Wednesday, Feb. 17, as part of the Elizabethtown College Office of Diversity, Inclusion] and Title IX’s series of Black History Month events, Asst. Dean of Students at Capital Law School and Diversity, Equityand Inclusion Consultant Dr. Marcelius Braxton gave a webinar presentation on anti-racism. 

Drawing from his background as an educator, Braxton has taken the time to consider the necessary components for an effective presentation. 

“A good presentation has to have three different things,” Braxton said. “You need to talk about history in context; fairness and inclusivity; application and engagement.”

Braxton’s talk emphasized the importance of those three components when discussing anti-racism in particular. 

“We need to think about how things are, how things should be and what we need to do to get there,” Braxton said. “One of the reasons I think anti-racism is so important… is because it requires…continuous action.”

In order to lay the landscape for the historical contexts of anti-Black racism in the United States, Braxton emphasizes the vast inequities that have existed in terms of voting rights, land rights and other persistent forms of socioeconomic discrimination. 

For the bulk of U.S. history, a majority of its citizens did not have the right to vote. Braxton makes note of the fact that during George Washington’s presidency, only 6 percent of the population was eligible to vote. 

Even as voting rights expanded, these expansions were rarely implemented.

Literacy tests were designed to specifically bar Black citizens from exercising their right to vote and many Southern states instituted “white primaries.” As the name indicates, only white citizens could vote during primary elections and Black votes would only be allowed in general elections so as to minimize the influence of the Black vote. 

According to Braxton, it is crucial to understand the history of racism in order to combat the ways in which racism currently manifests.

In order to see a contemporary manifestation of anti-Black voter discrimination, one needs to look no further than the 2020 presidential election. 

Voter turnout saw massive increases in historically Black parts of the country, especially with regard to Georgia and cities such as Philadelphia. These votes were heavily contested and brought to the courts.

As a result of this increased voter turnout, there has already been a pushback that is reflective of the de facto voter discrimination Black Americans faced between Reconstruction and the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. 

“In the first month or so of 2021, in 28 states state legislators have filed over 100 bills aiming to restrict voting,” emphasized Braxton. “If what we want to do is dismantle racism, we have to look at how it’s embedded and institutionalized in our history.”

By taking this history into account, advocates for anti-racism can more effectively bring their goals to fruition. 

Braxton advised allies and advocates to have goals that are specific and to avoid relying on vague, performative statements. Allyship is not something that can be self-declared; it is a title given as a result of long term demonstrated commitment to equity and justice. 

“Being a good ally recognizes that we are all part of the system,” said Braxton. “A good ally is someone who is looking for equity and justice for everyone.”

In thinking about the implementation of anti-racist goals on campus, Associate Director of Intercultural Affairs Ellis Bonds shared concerns about the retention rates for students of color at Etown.

“We can do a great job with admission, we can do a great job with recruiting the students, but what we need to do now is focus on retaining them,” said Bonds. “Students are coming from different backgrounds and may need different levels of support [depending] on their situation.”

Bonds notes that on a predominantly white campus such as Etown, it is important for educators and administrators to keep in mind the realities of racial bias and discrimination.

“Working in higher education, we have to understand that a lot of [bias] incidents go undocumented or unreported,” said Bonds. “[But], because we exist in a predominantly white institution and there are students of color here, we have to assume those things are happening.”

There are a wide variety of reasons for why such events may go undocumented, but facilitating an environment of genuine and continued support for marginalized students goes a long way in creating a safer campus for everyone. 

As far as advice for student allies, Bonds recommends getting involved with the resources and organizations already present on campus.

“Take advantage of the opportunities that are offered,” said Bonds. “We are doing a lot here in our office; every Monday we do the Ujima Dialogue series.”

In addition to taking advantage of resources, peer support is a crucial facet of sustainable allyship.

“We have students of color here and their experiences may not be the same as white students,” said Bonds. “Listen to their stories and really get to know where they’re coming from.” The talk given by Braxton is available through the Canvas page for the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Title IX. For access to this Canvas page, email Director for Title IX/Compliance Programs and Intercultural Affairs Nichole Gonzalez at gonzaleznichole@etown.edu