Interviews With Color

Interviews With Color is a project inspired and sparked by recent events on the Antioch College campus. The project explores the culture of people of color (POC) on campus, as well as the way POC are treated in situations of injustice. One trend prevalent throughout these interviews was a request for a POC hall as a remedy for multiple acts of injustice involving womyn of color on campus. According to some POC, the request was originally brushed off, resulting in student-led action calling public attention to recent injustices experienced by POC.

POC Jasmine, Noella, Odette, Ashley, Leandre, Gabe, Ishan, Max (left to right) during a meeting between POC students and the President's Staff as well as a Res Life Representative, and a Board Member. This meeting was facilitated by Mila Cooper during a community meeting as a way to engage in meaningful dialogue. While College leadership responded quickly with an action plan, the issues raised by POC remain unresolved and the response is seen by many as untimely. The goal of this oral history project is to document our community members’ experiences of the housing situation, exploring the ways in which POC feel that this request would bring a sense of community, a safety net, and a unique experience that fights against the social constructs of racism and encourage cultural diversity.

The intention is to make the voices and needs of POC on campus heard, as well as to explore the ways in which racism manifests on this college campus. The resulting archive of narratives is being published and shared as a means of catalyzing dialogue within the Antioch community.