Haniya Ferrell Oral History Interview, May 26, 2017

LRP: My name is Lyndi-Rae Petty. I will be conducting an oral history for my undergraduate thesis at Oregon State University. The day is May 26th, 2017, and the time is 4:10[p.m.]. Our interviewee can introduce herself.

HF: Hi everyone! My name is Haniya Ferrell and I am a current student at Oregon State. My pronouns are she, her, and hers.

LRP: So Haniya, where were you born and raised, and what was it like growing up there?

HF: I was born in San Francisco, California, and I was raised in Antioch, California, which is about 45 minutes away from San Francisco going east bound. And Antioch, when I was younger, like elementary school aged, wasn't really diverse. But as I got older, due to the gentrification that was happening in Oakland, Richmond, and San Francisco, black folks were being pushed out of their homes, and a lot of them were moving to Antioch, because of Section Eight. There 00:01:00was just cheaper housing. And so, as I got older there were kind of just like this influx of black people. So, by the time that I got to high school and close to graduating, there was so many people of color in Antioch, and it was a really black community, and continues to be.

LRP: So, tell me a little bit more about the community you grew up in. How did your community shape you as a person?

HF: Yeah! So, the community that I grew up in, I would say, family wise and the people I was around mostly on a daily basis, were really supportive. And, I was never told that there was anything that I couldn't do. I was always a really good student, and I was always pushed to do my best, even my teachers when I was younger would always say that I was college bound. Never, I never felt like 00:02:00there were any limits on myself. And so, that's something that is a privilege for me, because I feel like a lot of students, especially students of color, don't get these messages, and children of color. They don't get messages that they can do whatever they want or that possibilities are endless, and these are messages that I got when I was younger.

LRP: That's awesome. So, why did you end up coming to OSU?

HF: So, I ended up at Oregon State because, well first and foremost, I didn't know that Oregon State existed, but I got a little brochure in the mail and it looked fun. So, it was just one of these schools that I applied to. I didn't apply to colleges that were in California, unfortunately. Well, actually, I did, but that's a different story. I applied to OSU just because it looked okay. And then, I was actually set to go to a Historically Black College, or HBCU is what 00:03:00they call it, but those plans fell through, so Oregon State was kind of just my back up situation.

LRP: And what was your first impression of OSU when you got here?

HF: Yeah! So my first impression of OSU was, I definitely noticed the lack of diversity that was here. And I was just like, "Okay there's a lot of white people. I'm not seeing any black people, any other people of color like at all." When I first came here with my family, when we very first visited, I thought that I was going to be okay because I was just like, "You know, white people are cool, it's no big deal." And actually an employee who doesn't work here anymore, we would call her Auntie Sandy, she saw me and my family on a campus tour walking around and she was in Kerr, that's where Diversity and Cultural 00:04:00Engagement used to be, it used to be Diversity Development. And she ran out to us and she basically told me if you don't get involved while you're here, you're not going to have a good time. That stuck with me after she said it. But yeah, my first impression, definitely, that was the first thing I noticed, that there was just a lack of people of color. And when I talk to folks that are from Oregon and different parts of Oregon, they'll be like, "Oh yeah, when I came to OSU, it was so diverse" and I'm just like "Yikes! I can't relate." [laughs] So yeah, that was my first thing that I noticed.

LRP: And, who's Auntie Sandy?

HF: Auntie Sandy. She used to work on campus. I can't really remember her job title or if she used to work in Diversity and Cultural Engagement, but you know, I don't want to tell all her business. She no longer works on campus, but she 00:05:00used to. And, she was somebody that a lot of students looked up to and confided in, and she was kind of like one of those people on campus that, you know, I mean, she was Auntie Sandy! [laughs]

LRP: Okay, so, Auntie Sandy suggested that you get involved with some organizations, and it sounds like you did...

HF: Yeah.

LRP: So, what organizations did you get involved with when you arrived at OSU, and what led you to get involved with them?

HF: Okay, so my first organization I got involved with on campus before anything was BSU [Black Student Union], because I was just like, "I need to find black people up in here." So I did. But I just, I don't know, I guess that wasn't enough for me because my first year I was having a lot of trouble getting acclimated here and I was like, "I don't know what it is. This is not working for me." So I ended up going home, and I didn't finish my freshman year; I went home spring term. But I ended up coming back because being home was worse than 00:06:00actually being here. So I came back, and when I came back, I got involved in Diversity and Cultural Engagement. I started working at the Centro Cultural César Chávez, or the Four C's, on campus. And the year after that, I worked in Social Change Leadership Programs with Jasmine and Jesseanne. And then the year after that, which is this year, I'm starting to work in ASOSU. So, I just wanted to, well when I first started working on campus not only did I need money, but I also wanted a community and people that I could call a family away from home, and people that kind of made my time here and my situation a little better. 'Cause I was just like, "Look, Oregon already sucks, so I'm just going to need to find people that I can relate with and people that I can tolerate and be around." And, so, yeah, I found that when I started working at DCE. I found 00:07:00people. I found administrators. I found peers and co-workers that I was just like, "y'all..." [she taps her heart with her fist] You know, people that I enjoyed being around and people that I could call family away from home. And that, I really was enjoying myself here at Oregon State, and I think that's really important. So that's the reason I got involved. So yeah!

LRP: Could you expand on what Social Change Leadership Programs was and what ASOSU is?

HF: Yeah! Okay, so Social Change Leadership Programs, or SCLP, is, or was a program on campus that only lasted for two years. Last year was the last, okay I take it back - last year was the first year that they had student positions open and it was the last year that they were existing. Most people had never heard of 00:08:00Social Change Leadership Programs, but basically our job at Social Change Leadership Programs was to create and facilitate social justice workshops or conversations. We were dialogue facilitators and so whatever that looked like, if we had to help with difficult dialogues, or if somebody wanted some training on something, or, you know, if somebody wanted a workshop. We did workshops with, I think, Center for Civic Engagement, them having difficult conversations when they did their alt-break things. So whatever people wanted us to kind of help facilitate or to help talk about that was social justice related, we would come in and we would do that. So that was what our job was at Social Change Leadership Programs. And ASOSU, or the Associated Students of Oregon State University, is student government. So currently I am the Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs at ASOSU, and I serve on the executive branch, and I serve 00:09:00under the diversity team. So with Multicultural Affairs there's Queer Affairs, there's International Affairs, there's Womxn Affairs, and so there's more than that, but I'm just giving a few examples, but that's the team that I serve under in ASOSU.

LRP: Thank you for expanding. So now moving on to the Speak Out.

HF: Yes.

LRP: How did you become involved with organizing the Speak Out, and why was it important for you to create a platform for students of color to voice their concerns and experiences?

HF: Yes! So Jesseanne actually brought up doing the Speak Out. And we worked at Social Change Leadership Programs last year and there were only three student workers, which were me, Jasmine, and Jesseanne. And so Jesseanne had brought that up to Jasmine and I, about doing the Speak Out. Jesseanne had had a conversation with one of the administrators on campus and they had this whole 00:10:00heart to heart. Jesseanne was like, "I think we should do this. This is what we need to do." And so, you know, obviously Jasmine and I were all for it, we were like, "Of course!" It's really important for students of color to get their voices heard because I feel like we have events and stuff, like, what are they, dialogues, on campus, but nothing ever really gets done, but Jesseanne was like, "We're doing this for action purposes. I want to create a guideline of things that we are demanding from the University," and I was like, "Okay, let's do it!" And like I said, it was super super important to get those student voices out because after the Speak Out a lot of administrators, you know, reached out to us. They were like, "Wow, I didn't know this was going on on campus and we're just completely shocked at the things the students were saying was going down in classrooms and happening in other parts of campus." And it was shocking to me that they didn't know, but they're not walking around with students on a day to day basis, so I guess they just are oblivious to these types of things. Yeah, 00:11:00that's why I found it important for students of color to give these things out, because apparently administration just had no idea that, you know, all of the microaggressions and macroaggressions that were going down all the time. They just didn't know that these things were happening; they thought that everything was peachy, so it's important to let them know that it's not.

LRP: Was there a specific catalyst moment that led to Jesseanne bringing it up?

HF: Yeah! So the thing that led Jesseanne to bringing it up was the things that were going down at Mizzou. At the time, at the University of Missouri, there was specifically with the black students, I know the KKK was on campus and they were harassing black students, they were throwing things at the dorms that most of the students of color came in, they were harassing black students, you know, 00:12:00trigger words, they were throwing those out. And I think it led up to the president of the university having to resign. It was this whole huge thing. And we noticed that the campus climate at Missouri prior to all of that was really similar to the campus climate at OSU and we were like, "That's not too far of a stretch from happening," and so it was just like, we need to do something. We need to make these demands, so that Oregon State does not end up like Missouri, because we don't deserve that. And so that was the catalyst event that led this.

LRP: Thank you for expanding on that. So, what did you hope to achieve from the Speak Out, you mentioned some demands that you had?

HF: Yes, we did. We had some demands. I wish I had the list of demands that we made. But we, well first and foremost we just wanted the University to actually 00:13:00listen and hear us out which is why we sent out a email to the President of the university, the President's cabinet, administrators on campus, different departments on campus, basically, "You need to be here. This is what is happening this is where it is happening and you need to show up, and you need to show that you care, and that you're here for the students." And so, we sent out the email to everyone and everyone showed up. And to be honest, really we just wanted the University to hear us and to be like, "You can't continue to act like this is a diverse school and that everything is so great and that all your students are having a good time and were not. This is what's actually happening on campus. This is what you think is happening, but this is what's really happening." And so that was kind of the goal, we wanted more things to be put in 00:14:00place where students would have more diversity training than they already get. Because I know that students have to take a Difference, Power, and Discrimination course...

LRP: DPD, yeah.

HF: Yeah, a DPD course yeah, but it just really isn't enough. So we're like what more? We need faculty to have diversity training. We need students to have more intense diversity training. And we just need people to be more aware. Just don't act silly. We just need people to act like they have some sense on campus. We wanted things to be put in place where students of color feel safe, and we don't have to explain ourselves all the time. We don't have to tell people that we belong here. So that was kind of what we wanted out of the whole situation. I feel like I'm rambling, so I'm just like [mimes driving back into a lane].

LRP: No, no, no that's great. Were there other folks involved with organizing 00:15:00the Speak Out; I mean were there any students other than the three of you?

HF: No.

LRP: So, it was just you and the administrators that you coordinated with?

HF: Mmhmm [in the affirmative].

LRP: Okay awesome. So how were you feeling leading up to the Speak Out?

HF: Yeah, leading up to the Speak Out, we were really stressed. There, yeah, I don't know, it was just really really stressful leading up to it and planning it. We were getting a lot of push back from administrators. We just, I don't know, we didn't know who was going to come. We didn't know who was going to share their voice, because it was completely improv, open mic. Whoever comes up comes up, so it was really stressful because is anyone even going to say anything? And there were a lot of people that were planning to come. It was this whole campus wide event. It was just really scary. I was seriously stressed out. 00:16:00And like I said before, we got a lot of push back from administrators, specifically Diversity and Cultural Engagement. While we were planning there were times where I kind of just broke down because of, I don't know, I just feel like, the people on campus who specifically work under DCE, you would think that they would be more supportive than they were, seeing the work that they do on campus, but they weren't until it benefited them in the end. But we can talk about that later. Leading up to the Speak Out, it was just, I don't know, it was a wreck. It was really really stressful.

LRP: And how did you end up getting the space? Gill coliseum, right?

HF: [laughs] Oooh, okay. [Laughs] Ah, okay, so the basketball coach, his name 00:17:00was Rachi? Rachi Wortham. I don't know if that's his actual name. I don't know if I'm saying it right, but yeah Rachi Wortham, that's how we got the space. Somebody reached out to him or something. Jesseanne! Shout out to Jesseanne! Jesseanne reached out to Rachi, and we got Gill Coliseum.

LRP:[ Laughs] Thank you for elaborating on that.

HF: Yes, you're welcome. You know, I try.

LRP: So, what was it like for you during the Speak Out? What did you think about the environment or the climate of the space?

HF: A lot happened. Okay, so during the Speak Out, at the beginning I was a 00:18:00little stressed and I was really frustrated, because at first nobody was really talking or saying anything and then there was that one white guy that got up and he said whatever he said. To be honest I really don't remember what he said. I just kind of repressed it in my memory, but he said something. I was like "You need to leave. Like, you cannot do that." But honestly, during the Speak Out, as it got further into it, I was, I don't know, I guess the word is relieved. A lot of students were getting up, and sharing more than I ever expected them to share, which I was just like, "Wow, oh my goodness," and to be honest, I was shocked at the number of people who got up and were sharing these stories and these horrific things that were happening to them on campus. And, there was also the livestream of comments that were coming in, because the event was 00:19:00livestreamed and there was a live-chat and people were just being ridiculous on it. So that was happening, and I think that I had more emotions than I could handle. After the Speak Out I immediately broke down and started crying. Literally as soon as it was over, I broke down and started crying. I couldn't talk to anybody. The Barometer was there; they were trying to talk to us, and I was like, "I cannot do it." So, yeah, it was just kind of, it was definitely an overwhelming feeling for me, but at the same time I think that the message we wanted to get across, got across. No matter how administrators took that, we did what we wanted to do. We did our part.

LRP: What was the campus climate like at OSU prior to the event? Were there certain needs that the university wasn't addressing? I know you kind of hit on 00:20:00some of those.

HF: Yeah, yeah, so, I would say that there definitely was a lot of needs that the university wasn't addressing. I think that because we have all those cultural centers. We have like what, 7 or 8 cultural centers? And we have events in those cultural centers, that administration thought that everything was good. They were like, "Okay, students have their cultural centers. Everyone's happy. Nothing goes down." You know? And so, I just think that, it was kind of like, we would have certain events, let's see. The university just really caters to white people and they continue to cater to white folks. You know, students of color get something like every so often. We get MLK day or whatever. But there's 00:21:00nothing, everything is kind of not accessible to students of color. You know, family weekends and stuff like that aren't accessible to people of color. So, and that's something that even after the Speak Out continues to happen. And so, there definitely is still really a large need for students of color to be recognized and to be involved in everything, like everything that happens on campus. So, a little bit about the campus climate, they do not, and continue to do things, that just cater only, solely, to one population.

LRP: What did you see happening on campus in person, maybe? Do you think your friends felt the same as you?

HF: About the campus climate?

LRP: About, Yeah.

HF: Oh yeah, definitely. Anybody that I talk to, well, I don't really... Yeah, all my friends are people of color, except a select few [laughs]. But yeah, my friends definitely would feel the same way. There are things that we talk about, and there are a lot of events, like campus wide events, my friends and I don't get involved in because we know that they're not for us. So yeah, definitely, we all were mutual in how we felt.

LRP: Okay, so, thank you for speaking about the Speak Out itself. Moving on to after the Speak Out, describe the immediate response from OSU administration regarding the Speak Out. Did they invite you to future conversations? If so, did you feel that your voice was heard?

HF: Mmhmm. So I think that after the Speak Out [laughs], I think that the 00:23:00administration was kind of like scrambling to do something. So they created some committees that they wanted us to be on. Which to be honest, don't really remember what they're called; don't really know the purpose of the committees, but they created them. They created the Office of Equity and Inclusion?

LRP: EOA. Equal Access and Opportunity.

HF: Equal Access and Oppor-. Yeah, they created a new office, new positions. They had a position for chief diversity officer, which I don't know who's in that position right now, but they created that position. So those are the responses we got from the university. I think they were talking about working on an online training module, or something, for students. I don't know if that even happened? Didn't happen! Did not happen. Okay, well it didn't happen apparently. And so, I don't know, I just feel like after, like immediately after, the Speak 00:24:00Out people were looking to Jasmine, Jesseanne, and I for guidance and were just like "Okay, so we wanna get together with y'all," and we didn't really do this, yes we did create the space for other students of color to speak, we planned this, but were not the only three students that are feeling the way. Obviously so many people got up and said a lot, so it's just like, "Please reach out to other students." So yeah, I don't know, I feel like in that situation, the administration didn't really know what to do so they did what we thought what they, we wanted them to do. So yeah, I feel like that was their immediate response. Also, afterwards, I don't know if you were planning to ask me about the Ed Ray meeting?

LRP: Yeah, I am.

HF: Oh okay, I'll stop with that question then.

LRP: So how did you feel about the immediate response and action of the administration?

HF: Yeah. I just feel like it was a lot. I just, I don't know, I kind of wanted 00:25:00to do the Speak Out and leave it there. And I just kind of wanted everyone to leave me alone, because like I said, they were just reaching out to us, like a lot afterwards and were like, "Do you wanna be on this committee? Do you wanna do this? Do you wanna do it?" I don't even know what this is for. Listen, I just feel like we told you all what we wanted, so get some students together that aren't us and do it. Yeah, I don't know, I was just kinda like, "Okay I guess they're trying." But, I just, I don't know, I just wish that the university was better at responding to these types of things.

LPR: Rather than letting it boil up into this one big event and then being flustered and having no idea what to do.

HF: Yeah and being like, "Oh gosh."

LRP: So what was the first meeting with Ed Ray like? Who was at the table with you? How did you feel?

HF: Yeah! So the first meeting with Ed Ray I think was like a week after the Speak Out. Was it about a week? [off camera confirmation] And it was in his office, there was this conference room or whatever. We were at the table with Ed Ray. There was a lot of people at the table that I don't know who they are. Everyone introduced themselves, but to be honest it went by really fast. I can't remember the people I never seen before that work in all these different offices. I was like, "Okay." And so, the meeting was a lot of Ed Ray talking, and he seemed very distraught that these were the things that were happening at OSU to students of color. He acknowledged his privilege. He acknowledged that OSU was failing as a university to their duty to students of color. He sounded 00:27:00really convincing. But yeah, that was most of the meeting, was Ed Ray talking, "We've failed as a university," a lot of that, he just talks a lot and that was basically all it was.

LRP: Did you have a chance to say anything?

HF: We did. We did. I don't remember what we said. I know they definitely wanted feedback from us for next steps, and they wanted to let us know what they were planning as well. So, we definitely did get the chance to speak our piece, but yeah, like I said, it was mostly Ed Ray talking.

LRP: Interesting.

HF: Yeah.

LRP: So how do you think the OSU community, which would include students, staff, and faculty, respond[ed] to the Speak Out? Did anyone reach out to you in any 00:28:00capacity? You mentioned some committees, but...

HF: Yeah. So the OSU community as a whole? Yeah [Laughs] okay that was like a lot! So definitely, I think that what always happens when we have protests or any type of demonstrations on campus, there is people that are like, "Okay, I don't understand what this is about." Like there was that livestream and people were just trolling the whole entire time. Somebody had made a video. I think it's still on YouTube. Somebody had made a video talking about how we were being racist. They were recording us at the Speak Out and were just like... I don't know, I don't even know what the video was even called but it was trying to expose us for being racist, or something like that. It was the most ridiculous thing that I've ever seen. And so, there was definitely a lot of negative 00:29:00responses that we got, which we anticipated because we're in Oregon, of course. As far as people reaching out to us, I think that I did personally get a lot of people reaching out to me just basically saying, "Oh thank you for doing this" or whatever. I know that some people wanted to sit down and talk to us. The Barometer reached out to us, cause they wanted to write an article on it, so we sat down and talked to them. But, I mean, other than that, yeah, they were like, I got a couple people reaching out to me wanting me to serve on committees. I know that I got asked to be on leadership counsel or something stuff like that. So yeah, that's kind of what happened afterward, I don't know just things that I kind of expected, nothing that was surprising.

LRP: And what was going on with the livestream?

HF: Yeah. There was, the event was being livestreamed online [laughs] so anybody could watch it. [video cuts]

LRP: Could you clarify what was happening with the livestream?

HF: Yeah. So, what was going on with the livestream was that the Speak Out was being livestreamed online. And anybody could view it from anywhere. It was completely accessible to everybody. And with the livestream, there was a chat that was going on, and there were people in the chat who were just being extremely racist and trolling, and it was getting out of control, I think. I personally did not go on and read the livestream because I could not do it. I know that some students who were at the Speak Out were doing that, and some students at the Speak Out literally who would get up to speak were like, "This is going on in the livechat right now, and this is exactly what we're talking about." And they would say things that were being said on livechat. And so, it 00:31:00got to the point where it was getting out of control, so the live chat was shut down during the event. I don't know if the livestream itself got restricted to only OSU students, but I know that definitely the livechat had to get shut down.

LRP: Okay, thank you for clarifying.

HF: Mmhmm [in the affirmative]

LRP: So, this event took place almost two years ago, correct?

HF: Yes.

LRP: The university has since then increased their efforts to create a more inclusive campus. Do you think that they are taking the right steps to meet the demands made by the students at the Speak Out?

HF: No. [Laughs] No, not really. I think that, I don't know, I feel like campus is exactly the same than before. I mean they did create a whole entire new 00:32:00office, with new positions. I don't really know what that new office is doing or what the people there are doing. They still have those committees; I don't know what the committees are doing. I don't know what's going on. I just, I literally have no clue. So, my answer to that is, I don't know, I feel like they could be doing more than they are, and yeah. I just feel like it's one of those things that's like when it happened the university was like, "Oh crap! We gotta change this and make this happen" but then a couple years later it's just kinda like, "Oh, whatever."

LPR: So, I take it that the university has not followed up with you in any capacity.

HF: Mmm Mmm [in the negative]

LPR: Like, "Here's an update!"

HF: No.

LPR: Wow. [laughs] And it sounds like also that some of these things that were supposed to happen maybe fell through?

HF: Mmhmm [in the affirmative]

LPR: And how does that make you feel?

HF: To be honest, I'm really not surprised. I'm just kinda like, "Okay." This is, I didn't really have huge expectations going into it, like yeah this is a list of demands that we had but being realistic, I mean, we're at Oregon State. I just don't think that the administration has the capacity to follow through with the things that we are wanting and we're needing. And, so, I mean to be honest, it really sucks. But yeah, I just, I don't know. I mean, I hate to say, "It is what it is," but I don't know. Like I said, it's not really a surprise, but it's not acceptable at the same time.

LRP: Do you feel that the university is, I mean this is kind of a similar question. So, they're not addressing the needs that were brought up in the Speak Out directly. In your opinion, what else could they be doing?

HF: I just, well first and foremost, I feel like they could be more transparent in what they're actually working towards, because I have no idea what's going on. You know, afterwards, people were coming up to us and they were like, "What's going on with the university? Or "Have they said anything to you?" and I'm just like "No, I don't know what they're doing." So I think that being more transparent is really important. I know that also there were town halls that were happening, earlier in the...I don't know what happened with that. I don't know, I just feel like, I just need more from them. I need them to communicate, and I also want more spaces where student voices can be heard, because I don't, 00:35:00I just feel like, we had the Speak Out and that happened that one time where we sat down with the administration but after that it was like nobody has any contact or is speaking to them. So, I think that before anything, I just think there needs to be a line of communication, or these people need to be easier to access than they are. Because like I said, I don't know what's going on, and that's kinda not okay, so.

LRP: So, I mean, you kind of already answered this, but after everything you just mentioned, what do you think the current campus climate is, and is it different in any way than it was two years ago?

HF: Yeah, no. I [Laughs], yeah I just, yeah, OSU, like I said earlier, really 00:36:00caters to their one white population of students, and it isn't really accessible to anybody else. So yeah, I don't feel like there really was a change in the campus climate, which is really unfortunate, because I feel like students of color really do a lot of work. Not just us, but every day, you know, to make a change on campus, and to try and make OSU a more welcoming? Or just safer to walk around, you know, so students of color don't have to walk around on edge all the time. It's like all this hard work and all of this effort that we're putting, all of the time, it just kinda makes it seem like, "Wow, is this even worth it?" Because literally nothing, nothing changed. I still feel the same way that I did when I first got here. So yeah, it kind sucks or it really sucks, but 00:37:00yeah. The campus climate definitely is the same.

LPR: So, the final question, I'm gonna just state it because you've already answered it, but: Since the Speak Out, do you think the administration has created better avenues for students of color to have a platform to express their needs and concerns and also have a role in the decision making process? And that sounds like that is a "no."

HF: Yeah, sounds like it's a no. I think that they did have a really good idea with the town halls, but it just wasn't right. I don't know but yeah, my answer would be no.

LPR: I mean this is kind of just an add on question but, do you think students of color want to be involved in decision making processes, or?

HF: Oh, most definitely. Most definitely. 100%

LRP: And obviously you mentioned more transparency, more direct lines of communication.

HF: Mmmhmm [in the affirmative], yeah, yeah. Because not only, yeah, I just feel like nobody really knows what the university is doing or nobody really knows what the university has plans to do. I just think that it's a problem. We walk around here every day; we're paying the student fees. At least we should know what's up, or what's going on. And these things that we want, and these changes that were asking to be made, I just feel like, "Are we planning to do this?" I don't know, I just feel like we need answers that were just not getting. So, I mean that's all that, I mean not all that we want, but it's just kind of the first step to making a change. There has to be that communication. There has to be that transparency.

LRP: Like the community development.

HF: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

LRP: Not Separation.

HF: Yeah.

LRP: So, that's all the questions that I have for you, but I guess I do want to let you have time to say what other closing thoughts you might have. Since this is your oral history, so.

HF: Yeah, Okay. I don't know, I don't really have much to say, but in my experience here I would say that I did not plan to do as much as I did at OSU. When I first came here I just kind of was just like, "I'm gonna do what I need to do and then I'm just gonna graduate and get out of here." I did end up getting really involved and I encourage everybody to do the same. I don't know who's gonna watch this, but anyway, I encourage everybody to do the same. And yeah, I don't know, I think that's it. Like I said, wasn't really, just kind of was surprised at how much, I would say how much I've done, and how much someone 00:40:00can do in a few years. Even though the university kind of sucks on their response side [laughs], I really appreciate all the people I've met, all the students of color that I've met, all of the faculty of color that I've met, and I appreciate them, and all the work and all the labor that they continue to put in every single day.

LPR: Do you have any advice for future students who might be watching this video?

HF: I would say get involved. That's number one, get involved. And number two, don't give up or get discouraged. It's really easy to do that with social justice work, especially if you don't see change happening, but, I mean, I would say don't let that stop you from doing anything. Also, to know your resources on 00:41:00campus. Know who's there for you. And also, that selfcare is really important. Take care of yourself first and foremost before you do anything, you know? Don't burn yourself out, because I know especially students who are involved in social justice put a lot more on their plate than they can handle and overbook themselves and all of these things. But your physical, mental, spiritual wellbeing comes before any of this, anything. So that's what I say.

LRP: Well thank you so much for providing your oral history. I know it does not entail every complexity of your life, but I really appreciate it.

HF: Thank you! I appreciate you doing this.