the floor of a hostel in Bern, Switzerland. That toothbrush, which I should have burned on the spot, but instead discarded as quickly as possible, is a good metaphor for all the disastrous events and situations I encountered throughout my travels. Before … [Read more...] about I Dropped My Toothbrush on a Hostel Bedroom Floor: Lessons I Learned While Traveling Between Semesters