Bridging the Gap is a commentary on race, gender and marginalization at Duke and beyond. It takes the form of a series of conversations with Duke’s diverse student body, discussing their experiences navigating identity, discrimination, tokenism and more at an institution where, at times, they face the sort of systemic aggressions our nation is protesting against today.
This partnership between The Bridge and The Chronicle was born from a desire to make the silenced and hidden perspectives of underrepresented Duke communities apparent.
This was an idea years in the making, deliberately cultivated during a moment of national receptivity and built to create an open, honest dialogue around personal truths at Duke. Many of the podcast episodes were inspired by my own feelings of isolation, tokenism and discrimination during my first three years on campus. “That’s just the way things are,” I would think, letting my frustrations lie dormant. I hope that in giving people a platform to share and to listen, we can slowly and intentionally begin the move past “the way things are” and to the “way things should be” in Duke spaces and conversations.
These deep dives will acknowledge the good and the bad, the existing spaces for cultural renewal and self-expression, the intrigue of learning from so many diverse communities—but also the flaws in the system and the prejudices students and faculty bring to campus.
Our first episode is titled “Diversity, Discomfort and Discrimination,” and Part 1 is an introduction to the psychological cause and emotional effect of prejudice at Duke.
Listen to the episode here (there is also a transcript for those who need or prefer one), or check out a preview.
Cameron Oglesby is a Trinity senior and the host of Bridging the Gap. She is also community committee chair for The Bridge and graphics editor for The Chronicle.
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