Tufts graduates at a dinner networking event last night hosted by the Alumni Association in conjunction with the Asian American Center, Africana Center and Latino Center discussed the nature and role of race in the workplace.
The event, "Alumni Student Multicultural Connections: Impact of Race in the Workplace," featured a keynote address from University of Massachusetts Boston Professor JemadariKamara (A '72), followed by discussion facilitated by Tufts alumni about the significance of building a strong mentorship base as well as the importance of representing oneself as an individual in the workplace.
Kamara kicked off the evening by reflecting critically and appreciatively on his experience at Tufts in the early 1970s, where he sought to research African studies.
"While I was here, there were no opportunities for me to explore my interests," he said. "I was interested in a study abroad program in Africa, but Tufts didn't offer one."
The birth of the Experimental College took place shortly before Kamara came to Tufts, and it was there that he sought guidance and support in his effort to travel abroad.
"With the ExCollege, I was afforded the opportunity to create my major, and subsequently to travel abroad," he said. "I went to 15 countries in over a year."
Kamara fulfilled his senior thesis by traveling to continental Africa, an opportunity that shaped his future.
His unique experiences at several educational institutions since the 1980s have provided Kamara a unique lens through which he now analyzes race in the workplace, and differentiates between "integrating" oneself from "assimilating" oneself in the office environment.
"Every business has a unique cultural environment, and the navigation of it is an art we have to refine," he said. "‘Integration' is that I bring who I am into the organization, and then become part of this greater identity, which has been transformed and reshaped by my being here," Kamara said.
Kamara's brother, Edward Swan Jr. (A '63), who has worked in the field of investment banking since graduating from Tufts, also participated in the evening event. He stressed the importance of finding mentors in professors and acquaintances.
"It's so important to have guidance," Swan said, noting the particular significance of such relationships for students of color.
ShubaSatyaprasad (LA '96), who pursued law after graduating from Tufts, echoed Swan's comments and highlighted significance of creating community within the workplace.
"I found mentors in my offices by simply knocking on doors, and saying ‘Hey, I'm dealing with these issues, and I need someone to talk to about them,'" Satyaprasad said.
Members of the Tufts University Alumni Association were responsible for choosing alumni participants, according to Associate Director of Alumni Relations Jonathan Kaplan.
"Those who were selected are all alumni who have leadership experience in organizations that they have joined since graduating from Tufts," Kaplan said in an email.
"We have approximately 12 alumni representing graduates from the 1960s through the 2000s, representing the Asian−American, Latino and Black Alumni Associations." Kaplan said.
In an interview with the Daily after the event, Kamara noted that it was exciting to see students express an interest in the topics discussed during the dinner.
"My goal was to explain the importance of understanding the culture of the workplace, in relation to multiculturalism," Kamara said. "These are all essential, critical issues in order to be able to negotiate professional environments. And the uniqueness of each of these settings as a culture, a set of relationships that we need to understand."
Senior William Huang, who helped plan the event, enjoyed the less formal discussion−based dinner format of the evening.
"I think many of the attendees, especially the seniors, appreciated the causal networking atmosphere," Huang said.
Sophomore Zoe Munoz, who emceed the evening, said the event gave her an increased appreciation for the alumni who volunteer their time to give back to current students.
"I think that as a student I often get caught up in the present, and I am preoccupied with the issues that affect me now as a student of color without thinking about how race relations will come into play after I graduate and am looking to start my professional life and career," Munoz said.
Munoz noted the dearth of gender diversity at the event, as well as the absence of any white alumni.
"There was only one female speaker. Gender diversity was lacking," she said. "I thought that this program definitely has a lot of potential to grow and diversify."
Munoz expressed a desire to see more members of the Tufts community taking part in such events. She added that these events should not be considered exclusive of white students due to their subject matter, but instead open to all.
"These kinds of programs focused on race are not exclusively for the benefit of students of color," she said. "Race is something that we all carry. Black, white, whatever. People forget that race relations involve and affect everyone, not just those of us with brown skin."
"I want to see more white students attending and learning from programs sponsored by the Group of Six and taking advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow," she continued.
