As a black student, going to a university that cherishes diversity and strives for a more integrated community is extremely important to me.
But this is not why I am a student at University of Wisconsin. As a graduate of one of the best public high schools in the United States, I was already accustomed to a certain level of diversity in race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and religious backgrounds I knew UW would never be able to compete with. But as I received the opportunity to attend a top-tier research institution for free for four years, I thought its overwhelmingly monochromatic population was worth dealing with.
But the environment has never felt right for me, and I know based on not-so-rare incidents in my Wisconsin experience I am not in a safe place in what has been my temporary home for three years now.
I fully understand the impact these hate crimes have on all of us —“us” being the students of color on campus, “us” being women on campus and most prominently, “us” being the entirety of #TheRealUW community.
Confronting #TheRealUW: Marginalized students reveal experiences of an unwelcoming campus
#TheRealUW has acted as a voice to protest not only racism, but how little UW does to protect the victims and punish the perpetrators. Only after seeing what some call “a very offensive poster” with our mascot dressed as a KKK member and groups of students standing outside protesting did some students feel so dutifully inclined to involve themselves and see exactly what is going on.
The problem is that a politicized image of Bucky raises more gall than the reports of black and Asian students being spat on, berated and threatened in their temporary homes. This desensitization of the harm done to an actual human being while our mascot receives more reverence is exactly why #TheRealUW’s work is needed.
I absolutely understand why they are protesting, but as a result of think pieces I’ve read as well as conversations I’ve had with multiple students, I’ve come to realize the portion of the population incited to investigate #TheRealUW doesn’t actually understand it … at all.
Many agree UW has not taken the best approach to tangibly addressing incidents of racial bias and aggression on this campus. But #TheRealUW has opened themselves to dialogue about how to improve the campus climate, only to be met with such hostilities from the student body as being called “distasteful” and “pushing intimidation and fear.”
There are also clearly false notions that the members of #TheRealUW are anti-white people and think all white people are racists, which is so laughably untrue it almost does not deserve a response. But alas, it seems they are not able to critique the actions or lack thereof of their white counterparts without being called racist.
If you are someone who subscribes to the belief that the “tactfulness” of students of color should merit the respect we get, here are a few things to consider:
- If you were more riled by seeing the shirt of Bucky in Klans wear than you were when you heard any of the racial incidents that have threatened students’ safety, then you are a major part of the problem. The students of #TheRealUW, like all students, want to live in an environment where they are treated with the empathy and respect every human being deserves. These students are telling us their experiences at our university have been toxic and demeaning. But other students are retorting that they, in theory, would care more if the presentation was more “acceptable.” That’s insane because a person’s value is not dependent on their presentation. There is no difference between this sentiment and telling a rape victim that you would care more about helping them if they decided to not wear a bikini because it makes them look like they’re “asking for it.”
- Students of color have been reporting incidents “tactfully” for decades, and what has UW done to combat this? Before #TheRealUW, what did you do to create a climate where hate crimes would be decreased? I’ll wait …
- If you don’t care, just say you don’t care. If you have never and will never plan to address racialized violence on campus, then say that. Do not use #TheRealUW as a scapegoat for your inaction and lack of compassion.
If you have celebrated the lazy critiques that claim #TheRealUW is not open-minded, I beg to ask where your open mind is. We have a group of students who are telling us they have been hurt by members of this campus community without any immediate support from the institution. They are asking us to support them and validate their experiences. They are expressing their frustration, not hate, through their voices, their clothing and their overall platform.
Instead of garnering the backup of fellow students, they are being told they will not be supported because they are so loud and their voices so cacophonous. Too many students are making this an issue about what #TheRealUW should be doing instead of making it about what we, as an entire campus, should be doing to help them create a much needed change.
Miona Short ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in astrophysics and Spanish.