The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - 75

Resident Assistants and White Racial Identity

learn new information by listening to People of
Color. Tammy described an epiphany during a
staff meeting:
There were People of Color on my staff sharing
stories and that's when it hit me! I realized
that my experience is nothing like some of
these people that I had to work with. That
was interesting and hard and helpful all at the
same time.
Several RAs remarked that it was difficult
to talk in small groups, that conversations took
a long time to establish and were maintained at
superficial levels, and that no real depth in dialogue was achieved. As a Senior RA, Chad participated in two all-White affinity groups and
did not find the all-White composition contributed to a greater degree of comfort either time:
As far as being effective, I don't think it is.
People still aren't being ... they're not being
open. They're not being honest. They're all
just still trying to say the right thing. I think
that people, even after being separated, at
least in my group, and both times I've done it
were still, if not as inhibited then, almost as
inhibited as if everyone was there.
The affinity group format designed to allow
White RAs the space and place to explore their
identities together, instead challenged their
concept that diversity and social justice can
only be learned from People of Color.

Message 3: Colorblind is Wrong vs.
Colorblind is the Goal
One of the most direct clashes between messages centered on the concept of colorblindness or
denying that people "see" race. The following
messages were clearly articulated to the RAs
during the training program: being colorblind
perpetuates dominant/subordinate racial dynamics, and it is hurtful to People of Color for

White people to deny racial differences.
Several participants admitted receiving
divergent messages about colorblindness
growing up. They were raised to believe they
should ignore racial differences and that to
acknowledge race was hurtful to People of
Color. They were taught to believe colorblindness is a demonstration that one is not racist
and that noticing racial differences equates to
being racist. Carrie surmised, "I've been told
[growing up] you're racist if you notice differences." Shelley shared a similar sentiment,
"I'm from [suburbia], a very middle-class, very
White community. I've always been taught that
colorblindness is how you should ... that's just
how I was raised. However, even after participating in the training program, Shelley maintained that colorblindness is a better way:
I know the whole idea of minimizing might
be a contributing factor; but I almost feel like
it's where you want to be. Because I know we
were told that it's bad to say "but we're all
people." But we are, and we're all trying to
work together - we're all one staff.
Tammy offered the following, "I don't want
to say I don't notice that people are different,
because they are. I'm not going to say that I'm
colorblind, or whatever people say. But, it [a
person's racial identity] doesn't make me treat
any body any differently."
Despite participating in the diversity and
social justice training, the RAs continued to
express that colorblindness is appropriate.
They believed it was safer to ignore racial differences than to acknowledge them.

Message 4: Racism Continues to Exist vs.
Things are Better for People of Color
The RAs strongly believed that contemporary

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3

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