Addressing and Educating Northwestern Students on White Privilege and Systemic Racism

Systemic racism has been a part of American Culture for hundreds of generations, and while the United States has come a long way since the 17th century, there is still an overwhelming number of racial injustices happening today which go unaddressed. Due to a lack of diverse education, common misconceptions regarding white privilege, systemic racism, and racial injustice are taken as truth. To address these misconceptions and educate individuals, the organizers of this project researched, collaborated, and then hosted a Racial Injustice Prayer Vigil at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. This Racial Injustice Prayer Vigil had six different stations: Identity, Colorblindness, Prayer, Lament, Information, and Celebration. The purpose of the prayer vigil was to educate Northwestern Students on White Privilege, Systemic Racism, and Racial Injustice, and to have them self-reflect on their own identities. The overall goal of the project was to allow for more informed, meaningful conversations regarding diversity and racial injustice on campus as a way to combat negative misconceptions and promote social change. At the end of the prayer vigil, visitors were asked to fill out a survey with a list of questions regarding their experience. The organizers received primarily positive feedback, with the only critical feedback being more advertising, longer portion of time, and more flow from station to station. Apparent growth was also found in Appendix B which showed an increase in levels before and after the event in regard to their comfortability level participating in racial conversations