Bridging the divide
"We need to learn and we need to listen to other people and their stories, and we can't just avoid other people because they're different from us because we're too scared to talk to them..."
With Voices True is an archive of personal narratives on race.
In partnership with the John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy and University of Notre Dame Archives, the Klau Center seeks to give voice to the Notre Dame community on issues of race and racial identity. Through written, spoken, or visual stories, our community reflects on how we experience race, how it shapes our lives, and how we navigate relationships within it.
We invite every member of the Notre Dame community to participate.
The Klau Center seeks to advance the God-given dignity of all human persons through transformative education, innovative research, and meaningful engagement with students and with the broader community.
2019 Snapshot Summary Video (5:09)
From "Embracing the Conversation" and "Living Our Identities," through "Conflict and Confrontation" and issues around "Diversity and Division," the 2019 story archive reveals a wide range of perspectives and points of concern around race and belonging.
Stories from the Year
Below are highlights from the stories collected in With Voices True. This digest can be used in classrooms or discussion groups, as a tool for promoting conversation and discovery.
Full stories are housed in Hesburgh Library Archives, where it serves as a tool for research. Access to the archive can be arranged by contacting Angela Fritz at afritz@nd.edu.
Exploring the possibilities of a "melting pot"
"For example, the guy who lives next to me is from Mexico, and I think that just experiencing, interacting with people from different places has helped me have a better understanding of what he's from."
Seeking common ground
"I have a lot of very interesting conversations about race with my freshman and which...really stemmed out of me growing comfortable with the people that weren't like me."
Bringing himself to the role
"I don't need you to be my voice, I just need you to pass the mic that you're hoarding right now."
Thinking about the people around us
"I think a lot of people kind of assume that people are ignorant because they want to be. I think sometimes people are ignorant because they don't have any other exposure to anything."
Experiencing the culture of separateness
"But over time I would say in the span of an hour that table became what my friend called an ethnic table. It was just me, the Asian kid, and the black kids."
Taking a step beyond bias
" I think we all have fear of engaging in conversation with another group of people or raise whatever we want to describe the categories as."
Making an effort to be seen
"...if you're an international student, if you're a black student, if you're an Asian student, you are an Asian student first. You have that adjective that comes first..."
Seeking diversity of viewpoint
"Why should you care if you're with 10 black people versus 10 white people? I don't think that's what counts."
Finding a place to share viewpoints
"It is really nice having someone, having people that you can talk to who kind of know what you’re doing or what you’re going through I guess."
Looking for a genuine commitment to diversity
"You can diversify campus all you want, but if people don't feel included, we're not making progress. Diversity is being invited to the party, but inclusion is being asked to dance."
Confronting the national discourse on campus
"I never felt like I was in any danger, but then after the 2016 election, it was just like, will I be told this on my way to class? In my class?"
Navigating moments of tension
"...and, you know, a kid said, like he was talking about the St. Mary’s shuttle and he was just like, “Yeah, like, St. Mary’s girls...they’re kind of part of Notre Dame...it’s like the 3⁄5 Compromise.” And it just got like dead silent in the room."