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Racists on Campus
9 years ago
General
Over the past two weeks, a large number of pro-Trump messages have been appearing on the walkways, concrete benches, and decorative stones on my campus, and being a young black woman, seeing them made me extraordinarily uncomfortable. I know the kind of person that flocks to Trump, and it's the same kind of person that usually isn't very friendly towards people like me. However, I reminded myself that freedom of speech is a thing, swallowed my fears and tried to not let the ubiquitous messages of "Trump 2016", Make America Great Again", and "Build That Wall" interfere with me going about my business.
Then, last Monday, my roommate told me about how someone graffiti'd "Riot Proof? We'll See" on one of the main buildings on campus, one that had been built to be riot-proof following a series of student-led riots in the 70s. I didn't want to think that it was in any way connected to the Trump messages, but I'm neither stupid nor naive.
Well, turns out my suspicions weren't unfounded. Not more than four hours ago, my roommate told me that an individual affiliated with the ATO fraternity uploaded a video to YouTube called "SIUC White is Right". (She followed that tidbit of information with the declaration that, if anyone connected to the video laid a hand on me, she'd break their nose.) In it, they edited a scene from A Bug's Life, the one where the grasshoppers are talking about how if they let one ant stand up to them, all the ants will, to say how if they let one n***** stand up to them, they all will. The video finished with a masked individual saying and I quote:
"This is SIU ATO, and we send out this broadcast in hopes of reaching out to all the hardworking, white Americans out there. We will not stand for these n*****s any longer. I want us all, on May 2nd, to band together and beat us up some n***** stew. I want you all to join me and my group in stopping this event on May 2nd. But most importantly, I want you all to remember to leave your wallets at home and don't forget your baseball bats. I want to see the trees riddled with as much black fruit as they can hold. Hitler did nothing wrong and neither will we. White power."
As you can probably imagine, the fact that this video exists and was created by someone going to my school makes me extremely nervous, uncomfortable, and afraid for my personal safety, as well as the safety of my sister, the safety of fellow alumni of my high school, and the safety every person of color on campus. The chancellor sent out a mass email denouncing the video and stating that there will be an increased police presence on May 2nd, but that does little to soothe my fears - the past couple of years haven't led me to believe that the police are serving and protecting people that look like me. I want nothing more right this second than to skip all of my classes that day and stay in my room, where I know that I will be safe, but doing so would be giving them their satisfaction. It would be letting them intimidate me out of my $27,000 a year education. It would be letting them win, and I can't have that.
I know that I'm going to be a lot more on the edge as we get closer to May 2nd, but I'll try to not let that get the best of me. I'll keep you all abreast of any new developments, more for my own peace of mind than anything else.
Then, last Monday, my roommate told me about how someone graffiti'd "Riot Proof? We'll See" on one of the main buildings on campus, one that had been built to be riot-proof following a series of student-led riots in the 70s. I didn't want to think that it was in any way connected to the Trump messages, but I'm neither stupid nor naive.
Well, turns out my suspicions weren't unfounded. Not more than four hours ago, my roommate told me that an individual affiliated with the ATO fraternity uploaded a video to YouTube called "SIUC White is Right". (She followed that tidbit of information with the declaration that, if anyone connected to the video laid a hand on me, she'd break their nose.) In it, they edited a scene from A Bug's Life, the one where the grasshoppers are talking about how if they let one ant stand up to them, all the ants will, to say how if they let one n***** stand up to them, they all will. The video finished with a masked individual saying and I quote:
"This is SIU ATO, and we send out this broadcast in hopes of reaching out to all the hardworking, white Americans out there. We will not stand for these n*****s any longer. I want us all, on May 2nd, to band together and beat us up some n***** stew. I want you all to join me and my group in stopping this event on May 2nd. But most importantly, I want you all to remember to leave your wallets at home and don't forget your baseball bats. I want to see the trees riddled with as much black fruit as they can hold. Hitler did nothing wrong and neither will we. White power."
As you can probably imagine, the fact that this video exists and was created by someone going to my school makes me extremely nervous, uncomfortable, and afraid for my personal safety, as well as the safety of my sister, the safety of fellow alumni of my high school, and the safety every person of color on campus. The chancellor sent out a mass email denouncing the video and stating that there will be an increased police presence on May 2nd, but that does little to soothe my fears - the past couple of years haven't led me to believe that the police are serving and protecting people that look like me. I want nothing more right this second than to skip all of my classes that day and stay in my room, where I know that I will be safe, but doing so would be giving them their satisfaction. It would be letting them intimidate me out of my $27,000 a year education. It would be letting them win, and I can't have that.
I know that I'm going to be a lot more on the edge as we get closer to May 2nd, but I'll try to not let that get the best of me. I'll keep you all abreast of any new developments, more for my own peace of mind than anything else.
-hugs tightly-
I wish I was there to protect you.
It makes me so sad to consider the fact that, in 2016, there are any people that still have racist ideas in their hearts.
I'm so torn as to whether or not I should tell my mother about what's going on. On the one hand, I want her in the loop with what's happening on campus, but on the other, I don't want her worried sick about me.