By Elissa SalamySTAFF WRITER
Last Wednesday, the Office of Student Leadership and Activities and the Cultural Center hosted a screening of “Dear White People” in the Student Center Theater, followed by a panel discussion.
“Dear White People” is a satirical drama that focuses on African American students attending a prestigious college, where controversy and tension surround four students involved in a radio show that addresses racial issues on campus. The movie deals with homosexuality, interracial relationships and finding a sense of belonging on a racially divided campus.
After the film screening, Professor Bill Jennings, Professor Roosevelt Smith, Dean of Students Sofia Pertuz and President of the Inter-Fraternity Sorority Council Zoe Hoffman discussed their thoughts on the film and race relations on campus.
“I don’t think that I ever experienced that kind of confrontational racism, but I did have ambiguity about how to integrate myself into the American community,” Jennings said. “I think that ambiguity, that complexity, is something this film really engages in.”
The panel and the students in attendance engaged in conversations about how to improve race relations on campus. Many believed that education and communication were key elements in a solution.
“There’s still such a big divide between the multicultural organizations that have different traditions and I think that a lot of the issues that have arisen just stem from a complete lack of understanding,” Hoffman said.
“We have to get beyond, we have to understand the proper courtesy to each other. We are all human beings,” Smith said.
As a Hofstra alum, Professor Smith was able to share some of the history of race issues on campus.
“The black and Latino fraternities would have their events in the multipurpose room, and the predominantly white organizations would have their parties in Hofstra USA. The multipurpose room was known as the minority people room,” Smith said. “Thankfully, Hofstra has made changes in those particular areas where inclusion has taken place.”
Pertuz felt positively about the event.
“I’m excited to be at Hofstra because we can put programs like this together,” Pertuz said. “Any time we can engage students in conversation where they’re talking about actions that make the world better and make Hofstra better, and really improve intercultural engagement on campus, I think it’s a success.”