Opinion
JENNIFER CALFAS
EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH
and DEREK WOLFE
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER
MANAGING EDITOR
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
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the University of Michigan since 1890.
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board.
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Tuesday, January 27, 2015
I have been taught that racism is
over. It’s no longer a problem, so it’s
time to stop whining about it. “We
have a Black president!” “I don’t see
color!” “Everyone faces challenges
in life, not just minorities!”
In light of the lack of indictment
in the Michael Brown case this past
November, and in light of the many
other black victims of police violence,
I would like to disagree. Racism is
real and present, and it is dangerous.
It seems that most people in the
United States agree that racism is
bad. People were outraged when
racial slurs were hurled at current
Michigan quarterback Devin Gard-
ner, the n-word is pretty much off
limits for non-Blacks, and the gen-
eral consensus is that the KKK has
no place in our society. No one wants
to be labeled a racist.
I am a biracial Black woman, and
I have hidden behind the privilege of
being light-skinned. I have distanced
myself from what it means to be
Black in America. But when cashiers
at the grocery store always ask my
Black mother for her ID but never my
white father, I can’t remain separate.
When Black friends speak of being
followed in department stores, I can’t
distance myself. When I see peers
post on Facebook that “it’s not about
race” and remember specific times
that I’ve heard each of them make
derogatory racial comments, I can’t
ignore it.
It seems like we are not all on the
same page in terms of what racism
really means. By definition, racism is
the belief that certain racial groups
are inferior to others, accompanied
and legitimized by historical ineq-
uity and unequal power dynamics.
Racism is not only racial slurs, or
housing discrimination or not hir-
ing someone for a job because of their
race. It’s the perceptions held by the
group in power and the actions that
result from those perceptions.
Racism is very hard to recognize
and very easy to internalize. Biases
are stronger than we give them
credit for. They linger in the back-
ground of our lives, quietly whisper-
ing messages that cause us to lean
certain ways.
I’ll give the example of Black
representation in the media. When
Black people are mentioned in news
stories, the story often contains the
words “thug,” “animal” or other
dehumanizing terms. Hearing these
representations over and over cre-
ates the racist idea that Black peo-
ple are dangerous. But those exact
words will never be uttered aloud,
so the racism behind those thoughts
will never be acknowledged.
And then you watch movies or
flip on the TV, and Black characters,
or any characters of color, are rare.
If they are present, they are often
supporting someone white, or play
an insignificant role. My roommate
last year prefaced a question with,
“I’m not trying to be racist…” and
then asked why there were “Black”
movies, and why Black Entertain-
ment Television got its own channel.
I explained to her that the rest of
popular culture could accurately be
called “White Entertainment Tele-
vision.” One study showed that out
of all movies produced in 2012, the
proportion of black characters fea-
tured was 70 percent less than that
of the Black population in the United
States. Black people are unimport-
ant and unappealing.
These notions are subtly spread
from person to person. After a bas-
ketball game where my primarily
white high school faced a primarily
Black high school, my high school
friends ogled at how “Maddie’s
talking to those Black guys!” Black
men are scary. Over the summer,
another student in my internship
talked about how a bar “had great
reviews on Yelp, but when I went in
there were all these homeless Black
guys!” Black people are poor and do
not belong in the same circles as me.
When a group of Black U of M stu-
dents arrived at a house party I was
attending, the host suddenly decid-
ed there were too many people and
it was time for the party to end. I do
not want dangerous Black people in
my house. I don’t know how many of
my friends have joked about getting
shot in “ghetto Detroit.” Black cities
are violent.
Every Black person I know has
been followed by employees while
shopping in a store. Black people are
criminals. I, and other Black friends,
have been told by white peers that
it was “easier” for us to get into that
school, or to get that job offer, as if
we are unqualified but were given a
boost by our skin color. Black people
are unintelligent.
So many Black people have had
negative
experiences
with
the
police. In the first half of 2014, out
of all those stopped because of New
York City’s “Stop and Frisk” prac-
tice, 53 percent were black, where-
as Blacks represent only 25 percent
of the New York City population.
Black people are suspicious. Black
people are up to no good.
But no one said the n-word,
no one said a slur, so these many
instances were not recognized as
racism. And this is a huge problem.
When a problematic behavior is
being exhibited, yet people are con-
stantly affirming themselves that it
is not problematic, the behavior is
encouraged and continues. Deny-
ing the existence of racism is actu-
ally promoting and perpetuating it.
It’s hard to admit it, for fear of
being labeled racist, but everyone
has biases. And when you acknowl-
edge this fact, you can actively work
against it. However, ignoring biases
causes action that is much more
serious than crossing the street
when a Black person approaches
at night.
All of these biases compound and
lead to violence. I do not believe
that when an unarmed Black man
or woman, or in the case of Tamir
Rice — an unarmed Black boy — is
killed by the police, that the police
officer simply shoots them “because
they are Black.” And I do not deny
that there is also police brutal-
ity against whites, and every other
race.
But I do believe that years of
internalized racism have caused
distrust
and
fear
toward
the
Black community. And these sub-
conscious, but still racist, biases
cause the officer to be more suspi-
cious, more on edge, more afraid,
if a person were Black than if they
were white. They are more likely
to expect violence and to assume
criminal activity, they are more
likely to respond with excessive
force. They are quicker to draw
their weapon. They are quicker
to shoot.
It is unproductive to pretend
that racism is not a problem. It is
unproductive to continually treat
each time the police murder a Black
person as an isolated incident. It
is unproductive to think that just
because racism doesn’t happen to
you, it doesn’t happen.
Until we change our culture, until
we stop perpetuating stereotypes
through the media, until we reject
internalized racism, nothing will
change. Until we can label our biases
as what they really are, until we can
name racism, there will be another
Aura Rosser, another Tamir Rice,
another Michael Brown.
Margaret Decker is
an Engineering senior.
The danger in denying racism
I
t is five degrees below zero.
There are about three blocks
between where I currently am
and
the
warm,
toasty interior of
Sweetwaters where
I’m headed. I sprint
as fast as I can
down State Street
because,
though
the wind may be
a
whiplash,
to
sulk and shiver
idly
would
be
an
even
more
aggravated,
elongated torture.
In my tunnel-visioned hurry, I
sweep past figure after hooded fig-
ure nested in the nook of each street
corner. They are the same homeless
people who are there every day,
except today their hands are folded
inward from the cold. I don’t real-
ize that their involuntary immo-
bility, the exact one I try to avoid,
must make the needle-sting of the
cold hurt that much more.
When I finally arrived in the
comfort of my destination — over-
priced coffee in hand — I read an
article that slapped me harder than
the wind chill did. In 1973, John
M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson of
Princeton
University
published
“From Jerusalem to Jericho,” a
piece in the Journal of Personal-
ity and Social Psychology. In their
study, they analyze the way our
egocentric society alienates those
out on the street. However, they
explain how it’s our self-absorption
and consequent lack of awareness
that prompts us to not acknowledge
the needy, even when they are by
our feet. As they sum up, “Ethics
becomes a luxury as the speed of
our daily lives increases.”
As individuals, we have all become
increasingly busy, cramming activi-
ties and meetings into our sched-
ules until the white spaces on our
calendars disappear. We are always
hurrying everywhere; to events we
will perpetually be late to — even
on Michigan time. As we rush to
our destinations, our heads are bent
down — if not in cold, then immersed
in the egocentric universe of our
smartphones. Our Facebook statuses
are always “on the go,” our tweets
complain about how we’re always on
the go and our GPS destinations are
forever nomadic. In our self-centered
worlds, we forget about everyone else
around us, because we — me, myself,
I — need to keep going, going, going…
I am from Boston, born and
raised, and I harbor an East Coast
mentality that puts me in an eter-
nal state of self-centered hurry. At
North Station, you will be trampled
if you intend on slowing the sea of
traffic. Growing up, my parents and
teachers always taught me to avert
my eyes forward, focus on my desti-
nation and ignore all beggars on the
street because they most likely have
adverse intentions with your money.
Now, I reflect on my first day at
Michigan, my first stroll through
downtown Ann Arbor with a Mit-
ten-native friend. As we passed
rows of homeless men and women
lounging on the cement, I noticed
that my friend nodded at each per-
son who made eye contact, while I
desperately avoided any connection.
When explicitly asked for money —
whether in a rough or gentle tone
— he politely declined, apologized
or simply said, “have a nice day.”
Regardless, what astounded me was
that he simply acknowledged their
presence. He was able to reach the
same “destination” as me, without a
penny fewer from his pocket, but he
validated the efforts and existence
of these fellow human beings.
That day, I felt strange seeing my
friend act with a kindness toward
strangers who I didn’t quite under-
stand, but I knew I was not the only
one. As Darley and Batson under-
line, “A person (sees) another, con-
sciously (notes) his distress, and
consciously (chooses) to leave him
in distress … The empathic reac-
tions usually associated with that
interpretation (have) been deferred
because they (are) hurrying …
Because of the time pressures, they
(do) not perceive the scene as an
occasion for an ethical decision.”
So, by perpetually being in a
hurry, have we made ourselves less
empathetic as basic humans? It is
our hurry that makes us more self-
ish, less aware — and I guess, by
default, less compassionate.
I am not overtly wealthy and I
unfortunately do not have change
or resources to give every homeless
person I encounter. It will be dif-
ficult to loosen our schedules, slow
our perpetual rush or eradicate our
fascination with our mobile devices.
Each person I meet on the street
may also not have genuine inten-
tions or altruistic means when ask-
ing for money.
However, at the core, we are all
one and the same — trying to get
somewhere with our lives. We are
all human beings who deserve to be
treated as such, regardless of wheth-
er we are squatting or standing on
the pavement. A simple nod or “have
a nice day” will not actually hinder
me on my way to my destination,
nor will it make the biting wind any
softer. Regardless, I’m quite sure the
cold is much harsher on their end of
the sidewalk.
— Karen Hua can be reached
at khua@umich.edu.
KAREN
HUA
We’ve become coldhearted
T
he Ann Arbor City Council approved a resolution plan on Jan.
20 regarding the city’s protocol for handling homeless camps.
The plan was developed in response to Forestbrooke residents’
complaints that a camp has grown in size since last summer, causing a
disturbance on private property. According to Councilmember Stephen
Kunselman (D–Ward 3), neighbors had previously been using the
private property as a community area. The now-evicted homeless camp,
known as Camp Serenity, was one of the several establishments in Ann
Arbor where displaced citizens have set up tents and created a sense of
community. The city responded appropriately to these complaints by
evicting the members whose tents were on private property. Now, City
Council is considering a more proactive plan to relocate those living
under such conditions. Beyond working on short-term solutions, the
city needs to develop a more thorough eviction plan that works to curb
the systemic issues facing the city’s homeless population.
Kunselman has made it clear that this is not
an issue to which Ann Arbor can turn a blind
eye. The homeless population is very present
in Washtenaw County with a population
estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 people.
Clearly,
for
many
campers,
relocation
is not realistic. Along with significant
transportation issues to shelters that make
many of them inaccessible, these shelters
also suffer from a lack of available resources.
For example, the Delonis Center only has 75
beds for its year-round residential program.
Furthermore, homeless citizens might have
difficulty capitalizing on assistance due to
anxiety or other mental disorders.
Earlier this month, the Ann Arbor
Downtown Development Authority voted to
pursue an ambassador program that would
put paid ambassadors on the streets to help
the homeless and mentally ill, although
that role is not clearly defined. While street
monitors may be helpful in identifying issues
of safety or pointing out individuals who need
help, the money allocated, approximately
$300,000, would be better spent directly
on initiatives that directly improve the
circumstances surrounding the homeless
population’s condition. Services such as
educational programs, career workshops,
psychiatric services, and drug and alcohol
abuse treatment are all resources shelters
must have in order to begin to change the
systematic issue.
Another long-term problem is the lack of
affordable housing in Ann Arbor. The high costs
of housing make it difficult even for employed
homeless people to pay for housing and
reintegrate back into society. Highridge Costa
Housing Partners had plans to build affordable
housing units in 2007 on the property where
Camp Serenity was located . The project has
not been successful because the developer has
not been able to obtain highly competitive,
low-income tax credits granted by the state.
These problems will not dissipate if the
council chooses to ignore or respond with
eviction only after receiving complaints,
which
is
what
happened
with
Camp
Serenity. In order to relocate the homeless
off private property and into caring hands,
councilmembers
must
create
attainable
options rather than waiting until they are
forced to evict campers who are, quite
frankly, stuck in the muck.
Develop a plan on homelessness
FROM THE DAILY
MARGARET DECKER | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
I
was once volunteering at an elemen-
tary school in Ypsilanti when a teacher
told me that it is impossible to feel safe
if your basic needs are not
taken care of. She then said
that more than 50 percent
of her students don’t have
their basic needs met. The
question I continue turning
over in my head is, “what are you privileged
to think about when you don’t need to think
about your health, safety and basic needs?”
Sometimes I feel like my mind is liberated
and I am living in the biggest and best game
of “make believe.” Even though my heart
aches every time I see someone less fortunate
than me, I also recognize that I am the only
person I can control, so that will have to do. I
do not think I am unique in this idea; in fact,
I have met many amazing individuals who
seem to have this same sense of liberation.
The commonality that strings us together is
our desire to help people, create change and
make an impact.
The buzzword “social entrepreneurship”
has been floating across campus and ring-
ing in my ears for a while now. The group
optiMize, a student-driven social innovation
movement that spans the University campus,
seeks to bring creative and socially driven
individuals together. Patrick Tonks, associ-
ate director of the Institute for Humanities,
has jumpstarted a University-funded collec-
tion of student interest groups that similarly
gather students to talk about what really mat-
ters. Additionally, TechArb, a student start-
up accelerator, has similarly gathered a pool
of students doing new and important things.
The avenues are clearly there, and even with-
out the guidance of these accelerator pro-
grams, many students have found sustenance
in providing needs across campus and within
the Ann Arbor community. Coffee clubs, book
clubs, art shows and pop-up competitions
are appearing out of thin air. It is prevalent
and important work that is allowing Univer-
sity students to learn outside of the structure
of a classroom and moreover, to find issues or
needs that are particular to their individual and
unique outlook on life.
I met with Max Steir, a 2013 University
graduate and co-owner of Salads UP on East
Liberty Street, and he had important wisdom
to impart on students who plan on participat-
ing in similar ventures. After realizing that
Ann Arbor lacked a healthy salad restaurant,
he and a friend designed the new shop. The
restaurant emanates sustainable and environ-
mentally conscious efforts. From the locally
sourced food to the reclaimed wood, the space
radiates with a positive mission. Although the
result is a rewarding experience, the process
has its ebbs and flows. Steir said, “You have
to deal with the fear of not exactly knowing
when you are going to get your money back,
but that you spent enough to know that you
will get it back and that much more, and most
importantly, that your operation will turn into
exactly what you envisioned.”
It is important not to compromise one’s
beliefs, but rather to see the project through.
Engineering senior Alex Ottenwess, who is
majoring in industrial engineering and com-
puter science, is embarking on a different path
of entrepreneurship from a more tech-savvy
angle. With the guidance of TechArb, Otten-
wess and fellow teammates have designed an
app called Wiz. Its purpose is to start connect-
ing students to others in the classroom. He
said, “It stemmed from a need I had in a lot of
my big lecture and engineering courses where
it would be 200 people, and I wouldn’t really
get to know any of them. There is a big bar-
rier to get to know people, but when I did find
them, I really saw improvement in my under-
standing.” Wiz aims to open the doors of com-
munication and interaction among classmates.
These tokens of wisdom from students our
age are inspiring and accessible. It takes the
support of every member of a community to
see progress, but it also takes the motivation
that our student body has to offer. If one is
fortunate enough to be liberated from basic
fears of safety and health, it seems that posi-
tive impact and solutions for change can now
occupy part of one’s mind. Every entrepreneur
has a different story to tell and there is no
perfect mold, but if one is able to make the
change they would like to see, it becomes so
much more possible than it would be if they
were passively watching time go by. It is our
duty to bring these issues to the surface so
DANI
VIGNOS
If you knew you couldn’t fail
we can spark the change. As Otten-
wess attested, “A lot of people have
great ideas for change, but never
put them into action, and it remains
just an idea. When you can take
that little leap of faith, even if it’s
really small, that is something put
into action. It’s not going to change
the world necessarily, but a lot of
people struggle to make that initial
leap of faith.”
I’m staring at a postcard my
mom wrote me when I was in a
freshman spell of sadness. Its says,
“What would you attempt to do if
you knew you could not fail?” If you
are able, try to answer this question
and do nothing short of that.
—Dani Vignos can be reached
at dvignos@umich.edu.
Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Devin Eggert, David Harris, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh,
Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm,
Matthew Seligman, Linh Vu, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe
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