The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - 90

Kimberly Otchere * Tekita Bankhead * Ayanna Williams

There is immense power in collective participatory social change work. What began as
#BeingBlackAtIllinois protests, demonstrations, and demands, is now large scale strategic
work that has been institutionalized across the
university. This work and its impact are due the
collective participation of faculty, staff, students,
community members, and alumni. Nicolazzo
& Marine (2015) reminded us of that following:

Davis, G. F., McAdam, D., Richard, W., Mayer, S.,
& Bald, N. (2005). Social Movements and Organization Theory. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Before working to change policies and
practices, it is incumbent upon housing and
residence life professionals to engage in active
self-reflection - both individually and as a
staff - about their own (dis)comfort regarding
the trans* community [and students of color].
Although it can be uncomfortable recognizing
one's own biases and complicity with systems
of oppression, it is important to remember
that these are learned - and can therefore be
unlearned (p.168).

Nicolazzo, Z., & Marine, S. B. (2015). "It Will Change
if People Keep Talking": Trans* Students in
College and University Housing. Journal of
College & University Student Housing, 42(1),
160-177.

Critical change can occur when housing
staff, who interact with a vast number of students, understand the current experiences,
needs, and challenges of our most marginalized and underrepresented students. Such a
loaded task requires reflexive practices that
are continuously monitored. To deny bias and
complicit behavior is to be dismissive to the
students and our peers of color. Unfortunately,
race and racism are permanent, but we have
the capacity to be agents of social change and
build a more equitable academy for our students of color.

REFERENCES
Cress, D. M., and D. A. Snow. (1996). "Mobilization
at the Margins: Resources, Benefactors, and the
Viability of Homeless Social Movement Organizations." American Sociological Review, 61:
1089-1109.

Edvalson, S. I. (2013). Sociocultural Influences on
Undergraduate Students' Conversations on Race
at a Predominantly White Institution (Doctoral
dissertation, University of Iowa, 2013) [Abstract].
Iowa Research Online, 1-126. doi:h p://ir.uiowa.
edu/etd/4842

Omi, M., & Winant, H. (1994). Racial formation in
the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s.
New York: Routledge.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016).
Black Alumni Network. Retreived from http://
conferences.illinois.edu/blackalumnireunion/
project500/
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016).
Statistics. International Student and Scholar Services Department. Retrieved from http://www.
isss.illinois.edu/about/statistics.html
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016).
University Housing. Retrieved from http://www.
housing.illinois.edu
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (2012).
The Morrill Act at 150: The Future of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.morrillact.
illinois.edu/resources.html
Weber, K. (2014). Social Movement Theory and Organization Studies. In B. King (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Sociology, Social Theory and Organization
Studies: Contemporary Currents (pp. 487-509).
New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Williamson, J. (2003). Black Power on Campus: The
University of Illinois, 1965-75. University of Illinois Press.

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING

http://conferences.illinois.edu/blackalumnireunion/project500 http://conferences.illinois.edu/blackalumnireunion/project500 http://conferences.illinois.edu/blackalumnireunion/project500 http://www.isss.illinois.edu/about/statistics.html http://www.isss.illinois.edu/about/statistics.html http://www.housing.illinois.edu http://www.housing.illinois.edu http://www.morrillact.illinois.edu/resources.html http://www.morrillact.illinois.edu/resources.html

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3