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