This post was written by Hatchet reporter Julie Alderman.

What does your race mean to you?

The Racially and Ethnically Mixed Student Association looked for answers to this question Tuesday at a group discussion, “The Definition of Black.”

When opening the discussion, senior Rohanna Wagener, president of GW REMix, said defining “black” is important regardless of what race one identifies with.

“People often assume the black community is one solid entity, and our discussion was kind of pulling apart the differences in our community – who constitutes as a black person, who does not and how does that relate to the society we’re in?” Wagener said

Wagener, who has been a member of GW REMix since her freshman year, said the group has been talking about hosting this discussion for years.

To encourage participation, guests were required to introduce themselves by stating their name, their major, their hometown and also their ethnicity. The discussion attracted a diverse group of students, which coincided with the event’s goal to fuel a welcoming conversation.

Though the discussion began with some hesitation from participants, many of the guests shared opinions on controversial topics.

“We didn’t always agree because we do all have different experiences, friends, families, etc.” Wagener said in an interview after the event. “The discussion showed that there are multiple definitions of ‘black,’ and we have to respect everyone’s definition because it all comes from someone’s reality.”

Wagener said that although participants disagreed on certain issues, they were able to grow from other perspectives to create a respectful dialogue.

“We were trying to go beyond normal conversation and make it a deep conversation, and I would definitely say the conversation yesterday was very enlightening,” Wagener said.