Iowa State student Durga Sritharan’s “Thoughts of The Little Brown Girl,” a poem detailing Sritharan’s experiences of being a person of color in predominantly white environments, was recently published by the Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity (JCSCORE).

Sritharan, a senior majoring in biology, participated in the NCORE-ISCORE Project from 2021-2022.

As a year-long project, part of the program involves attendance and participation in the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) and a demonstration of knowledge gained from this through a presentation at the Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE).

Participation in these conferences led Sritharan to highlight her experiences and challenges relating to race and ethnicity through a poem. Sritharan shared that expressing feelings using outlets other than music or dance was a struggle, and writing this poem presented a new challenge.

“The main goal behind my poem was to put my own feelings into words,” Sritharan said. “When I was challenged to write my lyrical expression, I wanted to make sure I used writing as a new outlet and conveyed my thoughts and feelings effectively.”

Sritharan shared her experiences with predominantly white environments in this poem due to the challenges she faced while growing up. Sritharan has been in predominantly white areas and institutions since elementary school.

“I did not ever have a figure in my life who shared similar identities and passions as myself, so, when coming to Iowa State, I wanted to become the role model I would have admired when I was younger,” Sritharan said.

Sritharan explained that her experience at Iowa State differs from earlier experiences at predominantly white institutions.

“With my early experiences… I found myself more sheltered, and I did not embrace my culture or upbringing as much,” Sritharan said. “At Iowa State, I have used my leadership roles and research skills to become more involved in conversations regarding race, ethnicity and topics of social justice, which has heavily impacted my undergraduate experience.”

Sritharan shared that encouraging authenticity in the various environments on campus is valuable.

“Sometimes, we are expected to act or present ourselves in a different way to fit in with social norms, rather than being our raw and authentic selves, which are just as beautiful,” Sritharan said. “I believe it is extremely valuable to encourage authenticity in all environments of campus whether it be in courses, student organization or job settings.”

“Thoughts of The Little Brown Girl” was a way for Sirtharan to express herself and her identity. For Sritharan, this poem was written as a way for people to relate to each other.

“As my poem reflects my experiences as a person of color in a predominantly white environment, I would like my poem to serve as a sense of validation for other readers who may relate in some way, shape or form,” Sritharan said.

To read Sritharan’s poem, visit this page.