3B
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 / The Statement
NOW MORE THAN EVER:
10 student leaders put the conversation about progress in context
V
ery soon after enrolling at this campus, the illusion of
inclusivity was shattered for me. Throughout the years
this has become clearer, as time and time again I have watched
Islamophobia being ignored at the University of Michigan and
throughout the country. At the end of my freshman year, I, along
with other Muslim students on this campus, was forced to create
my own safe spaces due to the University aligning itself with the
media’s conflation of Muslim students’ demand for safety and
respect as an attempt at stifle others’ freedom of speech.
This experience made me think about the way in which other
minorities on campus are marginalized, our shared sentiments
and how our oppressions are inextricably linked.
I asked student leaders who have experience working on
issues of diversity, equity and inclusion — either within their
own communities or with the administration itself — to send
me reflections on this issue. I originally conducted interviews
with them in late October after the launch of the University’s
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. However, in light of the
election of Donald Trump, I felt that the conversation needed
to be revisited so that these perspectives could be viewed in the
context of a dramatic shift in the sociopolitical climate of the
United States, a shift that will inevitably affect our own campus.
These students were asked one question: What would you
share with the administration regarding diversity, equity and
inclusion and campus climate?
As a hijab-wearing Muslim woman it was heartbreaking
to me that another Muslim student on this campus would be
threatened just for practicing her faith, and yet, I have seen more
support from students, faculty, and administration than ever
before. The truth is that Donald Trump’s victory is a product of
a foundation of fear — built on implicit biases and frustrations
that are and have been embedded in this nation for a long time.
We must look in the mirror and ask ourselves what this country
really is and what we can do in our power to create a more
inclusive campus despite this shift.
Now it is more important than ever to have these conversations
about what needs to be done in order to create a more inclusive
and equitable world. The goal of this piece is to encourage and
foster dialogue in a way that personalizes these experiences and
allows readers to think of their own ideas.
JASMYNE JACKSON
THIRD-YEAR MED STUDENT / FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE
BLACK MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
I cannot comprehend the cognitive dissonance it
takes to value diversity yet believe that students are not
academically and emotionally affected by the overt and
covert acts of intolerance that occur nationally as well
as on this very campus. As a Black, queer, female medi-
cal student, it is exhausting to unpack the psychological
trauma of attacks on my personhood. When I was leav-
ing the hospital after a night shift, I received a phone call
from my dad. He stated that he heard about the racist fly-
ers on my campus and told me he loves me and to be care-
ful. This is 2016. In reaction to “Kill em all” and “purify
America” being painted on The Rock post-election, my
cousin told me to be careful. I should not be told to be
careful because of my race in 2016. A man threatened to
set a woman on fire because of her religious beliefs and
thus, forced a member of our community to remove her
hijab. We have a humanistic obligation to protect those
who are the most vulnerable to the manifestation of the
hateful rhetoric that has been spewed out across the
country. Some members of our community do not feel
safe, and safety is a human right — it is an essential part
of public health. The University has a responsibility to
never be complacent in the face of injustice and needs to
critique what aspects of this campus facilitate actions of
hate. I stand in solidarity with people of color, my Mus-
lim brothers and sisters, immigrants, women, individu-
als with disabilities and the LGBTQ community. I will
devote my Michigan degree to uplifting, and for me, that
is the true Michigan Difference.
CHANNING MATHEWS
RACKHAM STUDENT /MEMBER OF THE STUDENTS OF
COLOR OF RACKHAM EXECUTIVE BOARD — CURRENTLY
RACKHAM LIAISON, FORMER PRESIDENT
The administration has to make these issues relevant
to every single student that comes across this campus,
regardless of their identities or backgrounds … The big-
gest question that administration needs to answer right
now is how will it protect the safety of the students, both
physically and mentally. The outburst of hate crimes on
campus and propaganda that appeals to hate and fear is
not going to be addressed simply by acknowledging the
problem in an email, or several emails for that matter.
We need concrete action steps to protect our students,
especially our Muslim and Latinx communities who are
being openly targeted in election aftermath.
ALL PHOTOS BY DAVID SONG/DAILY