As 23 members of the Wheelock community, we present a multiplicity of voices. We recognize that we all
wield privilege in some aspects of our lives, but that in others we feel disempowered, marginalized, unseen
and unheard. We know that our experiences are not unique on college campuses. We embarked upon this
project with the goal of “undoing the silence,” as author and activist Louise Dunlap writes. We attacked silence
in two ways: through creative writing and through researchbased advocacy.
One group of students collected and anthologized stories, comments, and poems from over 100
Wheelock students. Another group interviewed more than a dozen faculty members and conducted a literature
review to determine best practices for conversations about race on campus. In a sense, the students’ voices
deconstruct identity at Wheelock: we found contradictions-celebration and pain, inclusion and isolation.
At the same time, our research presents the possibility for reconstructing unity through shared awareness
and continued advocacy for all voices to heard, respected, included, and embraced.
What we present here is a guide. We know that we didn’t get it quite right, and we made mistakes along the
way, but we hope you will join us in this journey.