As parents and alumni joined students on campus over Homecoming/Family Weekend, Class Dean and Interim Chief Diversity Officer Marina Melendez ’83, Joyce Hall ’78, Saeyun Lee ’93, Maria Santana Guadalupe ’98, and Simone White ’93 gathered for the 21st annual Dwight L. Greene Symposium on Saturday, Nov. 1. Sponsored by the Black Alumni Council and the Wesleyan Alumni of Color network, the yearly symposium brings together distinguished presenters selected from the University’s alumni, faculty, and friends in a discussion centered around the experiences of the student and alumni of color community.

During this year’s symposium, “Women of Color: At Wesleyan and Beyond,” the panelists engaged in a conversation moderated by Melendez about the experiences of women of color at the University. President Michael Roth delivered an opening address to the crowd of 60.

“It’s a very timely conversation,” Roth said. “We have had very intense discussions at Wesleyan over the last year about what would it really mean for Wesleyan to live up to its name of Diversity University. [Those conversations] were characterized by a shared sense of purpose and commitment.”

The panelists were first asked to reflect upon their decision to attend the University, a question that prompted the speakers to share varied experiences and stories.

“One of the things I wanted to find in a school was a place where a person like me, a Dominican immigrant from an urban neighborhood in New York City who didn’t have many role models that [went] to college, could thrive,” Santana-Guadalupe said. “When I came to Wesleyan, that visit was transformational for me because I actually saw myself there. I saw how tight-knit the student of color community was, and that’s definitely one of the most important things that allowed me to choose Wesleyan.”

As the daughter of alumni, White had interacted with the University community much earlier than most. She attributed her decision to apply early to growing up seeing close relationships among alumni firsthand, as well as her appreciation for the University’s unique atmosphere. She expressed the enthusiasm she experienced for the institution as a prospective student to the panel and audience.

“It was wild,” White recalled. “I had lots of friends who visited Wesleyan at the same time, and they said, ‘I couldn’t do it.’ I wanted to experience kind of a loose environment because there was something culturally rich and incredibly fun and spirited and beautiful about the people here, and I certainly wanted to be part of that.”

As a member of one of the first coeducational classes after the University opened its doors to women in 1970, Hall was the only one of the panelists whose graduating class comprised noticeably more men than women. When asked to reflect upon the relationship between men and women, Hall described the environment as an egalitarian one.

“We worked together; we played together,” Hall said. “There was respect between the men and women on campus. At [Ujamaa] meetings there was camaraderie. It was a situation where men as well as women had leadership roles.”

Speakers also recalled prejudices and misconceptions that they faced and continue to face as women of color. Regarding their time at the University, they praised the administration’s willingness to address issues of diversity and racism and also described their college years as ones of important personal growth.

“I often have people who tell me that [I’m] not acting the way I should, as an Asian woman should,” Lee said. “Living in the U.S., it’s very difficult for someone to distance themselves from prejudice and racism. [At Wesleyan] I was invited to serve on a task force to look at issues of institutional racism. Not every institution would have the courage to do that.”

Now a news anchor and correspondent, Santana-Guadalupe also noted that her experience at the University gave her the confidence to stand up for herself in a profession dominated by men.

“In my field, the [major] news anchors are men,” Santana-Guadalupe said. “The older they get, the more distinguished they get, and women just get old. Wesleyan made me a strong woman [and gave me] that background and feeling that I could do what any guy can do.”

When asked to provide advice to current students, the common theme in each speaker’s suggestion was the importance of taking advantage of the University’s diverse array of offerings, both academic and social, as an opportunity to find oneself.

White, who graduated from Harvard Law School and practiced law for seven years before deciding to pursue her present career as a poet, attested to the importance of a liberal arts education.

“[At Wesleyan,] there are resources there that can help you figure out how you want to conduct your life,” White said. “Harvard Law School is not a bad place if you want to go, but it’s not the only thing in the world. The humanities are crucial. I think that Wesleyan has become more conservative over the last twenty years, and you have to push back against the continual professionalization of every single thing in the world.”