RIT Archives StoryBooth with Avery Prince, Together RIT 2022, 2022-10-21

RIT Archives StoryBooth with Avery Prince, Together RIT 2022, 2022-10-21

Oral History, Minorities—Education (Higher)

RIT student Avery Prince answers RIT Archives StoryBooth prompts for Together RIT 2022.

2022-10-21

video

2022:051

Elizabeth Call

Avery Prince

5.4 RIT Archives StoryBooth with Avery Prince, Together RIT 2022, 2022-10-21 2022:051 00:06:11 RITArc.0752 RITArchives StoryBooth collection RIT Archives ritarchives Oral History, Minorities—Education (Higher) RIT Archives StoryBooth ; Together RIT ; Understanding ; Solidarity ; Reconciliation Avery Prince Elizabeth Call Landyn Hatch .mp4 sb_2022051_princea_20221021.mp4 0.5:|69(9) Undefined 0 https://youtu.be/g4ou-pYVb6U YouTube video English 2 Introductions Okay, so my name is Avery Prince. I'm 3rd-year, and I'm a student here at RIT. Um, today is the 21st of October, 2022. So the first question, "Why was it important for you to participate in this event today?" Um, I actually complimented the--the person sitting outside the room's tattoos, and then she asked if I was--asked if I was interested. Um, I thought it was important 'cause I was willing to stake my voice. She studies for, you know, all kinds future res--future purpos--purposes. Um, so I was willing to say how I feel being at RIT. And she stated that, she mentioned that all the rules to me and I agreed that...I'll put what I say today on file. &#13 ; 0 16 "Why was it important for you to participate in this event?" So the first question, "Why was it important for you to participate in this event today?" Um, I actually complimented the--the person sitting outside the room's tattoos, and then she asked if I was--asked if I was interested. Um, I thought it was important 'cause I was willing to stake my voice. She studies for, you know, all kinds future res--future purpos--purposes. Um, so I was willing to say how I feel being at RIT. And she stated that, she mentioned that all the rules to me and I agreed that...I'll put what I say today on file. 0 56 "As a person of color attending a predominantly white institution, what has you experience been like as a student or employee at RIT?" "As a person of--" Another question: "As a person of color, attending--attending a predominantly white institution, what has your experience been like as a student or employee at RIT?" So, um, as a person of color. Um, I'm Trinidadian, born in America, lived in Trinidad for more than half my life. Um, It was a new environment. Um, I came into it with an open mind. I was willing to learn, which I think helped me a lot, um, from different teachers with accents to different students of various backgrounds, various, um, cultures, various way of life or various ways of being, um, human beings. [laughs] Um, I'm also a student employee, I don't know if that applies to me. But--I...RIT is a--is a safe place. Um, I will say so, more or less. I'm coming from Trinidad, which--a country that has a really high crime rate. Um, RIT is what I understand to be the suburbs of Rochester. Um. The community is inclusive and a lot of different resources and a lot of different, um, departments that is very inclusive. I see that they're accepting of people of different backgrounds. I'm also a member of MOCA, Men of Color and Ambition. That's--that's a great example of one of the opportunities for minorities or people of color to feel accepted at RIT. Um, so the experience overall has been well. My classes, my professors, um, they all show love. I've not had any, per se, bad, or any experience that I will say that'll, you know, drag me away or hinder my want to be at RIT. &#13 ; human beings ; Men of Color and Ambition (MOCA) ; Person of color ; safe place ; Trinidadian 0 168 "Tell us about a time that you experienced racism or discrimination within the RIT community." Third question is, "Tell us about a time that you experienced racism or discrimination within the RIT community." Um, so...racism is something I've more or less learned over social media, maybe in a couple of history classes in Trinidad. 'Cause Trinidad is 60%--I'm speaking from, you know, my point of view, my way of life--Trinidad is 60% Black, if I'm not mistaken. 40% Indian. Um, There is racism, it's more on a smaller scale, you know, um, we more or less live together, there might be some snippets. I've personally never experienced them [unintelligble]--Coming to RIT, I don't know if it's 'cause of race or if it's 'cause of how people, um, grow up. But, in terms of like body language, and how people move, when they're in a group of people who look like them versus like, if they're passing me, say, in the RIT tunnels, on a quarter mile, they look down on the ground. I don't know if that's just the culture of the people here at RIT, or if it's the color of my skin. I don't know--I can't decipher but, I don't think that deep of it. So, more or less, I don't think I experienced that much racism or discrimination unless it came from students or a student. And it was never directly, it was always indirect or I realized it in the way body language or in tone or in, um, you know, how they moved when they were around me or when I was in their company. &#13 ; &#13 ; racism ; Trinidad 0 265 "How, in your experience, does RIT talk about race? What changes would you like to see implemented regarding campus conversations?" So final question was, "How, in your experience, does RIT talk about race? What changes would you like to see implemented regarding campus conversations?" Um, I don't have much to say on this topic. I honestly don't know. Um. In my experience, um, how do they talk about it? Yeah, I've been--I've seen on social media in my second year, um, a clear video of one of the--one of the hockey, I think it was, lacrosse or hockey team members, saying the N-word on record. Um. The President--the Student Government President posted on his Instagram to spread awareness. Um, he is somewhat a representation of the students, somewhat RIT, so obviously with RIT affili--affiliated, RIT did a great job of, you know, sending out emails and, um, making sure that everyone's safe and everyone feels okay. You know, obviously at the corporation, they got to make sure that they're safe, first, and then try to--and for them to be safe. The students got to be safe 'cause they know RIT without students and staff, obviously. But, I think they handled the situation well. And yeah, in terms of implementation, I can really say--as I say, I'm a part of MOCA, Men of Color and Ambition, or something like that at a PWI is great. Mr. David Benitez, a great role model. A great, um, a great person to know--he's like, uh, I consider him a walking dictionary. Um, great guy, great guy. Um, more or less, that's all I have to say. Thank you for having me.&#13 ; campus converstions ; Instagram ; race ; RIT Student Government 0 360 Closing Remarks 0 RIT student Avery Prince answers RIT Archives StoryBooth prompts for Together RIT 2022.&#13 ; AVERY PRINCE: Okay, so my name is Avery Prince. I'm 3rd-year, and I'm a student here at RIT. Um, today is the 21st of October, 2022. So the first question, "Why was it important for you to participate in this event today?" Um, I actually complimented the—the person sitting outside the room's tattoos, and then she asked if I was—asked if I was interested. Um, I thought it was important 'cause I was willing to stake my voice. She studies for, you know, all kinds future res—future purpos—purposes. Um, so I was willing to say how I feel being at RIT. And she stated that, she mentioned that all the rules to me and I agreed that...I'll put what I say today on file. AVERY PRINCE: "As a person of—," another question: "As a person of color, attending—attending a predominantly white institution, what has your experience been like as a student or employee at RIT?" So, um, as a person of color. Um, I'm Trinidadian, born in America, lived in Trinidad for more than half my life. Um, It was a new environment. Um, I came into it with an open mind. I was willing to learn, which I think helped me a lot, um, from different teachers with accents to different students of various backgrounds, various, um, cultures, various way of life or various ways of being, um, human beings. (laughs) Um, I'm also a student employee, I don't know if that applies to me. But—I...RIT is a—is a safe place. Um, I will say so, more or less. I'm coming from Trinidad, which—a country that has a really high crime rate. Um, RIT is what I understand to be the suburbs of Rochester. Um. The community is inclusive, and a lot of different resources and a lot of different, um, departments that is very inclusive. I see that they're accepting of people of different backgrounds. I'm also a member of MOCA, Men of Color and Ambition. That's—that's a great example of one of the opportunities for minorities or people of color to feel accepted at RIT. Um, so the experience overall has been well. My classes, my professors, um, they all show love. I've not had any, per se, bad, or any experience that I will say that'll, y’know, drag me away or hinder my want to be at RIT. AVERY PRINCE: Third question is, "Tell us about a time that you experienced racism or discrimination within the RIT community." Um, so...racism is something I've more or less learned over social media, maybe in a couple of history classes in Trinidad. 'Cause Trinidad is 60%—I'm speaking from, you know, my point of view, my way of life—Trinidad is 60% Black, if I'm not mistaken. 40% Indian. Um, There is racism, it's more on a smaller scale, you know, um, we more or less live together, there might be some snippets. I've personally never experienced them [unintelligible]—Coming to RIT, I don't know if it's 'cause of race or if it's 'cause of how people, um, grow up. But, in terms of like body language, and how people move, when they're in a group of people who look like them versus like, if they're passing me, say, in the RIT tunnels, on a quarter mile, they look down on the ground. I don't know if that's just the culture of the people here at RIT, or if it's the color of my skin. I don't know—I can't decipher but, I don't think that deep of it. So, more or less, I don't think I experienced that much racism or discrimination unless it came from students or a student. And it was never directly, it was always indirect or I realized it in the way body language or in tone or in, um, y’know, how they moved when they were around me or when I was in their company. AVERY PRINCE: So, final question was, "How, in your experience, does RIT talk about race? What changes would you like to see implemented regarding campus conversations?" Um, I don't have much to say on this topic. I honestly don't know. Um. In my experience, um, how do they talk about it? Yeah, I've been—I've seen on social media in my second year, um, a clear video of one of the—one of the hockey, I think it was, lacrosse or hockey team members, saying the N-word on record. Um. The President—the Student Government President posted on his Instagram to spread awareness. Um, he is somewhat a representation of the students, somewhat RIT, so obviously with RIT affili—affiliated, RIT did a great job of, you know, sending out emails and, um, making sure that everyone's safe and everyone feels okay. Y’know, obviously at the corporation, they got to make sure that they're safe, first, and then try to—And for them to be safe. The students got to be safe 'cause they know RIT without students and staff, obviously. But, I think they handled the situation well. And yeah, in terms of implementation, I can really say—as I say, I'm a part of MOCA, Men of Color and Ambition, or something like that at a PWI is great. Mr. David Benitez, a great role model. A great, um, a great person to know—he's like, uh, I consider him a walking dictionary. Um, great guy, great guy. Um, more or less, that's all I have to say. Thank you for having me. Interviews may be reproduced with written permission from RIT Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to RIT Archives (RIT Libraries). &#13 ; video This collection is open to researchers. For more information on the RIT Archives StoryBooth program, please email ritarchive

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