Joe Frazier began his undergraduate career at Virginia Tech in 2009, and remains a part of the Hokie community through his work as assistant director for the Culture and Community Centers in Squires, where he oversees the Asian Cultural Engagement Center. He also advises the Asian American Student Union, the Jewish Student Union, and the Muslim Student Union as part of his work at the university. Outside of Virginia Tech, Joe is an active member of the local NAACP chapter and is the Development Committee Chair for the Christiansburg Institute.
Joe admits that he doesn’t have a very interesting story about choosing Virginia Tech for his college career; he just ended up a Hokie. He recounts his experiences as a Hokie with affection while also refusing to sugarcoat the more negative aspects of his time as a student, such as racial stereotyping and prejudice. In times when he faced these prejudices, Joe turned to organizations such as the Black Cultural Center and the Student African American Brotherhood where he was able to discuss these experiences with people who had been in similar situations.
“That was the cool thing...about these groups...like Student African American Brotherhood, like the Black Cultural Center in Squires, is that when these kinds of experiences happen you’re still in community with folks who are all experiencing the same thing, so it’s easier to process.” Joe Frazier
It’s organizations such as the Student African American Brotherhood and other everyday interactions with fellow Hokies that influenced Joe in his academic experience. It’s also similar interactions that provoked him to act on social issues, such as when he was convinced by a PhD student at an NAACP meeting to go to Ferguson, Missouri following the death of Michael Brown. Joe was also inspired by Paulo Freire’s statement that “Washing one’s hand of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.” Joe believes there is no such thing as neutrality when it comes to justice, and knows when he needs to act on his beliefs.
In addition to protesting against police brutality, Joe formed the Student Police Unity League, a volleyball league with teams of police officers and minority students from Virginia Tech. In forming these teams, Joe hoped to create relationships between police officers and minority students. This league speaks to Joe’s desire to take a hands-on approach when it comes to social issues and activism.
It’s action such as this that often made Joe stand apart. His frustration during graduate school with sociology scholars who have detailed theories on social inequality and social issues but never do anything inspired him to act personally and make an individual effort to address social problems. This action led to him receiving the Aspire Award for Civility in 2016. Joe appreciates being honored in such a way, and wants to highlight that there are many people doing hard work for social justice that don’t get recognized like he did.
“Philosophically we talk about morality, it just seemed that this is wrong to study these populations, to come up with these theories but not actually do anything with that research to better the problem.”Joe Frazier
Date Recorded: October 30, 2017
Interviewer: Ren Harman
Date Posted: January 29, 2018
Editor: Rachel Beisser