The Student Antiracism and Intersectionality Advisory council works to bring the change they want to see to Ball State University.
At the beginning of spring 2020, Beverly Tatum, a psychologist and race relations expert, spoke at Ball State on the importance of being antiracist. Just a few hours before her presentation, a professor called university police on an African American student after a confrontation about seating arrangements.
“Every year that I’ve been here, Ball State has had an incident of racial injustice,” says senior Aric Fulton. Aric is one of 11 members on the Student Antiracism and Intersectionality Advisory Council (SAIAC).
The council began as a conversation between Ball State professor Emily Ruth Rutter and junior Jordyn Blythe. The two wanted to form a group that could mobilize Tatum’s talk about antiracism and intersectionality in the Ball State community which led to the creation of a new course at Ball State.
According to Rutter, students should be seen as valued institutional stakeholders. In response to academic concerns, Rutter, along with a group of Ball State students, created a course titled “Understanding Race and Becoming an Antiracist.” In the course, students study race and racism from a historical and modern standpoint and develop the skills necessary to become actively antiracist. It is currently being piloted in the Honors College and will be available to all majors and minors spring 2020 as ENG299X. Rutter hopes this course will become a part of the core curriculum for Ball State students.
The group behind the course became the members of the newly formed council. SAIAC is a student-run organization focused on providing education on antiracism and advocating for social change.
From hosting campus-wide conversations on antiracism, intersectionality, and empowerment to partnering with other organizations to hold events such as “Emphasizing Equality,” SAIAC has already cultivated a presence on campus since the council’s launch in spring 2020, growing from two members to 11.
“I want to create more safe spaces for people with marginalized identities to share their experiences,” says Nykasia Williams, Ball State junior and member of SAIAC.
Conversations may seem intimidating but are vital in spreading awareness, she says.
“Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” says Nykasia.
“We live in a country that has been built on systemic racist policies and much of the work we have to do comes from activism and education,” says Aric. “Don’t be afraid to engage in topics that deal with racial and social justice. Work to educate yourself, research local presence, and take action in your community.”
SAIAC provides the public with a plethora of antiracism educational resources on their website.
“It’s hard and uncomfortable work, but there is a community supportive of everybody doing that work. We are going to get through together and become kinder, better, stronger, and more conscious people,” says Blythe.
Anyone interested in joining the council should email Rutter at errutter@bsu.edu.
