We’re used to hearing the term “binary” as it relates to gender and sexuality, but it can also connote differences in political persuasion, socioeconomic status and race.
Building bridges between and among those points of difference is crucial if we are to learn to make peace, according to CJ Suitt, the keynote speaker for Siena’s celebration of Black History Month.
Suitt, a performance poet and arts educator who is the first poet laureate of his hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, delivered his “Beyond the Binary” address on February 9 in the SSU to Siena students and faculty.
Clad in floral print stretch pants, black shirt, limited-edition Converses and a hot pink knit cap over his dreadlocks, Suitt deftly wove together his own poetry with reminiscences about his upbringing, as well as commentary on intersectionality and working toward social justice.
The son of a vegetable sharecropper (yes, he said, there are still sharecroppers) and a sawmill employee, he noted that his native South is often the target of all-too-easy stereotyping and dismissal by those in other parts of the country.
“We miss out on complexity when we make assumptions about people,” he said. “People make assumptions about the South, that it’s very racist, but it’s actually one of the most intersectional places in the world. We meet people where they are.”
Saying “I think we have more power in the world than we think we do,” he encouraged his audience to invest in building bridges to form relationships with those who are different, whether racially, politically, religiously or another binary.
“The unfortunate but beautiful reality of bridges is that they cannot choose sides. When a bridge chooses a side, it ceases to be a bridge. The most radical thing you can do is say ‘I am in both places,’ so keep conversations going.”
Suitt acknowledged that it understandable to want to end conversations with people whose backgrounds are different from our own, or to not begin them in the first place, especially if those views are expressed in a strident or offensive manner. He also said that as soon as we label a difference, it can be used as a way to put someone down.
“Keep that conversation going with your racist uncle, because if you don’t, I’ll have to deal with him at the gas station or supermarket. Keep talking even when it’s hard stay in the room. Anyone can call people out. It takes relationship to call people in.”
Suitt’s words rang with rhyme and rhythm even when he was not speaking his poetry. He said he was Inspired by the Pentecostal ministers whose sermons he heard growing up who “took a 2,000-year-old story and wrapped it up in a way that people could take it and apply it to their daily lives.”
In elementary school he wrote love poems, and in high school he wanted to be a rapper. An English teacher took an interest in his work and encouraged him to share it at his school’s Black History Month event. Suitt was on his way to be a poet.
“My mother asked, ‘Why did you choose this life?’ and I told her ‘Queer, black and artist chose me.’”
At schools like Siena that are predominantly white and cisgendered, Suitt said students who may not be in regular contact with those who are “other” can still be change agents.
“It’s important to tell your own story, and also to let others tell theirs,” he advised. “Don’t tell their stories for them. If someone in your personal group acts up, call them on it. Say, ‘Hey friend, that’s not a good look for you. That’s not cool.’ But do it with love.”
Suitt divides his time between Chapel Hill and the San Francisco Bay area, where he teaches peacemaking and conflict resolution to fourth and fifth graders, which he said is generally the age when kids start to categorize and stereotype people.
The Siena keynote event was co-organized by Tatiana Vaz ’22 and Elijah McDonald ‘22, president and vice president, respectively, of the Black Student Union; Matthew Rohr ‘24, president of Pride GSA; and the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center.
“As a person of color who identifies as LGBTQ, it was meaningful for me to see here tonight a similar person in a position of power,” said McDonald. “That was very impactful. It said to me that I could do something like this.”
Vaz said it’s important for everyone to be able to have the big conversations about race.
“It’s a good way to keep everyone at Siena connected and it’s also OK to feel uncomfortable,” she said. “That’s how you know you’re learning and growing. Lean into that discomfort.”
Rohr agreed that it’s hard talking about topics like race and intersectionality, but it’s good preparation for a life well lived.
“Learn when you can about how to be an ally to people. You might have a situation some day when these issues hit you right in the face, but you’ll know in advance the best way to handle it.”
Suitt concluded his talk by taking a selfie from the stage with everyone calling out “It’s a great day to be a Saint!”