On Tuesday, January 28th, Southwestern University’s 2025 Dream Week kicked off with the Race and Ethnicity Studies Symposium, hosted from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Bishops Lounge, led by the Race and Ethnicity Studies (RES) program. Participant speakers on the panel included Assistant Professor of American Politics Dr. Alexander Goodwin, Senior Sociology Major and RES studies minor student speaker Chelsey Rocha, Director of the Professor John Score Learning Commons Maurice Wilson, and Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Dr. Raquel Moreira. 

Dr. Melissa Johnson, Chair of RES and moderator for the event, began the event by asking a simple question to the key speakers: “How do you navigate SU as a person of color?” Student voice Chelsey Rocha ‘25 answered this question by relaying her experiences as a student of color, describing the culture shock she felt when she moved to Austin and what it felt like to navigate a predominantly white space: “I need to start finding people who look like me and who I can relate to.” Arriving at Southwestern University, she described finding other students like her but still experiencing that culture shock of being a person of color in a predominantly white space, she found community in Latinos Unidos (previously HALO) and made connections. Rocha now holds a position as a JEDI student employee, and stated that her position helped her reach a wider and broader community of marginalized students on campus. Rocha mentioned the difficulties of the past four years and experiences of students witnessing many hate crimes first-degree, up close. “My community is what helped me identify those times and be able to reflect and heal from those […] it’s the staff, it’s the faculty of color that supports us, everyone that’s here in the audience […] that is how I navigate this school.”

Dr. Raquel Moreira shared her experiences as a faculty member who, prior to SU, spent seven years as a faculty member at a liberal arts school in rural Iowa in a county that was predominantly white. She noticed that 40% of students were black and Latino, with a large number of Polynesian and Asian American Pacific Islanders. Dr. Moreira described how she became the go-to member for all kinds of students and how those experiences helped her navigate those institutions: “My goal is to connect with students with all kinds of backgrounds with the understanding that the foundation of this country and of the Americas is also anti-blackness …if you don’t have that awareness, it’s going to be really hard for you to be a good ally.” To navigate SU as a person of color, Dr. Moreira advises finding mentorship and allies that are both similar and different from you.

Maurice Wilson shared his experiences of struggles, challenges, successes, and opportunities, describing his moments of self-reflection as a black man who lived in working-class Chicago, raised by a single mother and carrying with him the trauma, stories, and warnings his family told him about the world: “A lot of what I was told was waiting for me […] I rarely ever encountered […] but I was always guarded and prepared for it.” He told his story of how he left Chicago, leaving home, and going into the army after high school, and how appreciative he was for his experiences in the army., Traveling to other countries taught him how to love, to appreciate, and to see others through lenses other than that of an enemy: “I try to […] form communities, build partnerships, and network with folks who are like-minded, who are equally interested in finding ways to dialogue with really tough times with everyone who is willing to dialogue about that.” To navigate SU as a person of color, Wilson stated a list of recommendations: finding like-minded individuals, thinking about challenges as opportunities, learning about oneself and poverty, crime, family, and work ethic, encountering different cultures, and finding community with allies similar and different, and working together to push back against common narratives as a solution to these difficult discussions.

Dr. Alexander Goodwin spoke of how he shares similar experiences in grad school to previous speakers as the only black person in his grad school. Dr. Goodwin noted how he carries his grad school experiences with him, and how he carries  himself carefully to this day, always with the feeling of alertness and being on guard: “There’s this thought that you’re not only repping yourself or your family, but there are other people who couldn’t dream of being of this magnitude.” He describes his feelings of being a role model and how he carries the responsibility day in and day out to “be better than best,” striving for perfection, especially in unwelcome spaces. This can result in overperforming to prove himself, manifesting in ways such as having 15 more slides for a lecture or dressing formally every day. He carries those experiences of his family and his own, such as not being taken seriously or having his credentials questioned. How he tries to navigate that, he says, is to find community where you can, and find mentorship where you can with all kinds of people similar and different to you, a shared sentiment among the panelists.

After all the speakers answered Dr. Melissa Johnson’s question, the panel opened the floor to questions allowing the audience the opportunity to share their own experiences. Important discussion topics were broached, such as the significance of community and the power of collective voice, the need for improvement in institutions to support students of color, and the current political climate. Themes recurrent during the panel include: assuming the best from others to move forward, digging your heels into diversity and inclusion, the initiative to resist policies affecting DEI across the nation by protecting the things we have – such as JEDI and Title IX –- and that we must care for one another and rely on each other, not just the institutions that serve us, for the resistance of prejudice and oppressive political powers. An audience member at the end of the symposium shared one last comment for the symposium, a quote by Martin Niemöller, emphasizing that we must care for each other and protect students within the current status of what’s going on, for there might be a time where they come for you.

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

—Martin Niemöller

Other Dream Week events:

On Wednesday, January 29th,  Southwestern hosted Dr. Derrick Standifier for the keynote speech at the midpoint of Dream Week in the Mcombs Ballroom. Dr Standifier is a world-renowned motivational speaker, personal development expert and author of “Life is Like a Rubik’s Cube” who works to inspire students, parents, and educators worldwide. Beginning his talk in verse, the Doctor’s enthusiasm was infectious and he put a lot of effort into making the environment as relaxed and casual as possible, walking around the room, asking questions, and encouraging students and faculty to engage. 

Before describing the Rubik’s Cube method outlined in his book, Dr Standifier shared his own story of hardship and personal development. He went from struggling single dad of two “beautiful troublemaking babies” all the way to earning his Ph.D. and becoming a respected motivational speaker, in addition to writing his own book. The Rubik’s cube is the analogy Dr. Standifer uses as the starting point for his six-step personal empowerment strategy, expanded further on in his aforementioned book. Dr. Standifier’s keynote speech was an inspiring midpoint for Dream Week, empowering students and faculty alike. 

Chapel service

On Thursday January 30th, a handful of people sat down in the Lois Perkins Chapel. Reverend Dr. Ron Swain called a prayer for unity, in addition to his usual call for peace. He reflected with the audience on what Dream Week and the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. means for Southwestern University. Dr. Swain stated, “I want us to embrace and embody our core purpose: fostering a liberal arts ‘community’ whose values and actions encourage contributions toward the wellbeing of humanity.” He called the audience to reflect on Southwestern’s core values, calling the campus a “beloved community [that should] encourage activism and the pursuit of justice and the common good.”

Two students partook in the service alongside Dr. Swain. Matthew Nixon-Hoxie ‘26 led the audience in the hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, and Remi Jobi ‘28 read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.  

Dr. Swain brought affirmations into discussion based on MLK Jr.’s writings, and discussed his personal experiences in relation, sharing with the audience that he was an undergrad in his junior year the day MLK Jr. was assassinated. His death brought inspiration to Dr. Swain to completely transform his own campus, because he was one of eight African American students at his university: “We organized. We petitioned. We educated ourselves. And within a two year period, the university began to change.” By the end of his senior year, Dr. Swain was taking a sociology of the black experience class, and African American faculty were hired.

“I was inspired by Dr. King and continue to be inspired by Dr. King,” Swain stated and gave his main motivator: “It’s not good enough to be good enough. We must be our best. We all have different roles to play and your role is different from every other role.”

Dr. Swain is a very important and influential faculty member on this campus, and will continue to inspire students for his time.