MBSA host brunch to discuss diversity backlash

The Multiracial Biracial Student Association (MBSA) and Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy (MICA) hosted a brunch discussion in Stamp Atrium for students to discuss opinions and feelings on diversity backlash in their communities on Nov. 22, 2019.

The two organizations work closely together to provide events for students on campus, according to MBSA president Constance Hackett.

Hackett, a senior information science major, was motivated to continue the brunch series after attending the first MBSA brunch last year.

“I walked away from that brunch feeling very validated and uplifted,” Hackett said. “So, I wanted to continue that because I feel like that’s what people at UMD need.”

Senior economics major and MBSA treasurer Caitlin Moore hosted the brunch and asked students to discuss their feelings on what they view as diversity backlash.

MBSA defines diversity backlash as “the unexpected negative repercussions that stem from forced inclusion.”

The questions Moore asked groups to discuss involved their feelings on whether or not UMD is diverse, if they’ve felt like a diversity statistic, and if they feel forced diversity should exist.

To allow students to feel safe to speak on their experiences during the brunch, MBSA and MICA members asked for students’ comments to not be reported.

This brunch was the second of a brunch series MBSA has been working on to cover different topics within diversity, according to MICA coordinator for multi-racial and bi-racial student involvement, Ghonva Ghauri.

Ghauri’s involvement with MBSA was to advise the brunch series by allowing student leaders to come up with a topic for the series, she said.

“They wanted to talk about diversity backlash because whether or not people identify as multi-racial if they are a person of color, they are going to have opinions or experiences with diversity backlash,” she said.

MBSA received a grant from the Do Good Institute at UMD to continue its brunch series and have two more planned for the spring 2020 semester, according to Hackett.

Although the topics of future brunches have not been decided upon yet, students are considering different topics within a multi-racial person of color’s identities such as class, sexuality, and gender Ghauri said.

The brunches serve to help promote diversity and a sense of unity on campus, Moore said. 

“We are really working with other cultural groups to come out and try to meet people you’ve never met before,” Moore added.

More information on MBSA and their events can be found on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.