David Mahaffey ‘92
CHARA Board Member
Looking back, it was one of those times when I’m glad the Internet and email didn’t exist.
It was late April 1992. I was a Holy Cross senior living in a suite in Carlin, set to graduate soon, and dating someone. Life was good. I was in my dorm room midweek when I heard some commotion. I looked down the hall in time to see some of my friends from the football team leaving in a rush and they seemed worked up over something.
It was a time I want to forget, yet I don’t want to forget at the same time. Word spread quickly that there had been a fight by the fieldhouse. Rumor had it that the fight stemmed from the Rodney King verdict. Earlier that day, a Los Angeles jury acquitted four white police officers who had beaten Mr. King in 1991. Rumors continued to spread that someone had challenged black students to a fight and slurs had been used. Had the internet existed, word of the fracas would have gone viral and possibly resulted in casualties. Fortunately, injuries were minor and the fight was broken up before it could become a tragedy.
For me, the peace that accompanied my ignorance was disturbed for the first time. As far as I knew, there had been no racism or racial unrest at HC. Or, I was unaware of it. But I was happy so I didn’t think about it until that point late in my senior year. After that evening in April, there was some discussion on campus about racism but the school year was pretty much over and soon we all went our separate ways. My life didn’t change much vis-à-vis racism.
Fast forward almost thirty years and I found myself married with two kids and a mortgage, living in white suburbia. We were all at home because of the Covid pandemic, and I was content because no one I knew was sick, and I was able to spend more quality time with my kids. Yet, the evening news often was unsettling. In addition to the daily Covid reports, there seemed to be an unusually high amount of violence associated with racism here in the U.S. I likely would have retreated into my comfortable cocoon of ignorance but for some old Holy Cross friends who were busy working on a new organization. Enter CHARA accompanied by the gift of introspection.
Some of my HC classmates created the College of the Holy Cross Anti-Racism Alliance (CHARA). I joined in 2023 and I have looked back repeatedly ever since. I look back at my days at Holy Cross—how I ignored the reality of racism until it invaded my daily routine. But even then I gave it only a passing glance. It took the help of some friends in CHARA to help me examine myself critically and find my voice.
According to conventional wisdom, the first step in solving a personal problem is acknowledging the problem actually exists. CHARA helped me acknowledge a big problem—my own racism which took the form of uncaring silence. As Dr. King stated so eloquently, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.” Make no mistake, my silence is/was racism. As much as I didn’t want to admit my own shortcoming, I am grateful to CHARA for helping me realize it and live in the discomfort. But that’s not enough. As an active part of CHARA and new board member, I try and help others with their own journeys.
What I’ve discovered through my work with CHARA is the number of white people who avoid introspection. They avoid CHARA because they seem to think it’s really for minorities. In fact, the exact opposite is true. If you’re white, join me in being uncomfortable with what you learn about yourself and others.
If CHARA sounds at all interesting, you can contact us at info@chara1843.com. Also, I will be joining other CHARA board members on campus February 18, hosting relevant discussions in Hogan (4th floor) that afternoon and evening. Be on the lookout for details posted around the campus. Feel free to come check us out even if you aren’t sure about joining our 300+ current members. Students, staff, and faculty all are welcome to participate.
General information about CHARA can be found at www.chara1843.com.
Copy Edited By Lily Wasmund ’27
Featured image courtesy of David Mahaffey ’92
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