By Anna Hansen
A group of Edgewood College students have formed the LegEC committee to unite BIPOC community members.
Jahdai Guerrero, a junior at Edgewood studying psychology, told OTE that the group’s primary mission is to unite minority groups in the Edgewood community while supporting marginalized community members.
“We are all here to support each other and leave a legacy (LegEC) for future generations to follow in which every BIPOC on Edgewood will work towards a collective success together as one,” said Guerrero in a July 19 email.
“Our objective presents a fundamental challenge to white students, faculty, and staff to commit to creating a genuinely inclusive community that listens to and supports the wisdom and experience of all its members,” she said.
“It is time to have uncomfortable conversations and engage in activities that produce legitimate and indelible change. Unlearning biases and a lifetime of white supremacy doesn’t happen in one training session.”
Guerrero said Edgewood must develop a structure in which the issues of implicit bias and their impact on Edgewood are handled on at least an annual basis.
Guerrero and fellow committee members Fabiana Veguila, Vivi Velasquez, Abby Briseño, Yahaira Figueroa, Sasha Shannon-Munson, and Hawi Bedaso met in a recent Webex call to discuss social justice issues and share support with one another.
The group’s plans for the academic year include an on-campus showing of a social justice-themed film, an art display featuring a mural painted by group members in support of the Black community, and an event called “Black to Business,” in which local Black-owned businesses can sell and showcase their work on campus.
In a statement, the group said, “We are a group of students in discussion with faculty allies who have witnessed Edgewood College fail time and again at dismantling the culture of Whiteness and economic privilege that permeates higher education, including Edgewood College, and lifting the voices of marginalized students.”
The statement challenged white Edgewood community members to join in the group’s mission of advocacy for BIPOC at the college. “We are an institution that alleges to uphold its mission and values of Truth, Justice, Compassion, Partnership, and Community yet continues to fall short of fulfilling those values for all students and faculty/staff. After years of waiting for meaningful action, we reach out to you, offering a path to begin the vital work of meaningful advocacy for BIPOC at Edgewood College.”
Edgewood President Andrew Manion acknowledged the announcement of the committee at a July 1 protest in support of Althea Bernstein.
The LegEC committee would like to extend an invitation to Edgewood community members to join them. Those interested can contact Jahdai Guerrero via email at jguerrero@edgewood.edu
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