CW + 1956 Collab Edition

like the organization’s complicated
history with the Machine and a lack of
representation in the past.
There was even discussion about
Machine interference in the
appointment of the first Vice President
of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“Obviously, I feel like those connotations
are still present when you look at
demographics of who’s in SGA, but I
think that’s something we can work
past,” Brown said.
While trying to connect with groups
who hold negative views of SGA,
McTier prides herself on fostering
diverse friendships. Through these
friendships, she hears different
feedback and perspectives, so she
can create programming and push
for change that truly includes
and benefits everyone.
“At the end of the day, it still can
be a little difficult to balance, too,”
McTier said.
‘LISTENING TO HEAR’
The cabinet has come to realize that
even while trying to be intentional
and create programming that is
fair in its representation of all
individuals, there will still be times
when controversy arises. Ivory thinks
those moments of controversy can
sometimes be important gateways to
productive conversations.
She described how OneUA week,
an event hosted by the Division
of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
featuring “A conversation with Jane
Elliott focusing on power, perception
and prejudice,” led to some backlash.
“Although it may have been crazy
hectic in the moment, I think it
opened a real dialogue that this
campus needs to have,” Ivory said.
“[We need] opportunities for people
to ask questions, and to have those
conversations and to understand how it
may make other people feel.”
Brown agreed, noting that, especially
now, it’s important that people are
being truly heard and that leaders
are “listening to hear rather than
listening to speak.”
“When people don’t feel heard, they
kind of attack, and they kind of lash
out,” Brown said. “So, I feel like it’s
important to be able to discuss what’s
happening in the world right now,
and that affects what’s happening
on campus and what’s happening in
individual lives.”
Above all, Brown said, it’s important to
“just be there” for people at this time.
“So many people have questions, and
they don’t know how to ask them,
or they’re afraid that they’ll offend
somebody by asking them,” Brown said.
“So it’s learning how to ask questions,
right. It’s learning to be open to listen,
be open to answer questions because
people really want to know.”
Ivory said within both SGA and the
campus community as a whole, the DEI
Cabinet is creating those spaces where
people can ask genuine questions and
educate themselves.
“I think especially after all of the events
of the summer, we felt an obligation to
make sure we were doing more than
putting on a virtual event, but doing
things that were meaningful,” McTier
said. “So, by no means are we perfect
and by no means have we absolutely
achieved that goal, but something that’s
in the forefront of our minds is how
do we make sure students are actually
impacted and not just watching a video
and twiddling their thumbs on their
phone when they should be learning
something really special and unique to
our UA community.”
A HUGE RESPONSIBLITY
McTier referenced responses from
the post-event surveys for the DEI
Certificate Program as reassuring
signs that students are ready
and willing to learn.
She said the most interesting responses
were from students, usually freshmen,
who were exposed to opposing opinions
for the first time.
“This is their first time ever hearing
about LGBT history; this is their first
time ever hearing about race relations
from a different perspective,” McTier
said. “So it’s always interesting to
read through someone’s response
and see the aha moment when they
realize like, ‘Oh maybe I should
reconsider the way that I believed,’ or,
‘I actually am now very invested, and I
want to learn more.’”
McTier said that kind of feedback is
encouraging but also creates a huge
responsibility on her part.
“Now, I’ve got to offer them the
opportunities to be able to grow, and
offer them tangible solutions to helping
them grow in their knowledge of being
more diverse and more inclusive,”
McTier said.
As a result of the progress the program
has yielded, McTier is currently working
on getting the DEI Certificate Program
added to the SGA Code of Laws, which
will make the program mandatory for
future vice presidents to hold each year.
However, McTier doesn’t think it’s
feasible, as of now, for SGA to make
the program mandatory training
for all students.
“We still have a very, very long way to
go,” McTier said.
She said she’s proud to look back at her
last four years here at The University of
Alabama and see how much progress
has been made each year.
“But then I also have to take a step
back, out of my current UA student
self, and realize that it took until 2017
for us to start having conversations
about needing to have diversity at the
forefront of our conversations, and that
by itself is problematic alone,” McTier
said. “So, I think there is still so much
to be done.”
19