Recognizing Racism on Campus

Students should feel comfortable on campus. Microaggressions and covert acts of racism happen daily. Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional that communicates hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. To give you an idea, take a look at this clip from the movie Mean Girls.

Stop and Listen

Addressing racial issues on campus is something that all students need to be involved in. Being a white person who is silent about racism means that you are just fine with things continuing the way they are when what we really need is change. Combating racism is more than attending diversity events; but embracing those around us, listening to what they say and helping them get what they need. Being a white ally means having these tough conversations and allowing black people to speak on their lived experiences while helping other white people to understand why it is so important to uplift people of color. Being complacent, complicit and silent means that you are consenting to and upholding structures in society that perpetuate racism. When people speak up about racism, we should listen. As white females, we as writers did not feel comfortable to speak about the experiences of racism on campus, so we encouraged students on campus to share their stories of racism with us. Some of them gave us permission to share their stories with the community. 

Student Statement:

So I have dealt with a few instances of racism on campus so far, not too many that I can recall strongly but here they are.

Microaggressions are the easiest yet subtle ways that a lot of people here show their racism. 

I was hanging out in a student center, spring semester of 2015 and two acquaintances of mine were leaving the center. 

First they asked us to watch their belongings as they went off to get food from mav ave. Then on their way out one of them said “Hey, don’t steal our stuff!” Now we felt like this was a racially charged comment. I feel like they would not have said this if we were white students. I feel like they said this because black skin is often connected with violence or crime so they assumed that I would steal it. 

Another thing I know black people on this campus have to deal with is people (usually white) feel like they have a RIGHT to black peoples bodies. Things such as commenting on the shape of our butts or walking up to us and touching our hair. Usually they do this without asking or even addressing the person that they are touching. I have had many people walk up to me and place their dirty hands in my hair. 

Or on the off chance that they do actually ask and I say “no” they act as if I have killed someone in front of them. They give me a shocked look and say “Oh my god” as if I cannot tell them they cannot touch me. 

People often think that black people are more aggressive and violent than others, They have told my friends and I to our faces  “I thought you were so mean when i first met you” or ” You look so angry all the time” or ” you seem so negative,” but now that they know me they do not think so. It’s not that we are actually mean but it’s that they connect black people with these characteristics of anger and violence all the time. 

I often hear a lot of anti black lives matter things said by white people on a daily. Blaming violence on people of color. Saying innocent black people deserve to get shot by police. Things like this are heard daily on this campus. 

-Yasmeen Black, sophomore, Corrections major, Ethnic Studies and Philosophy minors.

Black Lives Matter

When you hear someone say Black Lives Matter, please take the time to understand that no one is saying that the lives of other races don’t matter. It is a protest to bring attention to the fact that certain lives are being over looked. By responding to a Black Lives Matter protest with the response “All Lives Matter” you are discrediting the fact that there is a real problem with the loss of innocent lives due to racist stereotypes. 

Claiming to be Colorblind

Many people do not recognize themselves as being guilty of racist comments and microaggressions, but many don’t understand that when you tell someone of color that you don’t see color, they interpret as you saying that you don’t see them. Don’t claim to be colorblind! This world is not colorblind. We live in a stratified racialized society. Just because “you don’t see color” doesn’t mean that race doesn’t have very real implications for people of color who face racism every single day. It is offensive to people of color by discrediting their experiences and ignoring the oppression that still exists.

Get Involved in the Cause

So what can you do about racism? When you hear a racist remark speak up! Let the person know that you don’t appreciate what they said and gently correct their use of language or explain why it was offensive. When you see something negative on social media explain why you feel the way you do about it. Direct them to social justice websites directed at helping white people to understand racism. If they’re a repeat offender, block them! Sometimes you just can’t get through to people and it is best to remove them. There are plenty of groups in the community and on campus that you can get involved in. You have the power to change things and change the people around you! Black people are amazing and wonderful, take the chance to get to know someone and learn about them, you will be surprised by how similar you are… not how different you are.