Editor’s Note: From “Surviving PWIs” to “Conflicting Emotions”

Beyond the Binaries

At times it seems like BIPOC can only have two modes of existence in predominantly white institutions (PWIs): we are either having the time of our lives, or every day is insufferable because of our experiences with microaggressions and/or racism. Then, when we go even deeper, it seems that the happy should feel bad for their happiness because maybe they’re doing something wrong, like overlooking microaggressions or racism, while the sufferers should think about whether they may be too angry or sensitive. I may be projecting; however, I know that these are not our only modes of existence. We are capable of experiencing more than shallow happiness or pain. 

The Surviving PWIs for POC series was started as a platform where People of Color could tell stories about their experiences in predominantly white institutions. It was meant as a space where writers could reflect on things that have happened to them and have been said to them, and to allow them to share their feelings, from confusion to anger to indifference. With that being said, I fear that the series has come across as a place where only negative feelings reside. As if the only mode for POC in this space was survival. As if there were no room for our strength and our laughs in our rooms with our friends.  No room for celebrating our accomplishments.  

This focus on our hardships and struggles is everywhere. Very rarely do we see series and documentaries celebrating our lives and our happiness. In no way am I saying that we should stop telling stories of struggle, because they happen to us every day. They are a part of our lived realities. But they are not our only stories or our only realities. 

A New Series Identity

In the next phase of this series, I would like to change that. I would love for this series to tell our stories, real and raw, but also celebrate our triumphs and joys. I would like for it to portray all of the feelings that we experience, sometimes in complex and contradictory ways, in these spaces. I would like for the name to reflect that inclusivity as well, so that every BIPOC knows that there is a space for their stories. Thus, with ALL our stories in mind, we will be changing the name of the series to: Conflicting Emotions: Experiences of BIPOC at PWIs.