The conversation between Professor Stefan M. Bradley and President Ajay Nair was an eye-opening talk that allowed me to deeply understand the role of the Ivy League when it comes to achieving social justice on our college campuses. The Ivy League itself is and has been a representation of privilege in the history of American education. Other colleges often look up to these 8 institutions and follow their path establishing university legislations and academic curricula. That is why it is Cornell’s duty to incorporate the voices of racial, gender, and sexual orientation minorities into our policies. Recently, there have been conflicts regarding the Student Assembly’s decision not to disarm campus police. This decision imposes a direct threat toward black and other minority students at Cornell who no longer feel safe on campus, due to the existing tensions regarding police authorities. This event shows that Cornell still has a long way to go when it comes to achieving social justice on campus. As Professor Bradley stated, there is a difference between desegregation (accepting students of all minority groups) and integration (actually hearing their voices and implementing them into the school’s decision-making).
I’ve only briefly heard about the recent events of the student assembly and disarming the campus police. However, especially considering everything that happened this year, I think it’s crucial to start these conversations and ensure the students’ voices are heard in order to create a safe and welcoming environment on campus.