The Student Council Initiatives Committee explains in more detail in a second response from Student Council:
To the University Community:
We are writing to you all regarding an incident of extreme seriousness that occurred last Wednesday night. While I realize the text is long, the message is necessary, so I urge you to read until the end. Many other emails have been circulating regarding this event, and all contain vital information regarding the severity of the incident. Please do read them all. While walking to Cohns on the corner at around 1:58 a.m., two female UVa students encountered a group of white males, one of whom proceeded to comment on their multi-culturalism (one student is bi-racial; one is white). After asking him to clarify what he meant by this comment, the girls were called niggers repeatedly, aggressively, and without apology. With no sense of regret or fear for consequences, this male proceeded to emphasize the phrase, looking directly in the eyes of the two female students, who were understandably too shocked and upset to respond.
I wish we could characterize this as an unfortunate but rare example of hate on grounds.
The fact is, we cannot.
Instances like the above are far more pervasive and common than we would like to admit, and far too often, our concern over maintaining our Universitys reputation for tolerance and justice pushes these serious events to the margins of our community. What is common is characterized as uncommon; what is traumatic is described as politicized; what is a serious crime is downgraded to a verbal slip-up. Equally seriously, students, like those mentioned above, find they have no legal or institutional recourse to address these attacks, thus leading to an environment in which students believe it is socially acceptable to call students by names they would not choose for themselves, to judge others based on the color of their skin or the sound of their name, or to inculcate a climate in which racism and discrimination are characterized as acceptable opinion rather than intolerable hatred.
But that can change. It is up to us to live up to and stand up for the ideals of our University rather than try to obsure the instances in which we do not. It is up to us to fight discrimination and hatred in all forms it takes, and to, through conversations, education, and interactions, combat the fear and intolerance that precipitate these attacks. It is up to us to stand up for an inclusive, community-minded environment and stand up against blatant discrimination. Finally, it is up to us to provide appropriate, supportive, and easily navigated channels for students who are victims of similar offenses to bring them to the attention of the University with the full understanding that their voice will be heard.
Racism is incompatible and irreconcilable with our Universitys ideals. We will not tolerate it. We will not stand for it, and we will not allow members of our University community to be judged or ostracized for outdated,
irrelevant, and hateful stereotypes.
Know that we as the Student Council Diversity Initiatives Committee will be doing everything in our power to ensure that these voices will not be silenced and that appropriate actions will be taken to address the severity of this crime, to improve the quality and supportiveness of a response, and to work toward reconciling the basic issues that lead to the perpetuation of these offenses.
As part of these steps toward reconciliation, students will be collecting signatures in a Pledge FORWARD campaign on Monday, April 26, from 12 - 5 pm on the Lawn. Following the collection of signatures, which will be published in the Cavalier Daily as a testament to the support, trust, and community-mindedness of our University, we will be gathering on the South Lawn outside Old Cabell from 5-6 pm. Please wear black to this event (and throughout the day) to show your solidarity with students, past, present, and future, who have been victims of hate crimes and racial bias. If you have any questions on how to get involved, either as an individual or organization, in this and future programming attempting to combat racism and prejudice, please email Carrie Filipetti at CLF7M@virginia.edu.
With hope,
Student Council Diversity Initiatives Committee
Loading...
2:51
"I'm So Hood" - Vote Colin Hood for StudCoby VoteColinHood4,158 views
well said.
nickofsmith 1 year ago