Letters: Response to ‘God help the outcasts’

Dear Prachi,

My name is Chisom Awachie. I am a 22-year-old Nigerian-American, and a recent graduate of the Performing and Media Arts (PMA) Department at Cornell University. I am responding to your letter to thank you for writing it, and to give you some insight on what it looks like to fight for representation as a woman of color on the college level.

Firstly, thank you. Thinking back to my time in high school, I was only vaguely aware of how my race and ethnicity would set me apart from my white peers, but even if I had a better knowledge of the forces at play, I doubt that I would have been brave enough to speak up. This thanks also extends to your peers, whose letter I read after yours. Although the subject matter is disheartening, I hope that you feel supported in these shared experiences.

The experiences outlined in your letter struck me as similar to my own during my time at Cornell. As a freshman, I attended a production of Titus Andronicus in which the part of Aaron the Moor was played by a white student with black paint smeared across his face. To this day, this instance of blackface has not been discussed within the PMA department. After this event, it was easier to spot the erasure and exclusion of students of color throughout the department.

When I approached my white male advisor, professor, and would-be mentor with my concerns, he told me that “if they were talented, we’d cast them.” “They” being myself and my brown peers who dedicated most of our time on campus to our love of theatre, film, and dance. Students of color being passed over in favor of their white counterparts is a serious concern, but the reverse is just as real and just as damaging. As one of the few people of color in the PMA major, I was very outspoken about the lack of space and opportunities made for us.

 

Around my junior or senior year, there was a small shift, during which time the same few actors of color were cast in nearly every show. This is a type of tokenization that is challenging to face. You’re given the opportunity to perform, but your talents are still ignored in favor of your brown body. One of my dearest friends has been cast in many roles written for Black actors, despite being Latinx. Perhaps this problem could be solved by outreach, similar to Godfrey Simmons’ (who I’m proud to call a close friend and mentor) work for your production of 13th, but it is clear that the PMA administration cannot be bothered to do the same.

I don’t write any of this to discourage you, but the truth is that fighting to be seen and heard as a woman of color in the arts is an uphill battle. At this point, you are making important strides by pulling the focus of this conversation to middle school and high school students, and I want to stress that what you have done is incredibly brave. The topic of “colorblind casting” is often ignored at the middle and high school level, as though younger students of color are not
affected by this type of erasure.

 

At the same time, demanding your right to opportunity, to be seen, and to be respected is insidiously draining. In the future, you may feel the need to respond to every act of aggression that comes your way. Or, you might find yourself in the position where you have to pick your battles. I need you to know that it is okay to prioritize yourself, to rest, to live to fight another day. The fight isn’t yours alone. You have the support of your peers, and a certain Cornell alumna.

Stay strong and be well,
Chisom Awachie, Cornell University ‘17