Context, during the past week two separate instances of vandalism and graffiti with racially charged language have occurred on Syracuse University Campus. The languaged used included racial slurs directed at Black and Asian people. To add injury, the administration's initial response was to NOT tell the larger community, with some student-report suggesting active cover-up attempts by University officials.
The late response by the administration (only delivering remarks 4 days later) was made worse by the bland language used, calling the events "bias incidents". These events come just months before the University received heavy criticism for denying to properly inform an off-campus assault as racial violence, even when the victims and witnesses call it such, and a bit over a year after the infamous Theta Thau video. There seems to be a pattern here, where the SU verbal commitments to diversity are not evident by their actions, as any time a racial violence act happens, it gets treated with silk gloves and dunked into a tub of PR language. There have been some efforts, news committees, appointments, a SEM100 class with mixed reception, but it is hard no to question the intentions behind them, when all other "changes" have been superficial.
How can we even begin to address the systematic racial injustice embedded into our culture (both at country and University level) if we can't even bring ourselves to properly name racial violence when we see it?
I love SU and I'm happy to be part of the Syracuse community and the opportunities I've had. But as a student of color, the previously discussed incident is deeply upsetting.
Rightfully so, students on campus have responded with protest in different forms; letters, columns in campus media, hashtag campaigns, boycotts to Basketball games and a sit-in inside the brand new Arch. The demands of the students included:
The late response by the administration (only delivering remarks 4 days later) was made worse by the bland language used, calling the events "bias incidents". These events come just months before the University received heavy criticism for denying to properly inform an off-campus assault as racial violence, even when the victims and witnesses call it such, and a bit over a year after the infamous Theta Thau video. There seems to be a pattern here, where the SU verbal commitments to diversity are not evident by their actions, as any time a racial violence act happens, it gets treated with silk gloves and dunked into a tub of PR language. There have been some efforts, news committees, appointments, a SEM100 class with mixed reception, but it is hard no to question the intentions behind them, when all other "changes" have been superficial.
How can we even begin to address the systematic racial injustice embedded into our culture (both at country and University level) if we can't even bring ourselves to properly name racial violence when we see it?
I love SU and I'm happy to be part of the Syracuse community and the opportunities I've had. But as a student of color, the previously discussed incident is deeply upsetting.
Rightfully so, students on campus have responded with protest in different forms; letters, columns in campus media, hashtag campaigns, boycotts to Basketball games and a sit-in inside the brand new Arch. The demands of the students included:
- The expulsion of any students involved in Day Hall vandalism.
- The creation of a twice-annual open forum for students to communicate directly with the Board of Trustees.
- Curriculum reform to better educate students on questions of diversity.
- Mandatory diversity training for faculty and staff.
- A zero-tolerance policy for hate speech among students.
- A “same race” option for roommate selection on the student housing application.
- Hiring of additional counselors that better represent the student body and marginalized communities.
- $1 million investment in long-term curriculum changes that address issues of diversity and racism.
From: https://www.syracuse.com/syracuse-university/2019/11/syracuse-university-students-hold-sit-in-to-protest-racist-graffiti-admin-response.html
While the demand that has gained more attention from the comment section warriors has been the "same race request", and it definitely merits discussion. I want to concentrate on another one: the hiring of additional counselors to better represent marginalized communities.
I started going to counseling in my first year of SU, I can honestly say having a POC female therapist has made a huge difference. As a POC student, there are parts of my experience that are hard to communicate. I know because I feel like I always fail when I tried to bring them up in any "diversity " discussion, workshop, etc. , just to be told that "yeah, that's XYZ and this is how we do it" (IF YOU WERE DOING IT I WOULDN'T BE BRING IT UP- but that it's a rant for another day). Being able to talk to someone who I don't have to explain what is like to be me in this White-dominated space makes a huge difference in my proces. If it's hard for me as a "white-passing" Puerto Rican cis-woman, it has to been even harder for international students, and darker skin folk.
So add those counselours, because you know what?- We are going to need them. Students of color already go to the Counseling Center more than their white peers. Its hard being in a different culture that doesn't fully embrace you. It's hard dealing with a colonized curriculum that treats authors and scholars of color as a novelty or "suggested reading". It's hard dealing with dozens of microaggressions, just to be asked in the classroom to bring "your cultural perspective" and having to play X culture, expert, over and over again.
And it's hard doing all of this while the University refuses to properly protect you from violence, or even call that violence by its proper name.
Call it by its name
Racial Violence
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