Noella Nzishura

[Noella Nzishura]: Noella Nzishura I'm awesome.

[Mari K Smith]: Can you say your name again and what year you are?

[Noella Nzishura]: My name is Noella Nzishura and I am a fourth year at Antioch college.

[Mari K Smith]: So we're just going to jump right in. What are your feelings on the POC culture on Antioch's campus?

[Noella Nzishura]: This is a very deep question. I feel like when it comes to when we need each other we are there for each other but, I feel like it's a 00:01:00strong culture. I'm not sure what that means.

[Mari K Smith]: It's ok to have a stream of consciousness. You don't really have to have like a well black and white answer.

[Norella Nzishura]: It's more to give like. So the culture in what way? Like what? I want to have just a conversation with y'all. I would say we've come more together the more students we have. Because you know I came here four years ago and we only had a few. The women of color would talk more about what was going on with us. We wouldn't say we joined with the men of color. We didn't start the 00:02:00POC group until the second years came the 2017ers. And I don't know if we felt like it wasn't necessary to join with the men or we met when we felt like we needed to meet and talk about what was going on with us. We knew it had to do with our identities right? Especially our color. The culture has changed the more students we have that are POC and I would say that it has become stronger and it has strengthened our own identity. And I would say my identity has been almost enlightening that has been a weird word to use. I would say the 2017ers helped me to love myself even more. It's not like I didn't love myself but 00:03:00recognizing that there were things in me that I was dealing with. You know? When you hear someone on this campus say "I love dark people" I would never say that it would never come out of my mouth. I would ask "Why don't you ever say that?" So it came back onto my conscious like "Why why why?" Because I never really, I don't think I ever thought about "What is my skin color" but what is my "Spiritual color?" You know? So if it's a pure one or is it a dark one? It's a weird concept because when you think of pure you think of white. White is pure, black is evil. I think that the reason a lot of people are afraid of dark people 00:04:00is because of the concept of pureness and what is scary, dark is scary. When we're going through problems with depression we say it's a dark place in our life. It was a dark period. So when you hear that people of color they're darkness right? There is that spectrum when you think about dark versus light. I would say the 2017ers helped me be really conscious of how I think about my culture and more specifically my color and how it's seen right? Because it affects how I deal with other people and how I react to other people. How I 00:05:00react to issues and other issues that are really important that I probably just brush off because I don't want to deal with them or I don't see them as important or whatever the reason is that I don't bring them to light. I would say the culture has really been strengthened.

[Mari K Smith]: If you don't mind me asking two follow up questions. So the first one you've kind of already answered this but I don't think it was very clear, So you believe that POC culture on campus is a very positive thing?

[Noella Nzishura]: Within the POC there have been problems. We know, that who ever knows who ever doesn't know. The culture has not always been strong. I think we strive for that. I want to strive for that on my end. When there is 00:06:00troubles we can not blame the white for our trouble we need to fix it within our community right. So I would say it hasn't always been strong we're striving for that. Doing this action today. This POC hall instead of going to class. We're not to segregate ourselves from class, it's just if that's what we need to do that's what we need to do. I would say I'm seeing people who I don't see here during meetings. I would say we're striving for that and it's not easy. I'm one of the people also who asks questions like "why are we doing this what is the importances of missing class?" What if this leads to you being behind in class. 00:07:00Will we blame the teachers? Will we blame the white people? No what will be the reason behind why you failed? It's like asking these questions not per se because of this action but for every problem that we face as POC. Is there that self accountability of what we choose to do too you know?

[Mari K Smith]: Would you describe POC culture as something that is integrated within our campus as a subculture? Or perhaps as even a culture that is separate from antioch?

[Noella Nzishura]: I would say you know, Before the issues you know what was going on with letters that were left for women of color. Those big problems that came up I would say that there was no particular culture that was "oh this is 00:08:00the poc culture" I think it was integrated. People weren't considering "This is the blacks these are the whites" it was just "we're part of Antioch." when issues started arising it was "oh we need to start cultivating our own culture too." even more strongly, so in my eyes, and maybe I wasn't paying more attention but I think we really strived that we do not separate ourselves from the community but we are part of the community and if we need that time away we take it and it's ok to take it and feel that we are not taking ourselves out of the culture. We are part of the culture but we are our own selves too.

[Mari K Smith]: Ok so I'm going to move on from that if that's ok. Hold on 00:09:00technical difficulties. This might still pertain to what we talked about earlier but what kind of social constructs do you feel add on to racism specific to our campus?

[Noella Nzishura]: I think in general being ignorant to what others are going through. Because if you don't know what other people are going through you will judge that person based on what you've been taught. What your own culture is. 00:10:00Even with our POC culture we all don't have the same background. Even if we are all of the same identity we don't have the same background per se. So it's like racism is really drawn into that side of privilege. I have this privilege. It's hard to see into somebody's life who doesn't have the same privileges as somebody else does. It's hard to look backwards if your goal is to look forward. That's really the social construct with anything. Not just with the racism but with classism and with all of these different isms. If you have the privilege 00:11:00you're looking forward. If you're only looking forward you, you're perpetuating that racism like "I have power and I will continue to have power" because if you have power you want more power. So really that social construct is based on that. I have power, I have the privilege to do all that I want to do, why would I look back if that will stop me from moving forward. That possibility of losing power.

[Mari K Smith]: Do you believe that that is a prevalent thing here at Antioch that people were ignorant to the women of colors kind of things that happened or not just instances in which there have been attacks or just the kind of story of them?

[Noella Nzishura]: What I believe is happening with those who are being ignorant of the issues is because they don't realize the impact those individuals have to have when these things are going on with them. It's really, sometimes they don't know what to do. What do I do about somebody being threatened? I don't know how to feel about it and there are issues if they're white they don't know what's going on so they shut up. Which has been an issue if you're white you really don't know what's going on with POC too right. What's going on is one is they've 00:13:00been shut out. They've been told "you're white you don't know what's going on." They're like "Oh ok I'm not going to deal with this. I don't have time to deal with this." at Antioch it's again time. It has to deal with those taking place with that ignorance "I have other things to do so I'm not going to deal with this." really knowing how to deal with it "What do I say? What do I do? If I say something is that going to make it worse?" That ignorance is really based on so many variables and that's why people are like "I won't step in because I don't want to make anything worse." I won't do anything so I won't make anything worse. So in that way there is something that is speaking to that can create that problem.

[Mari K Smith]: That was really great thank you very much. This next question is going to pertain to what we're doing today and clearly you feel a little conflicted and feel free to voice that and if you could explain this action that is happening today and in your own words explain this action and why it is necessary or not necessary.

[Noella Nzishura]: Today the POC group decided to do a day of disappearance which is very interesting to me because I don't like to make myself disappear. Because we've been you know enduring this society we've been made invisible, our thoughts, our skin color. It's so vibrant there it's not seen as important. So 00:15:00when we called it the day of disappearance I was like "ahh I don't want to disappear" I thought and I read and was talking to them about it like "why are they wanting to call it that? Why is it needed? Why just make it a day? If it's effective, why not disappear for a week? If we want people to know that we're not here a week is a start, a month? That's big. Our purpose, our objective was to not miss classes. So we chose Tuesdays because on Tuesdays most students don't have classes, but some do too. So I said if we want to make it effective 00:16:00why not make it a week or a month. When students don't go to classes that can happen without a lot of them disappearing so I was thinking how effective is it? In the end I wasn't thinking why do some POC need this. I just need to come and support them. I don't need to disappear per se but I need to be there for those who feel like they need to disappear, you know for people to understand what's going on. That we're serious about the issues that need to be addressed. To support who ever needs support.

[Mari K Smith]: As you know this is in protest of some of the administration and we're trying to institute a POC hall. Do you feel like a POC hall is necessary on a small liberals arts campus at Antioch why or why not?

[Noella Nzishura]: That's an interesting question because I went through this. I was like "Why do we need to segregate ourselves per se? I don't feel like I need it, but for those who need it yes. That's all.

[Mari K Smith]: No questions asked?

[Noella Nzishura]: No because I need a women's hall because I need it. So the 00:18:00question of why you need it is not something that isn't accusatory. If somebody says I need this hall then ok there is no issue in that.

[Mari K Smith]: Do you think the administration should have taken this perspective of it?

[Noella Nzishura]: Yes I believe so because, You know, it's not about them it's about creating a culture in which people feel comfortable. The POC group would not really ask of this if these issues of letters being left in front of doors, somebody being accused of taking up too much space, all of these little problems 00:19:00here and there which are really big. If they had not happened I don't think POC would have pushed for that. There are real problems. There are real issues on campus. If the POC hall is needed for people to feel more secure then yes.

[Mari K Smith]: Do you feel that this is an issue of comfort or an issue of safety?

[Noella Nzishura]: I would say both. Yea, because I would say me being POC I wouldn't say I need it but I want it. I want to be around POC folks you know. There is a different kind of feeling you have when people judge you a certain type of way. There is a certain type of judgement you feel when you're around 00:20:00certain judgements so yea it's an issue of comfort and judgement when you're around certain folks.

[Mari K Smith]: Do you think this is a form of self segregation?

[Noella Nzishura]: I think this is a form of self protection not a form of self segregation. There are still parts of the campus community because would we say the women's hall is a part of self segregation? We have a queer hall? We wouldn't say that about those. It's about protection and wellness. The wellness 00:21:00of the soul and the spirit and the intellectual mind. If you're not well within you can not study and we know that you know. It's about how you call yourself not endurance but just to keep yourself going. All aspects of your well being.

[Mari K Smith]: Self sustenance would you say?

[Noella Nzishura]: Yea self sustenance I would say.

[Mari K Smith]: Clearly we've had a reaction from faculty and staff about all of this, like we've requested of some things. What do you believe is a necessary reaction from them if it hasn't been reacted to accordingly. I would like to know.

[Noella Nzishura]: Faculty and staff didn't know much about this until it happened according to a community meeting. Now that they know. I would address 00:22:00this in classes and really put the culture into every course that we teach. I've talked about this with every faculty member. Even if it's a math class there is culture that is relevant like whose textbook are we using and why are we using? All these little things. When did this scientist learn about this and who were the first POC scientists and why did it take so long for them to be recognized. All of these little things you can incorporate that easily. It's just the time it takes time. It's not easy. When you have a syllabus you have to keep going 00:23:00and you have a rhythm. If you have to change how you teach its different and you have to learn. I would say it's easier for the social sciences because it's already incorporated in it but it can be done.

[Mari K Smith]: Do you think that this should become a necessary step within our comprehensive education system.

[Noella Nzishura]: Oh yes, yes. One story for you. Kammler, my chemistry teacher at the end of our course showed us a video of Julius, a POC scientist, what's 00:24:00his name, Percy Julien. He synthesized something, it's a long name that's why I can't remember it. [Pause] So Kammler my chemistry teacher, he showed us the 00:25:00class a video of Percy Julien who was the first African American chemist who synthesized cortisone and he was a pioneer who worked to synthesize cortisone and all of these different types of mechanism we learned in class and I was so thankful he had shown an African American who was well known for contributing to the scientific community. That was so big, very big for me. I told Kammler that and he didn't understand at first, he was like "oh thank you" and he didn't understand at first, I don't think I want to say he didn't understand at first. 00:26:00I was so grateful to him that he showed an African American but at the same time it was weird for me. It was an organic chemistry class and he incorporated culture into. African American, Smart, telling me you can do whatever you want to do. I will never forget that ever.

[Mari K Smith]: So one last question. There was a time in yellow springs when it was a hub for culture diversity. There was a large Japanese population and African American population. It was because of Antioch and it was a hub for 00:27:00diversity and culture. Do you think as Antioch is being born again do you think that that is something that could be put into motion? Because as you said that is a very doable thing. As part of the Antioch movement do you think that is a place that it could be headed?

[Noella Nzishura]: Yes, but difficult. On one hand we're trying to make sure we're sustainable because we need money but also we give scholarships. In a way there has to be a balance. There is a possibility. There has to be something we can hope for. There has to be a way to bring all those wonderful students in and 00:28:00create all of this wonderful diverse community. Right now we're young, it will take years, but it's possible. We're cutting budgets. Scholarships are hard to obtain for incoming students. It's possible for the new incoming students. But I hope for it I want that to happen here. When you have diversity for whatever matter that is diversity of color, diversity of gender, diversity of sexuality, diversity of religion, all these different diverse backgrounds, it creates the 00:29:00maximum growth intellectually, spiritually, emotionally culturally. I would certainly hope for that. Is it possible? Yes. Is it hard? Yes. But it takes openness and not ignorance. It takes openness to create that culture. It's taken four years for us to get here you know? It takes openness to create a culture that is more diverse in whatever manner that is.