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College Alliance Fights Racism, Adds Awareness Network Offers Resources To Help Minority Students

Virginia De Leon Staff writer

Attending a predominantly white college isn’t easy for most minority students.

Problems abound, many say - from the lack of nonwhite faculty and diverse curricula to racial slurs and outright hate crimes.

That’s why four local colleges and universities started the Intercollegiate Diversity Alliance.

Gonzaga University, Whitworth College, Eastern Washington University and Spokane Community College are working together to recruit and keep minority students in the Spokane area.

Instead of tackling diversity issues alone, the schools will work as a “united force,” said founding member Brian Spraggins.

“We face the same issues,” said Spraggins, an admissions counselor at Gonzaga University. “We fight the same battles.”

The alliance’s first collaborative effort starts next week with “Our Voices,” a dramatic reading and discussion about the problems African Americans face on a predominantly white campus. The show will be presented by students from Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif.

The four schools are splitting the cost of bringing the Grossmont students to Spokane. Students from all four schools will take turns hosting the guests and they’re even sharing microphones and other stage props.

The alliance, which started in August, has two goals: to provide cultural diversity for the entire community and to begin a networking process for minority students.

Instead of being just one out of a handful of minority students on one campus, students can begin to see themselves as part of a larger group in Spokane, said Grace Leaf, a founding member who works at SCC.

“We’re all in it together,” Leaf said. “If we go as a united body, we can make a positive step. … We are people invested in the future of Spokane.”

By combining forces, alliance members also hope to contribute to the community by bringing more diversity to the area.

It’s not an easy task, they say.

When Spraggins travels to California and other states to recruit students, he often has to answer questions about the area’s reputation for being racist. Parents have asked him about skinheads, the Hayden Lake-based Aryan Nations organization and the recent hate crimes at Gonzaga University.

“It’s hard to get these students to come to Spokane,” said Spraggins, an African American who grew up in Great Falls, Mont. “Spokane just doesn’t provide much diversity.”

In addition to next week’s dramatic reading and discussion, the alliance hopes to provide another educational presentation in the spring. They also will encourage students to participate in multicultural events all over Spokane, not just the ones on campus.

“Diversity is the future,” said Alfonso Garcia, a Gonzaga University graduate student and member of the Intercollegiate Diversity Alliance. “In Boston, New York and other cities, you hear 10 different languages in 10 minutes. It’s important that we start talking now about the way we relate to one another.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ‘VOICES’ WILL CARRY MESSAGE HERE The voices express anger and fear. They also speak of hope, courage and endurance. The voices are those of African American students who attend predominantly white campuses. They can be heard next week at four local colleges during dramatic readings and discussions led by five black students from Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif. The program “Our Voices” is the first event sponsored by the newly formed Intercollegiate Diversity Alliance, an organization established by local college administrators to help retain and recruit minority students in Spokane. “These voices speak of isolation,” said Theresa “T” Ford, a Grossmont College counselor who compiled the readings. “They ask, ‘What can I do to succeed here? What can I do to stay connected in order to survive?’ … This is a turning point to start the dialogue.” The program will be held at: Gonzaga University on Monday,7:30 p.m. in the Spokane Room of the COG. Spokane Community College on Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. in the Bigfoot Room of the Lair-Student Center. Whitworth College on Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Washington University on Wednesday, 11 a.m. For more information, call Grace Leaf at 533-7015.

This sidebar appeared with the story: ‘VOICES’ WILL CARRY MESSAGE HERE The voices express anger and fear. They also speak of hope, courage and endurance. The voices are those of African American students who attend predominantly white campuses. They can be heard next week at four local colleges during dramatic readings and discussions led by five black students from Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif. The program “Our Voices” is the first event sponsored by the newly formed Intercollegiate Diversity Alliance, an organization established by local college administrators to help retain and recruit minority students in Spokane. “These voices speak of isolation,” said Theresa “T” Ford, a Grossmont College counselor who compiled the readings. “They ask, ‘What can I do to succeed here? What can I do to stay connected in order to survive?’ … This is a turning point to start the dialogue.” The program will be held at: Gonzaga University on Monday,7:30 p.m. in the Spokane Room of the COG. Spokane Community College on Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. in the Bigfoot Room of the Lair-Student Center. Whitworth College on Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Washington University on Wednesday, 11 a.m. For more information, call Grace Leaf at 533-7015.