Richard H. Sargent
As a member of the Department of Facilities, I have the luxury of traveling to every building on campus. During my journey, I have opportunities to interact with students, faculty, and staff—most of the people who compose the MIT community. Over my 20-year career, I have seen the halls of MIT change from homogeneous to culturally diverse. Based on my perception, the greatest increase in diversity has been among our undergraduate students. Asian, African American, and Latino students make up a larger share of this group than in past years. In other areas, women have made some substantial gains. The most noticeable advances to me have been the promotions of women to head departments such as Facilities, Housing, and Campus Police.
I know firsthand that these women have been in support of programs that help encourage interaction among workers from different cultures, ethnicities, and races. While these programs have not been introduced without strain and struggle, they help to challenge us all. They help us to celebrate what we have in common rather than focus and dwell on our differences. I have met many people at MIT who come from cultural backgrounds different from my own. Some of these relationships have developed into strong friendships outside of MIT and, to some extent, into extended family ties.
As MIT is a microcosm of our larger society, racism does exist here. It's not uncommon for me to be considered a "suspicious person" on campus. Often, in the course of my work, community members will call Campus Police to report, "There is a suspicious person in the building." These community members who call Campus Police won't even look to see if I have an ID badge on, let alone ask for my ID. The phrase "working while Black" (or w.w.b.) is a phrase used by people of color. We use this phrase to describe how people's fears, stereotypes, and prejudices affect us. "Working while Black" is a topic that needs to be addressed at MIT. I would welcome an open and honest forum on this subject.