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

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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.

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