STRONGER
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 // The Statement
4B
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 // The Statement
5B
BY ADAM BRODNAX,
AREEBA HAIDER,
TANYA MADHANI,
HALIMAT OLANIYAN,
CHRISTIAN PANEDA,
JASON ROWLAND,
NEEL SWAMY,
ASHLEY TJHUNG,
SIVANTHY VASANTHAN
POST ELECTION
COMMENTARY
FROM CAMPUS
ACTIVISTS
Photo by CAROLYN GEARIG/ Daily
Editor’s Note: Following the inaugura-
tion of President Donald Trump on Jan. 21,
editors of Michigan in Color — a section by
and for people of color, dedicated to pub-
lishing inclusive and intersectional content
about race — interviewed and reflected on
the commentary of eight student social jus-
tice leaders in the article below.
T
he 2016 presidential election
has dominated this past year’s
news cycle. This year, we said
farewell to the first Black president of
the United States and inaugurated a man
who has reflected the cultural divides of
a nation roiled by social and economic
transformation. He narrowly flipped
states that Obama had won twice while
articulating support for a ban on Muslim
immigration and hinting at a discrimi-
natory Muslim identification registry.
He wants to build a wall separating
the United States from Mexico, and he
ignorantly painted all Black communi-
ties as crime-ridden, uneducated and
unemployed. The division has not been
without reaction — the day following
Trump’s inauguration, millions in cities
across the country participated in the
Women’s March for civil rights.
Many of us who identify as people
of color have experienced an attack on
our racial identities over these past few
months. As a voice for students of color
on campus, we the editors of Michigan in
Color set out to discover how marginal-
ized students are feeling about the state
of our campus and country in the open-
ing days of Trump’s presidency. Instead
of asking for their political views or
opinions on specific policies, we aimed
to focus on how they plan to turn their
feelings into action.
In the face of heightened racial anxi-
eties, we found that students of color
on our campus share both concern and
a desire to impact change following the
election of President Donald Trump.
Though students from across the Uni-
versity of Michigan bring diverse per-
spectives to our campus, one thing is
clear: We are stronger as one and, as one,
we must take action.
Now more than ever we cannot let
the political climate fill us with hate
or divide us further. The saying “love
trumps hate” is more than a politi-
cal slogan — it is a fact. Love connects
where hate divides. By giving a voice to
student leaders of color, we aim to rally
the student body in celebration of our
differences. We also want to shed light
on the highly personal nature of protest
— the ways one person expresses their
right to assembly is not the way another
activist fighting for the same cause does.
Through these leaders’ voices, we hope
to reveal the work that has been done and
the work that’s still left to do to address
inequality on campus and beyond. Most
importantly, however, we aim to reveal
some of the people behind it..
Michael Heyward
LSA Sophomore
Involvement: Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion Student Advisory Board
Before the election, I was extremely
confident in (Hillary Clinton). Not only
because of her amazing aptitude — I
genuinely believe that she was the most
qualified candidate to run for any office
— but also because I figured my fellow
countrymen and women would reject
the hate spewed by Donald Trump. As
we all know, I was wrong. On Novem-
ber 8th, Americans voted to “take back
their country” — a move I presume was
racially motivated. After eight years of
a Black president, Americans rejected
this progress by electing a racist chau-
vinist.
Looking back, I regret not doing more
to stop Trump’s ascension to the Oval
Office. If more people knew about the
damaging effects that Trump’s policies
would wreak on everyday Americans,
instead of the “alternative facts” spewed
from his campaign, maybe people would
have thought twice before casting their
vote. For progress to be made in the
future, it’s essential for Democrats to not
alienate working-class people. Instead, a
message should be crafted that focuses
on uniting all people — including people
of color and other marginalized back-
grounds — under the promise of a better,
more equitable future.
Additionally, I am incredibly wary
about Trump’s cabinet picks. His choice
for attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is a
known racist. I do not believe he’ll rep-
resent my interests as an African Ameri-
can, and I certainly don’t feel that he
will fight to protect the tens of millions
of Americans of marginalized identities.
Likewise, I fear for female Americans
who now live under a commander in
chief who’s openly admitted to sexually
assaulting women.
For now, I protest because I have
to. But I personally don’t think that
unprivileged people should be on the
frontlines begging to be treated equally.
In an ideal world, people with privilege
would speak up for those without, using
their power for good. As it stands now,
that isn’t the case. I’m forced to fight
to be recognized as an equal human
being, and I will continue fighting for
my rights and the rights of others until
it’s no longer necessary.
Kayla Hatcher
LSA Sophomore
Involvement: Black Undergraduate
Medical Association
Recently, this white boy just came real
close to me and got in my face about my
Black Lives Matter shirt. I get weird looks
every time I wear that shirt. Either people
will give me dirty looks or just not talk to
me.
I still wear my Black Lives Matter shirt
and have my sticker on my laptop. The
looks I recieve when I do are a result of
the media portraying the movement so
poorly. Supporters are ignorantly looked
at as people who hate other races, but I
want people to understand that I am a per-
son — I will be your friend. And I think that
today’s climate with the Women’s March has
been amazing and needed. I don’t think it
was too late, but I definitely feel these things
should happen sooner and more often. I’m
very worried about undoing so quickly what
we have worked so hard to do. I want people,
no matter what color, to not be selfish.
I go to marches when I can. If something
is happening, I’ll go support.
People need to vote. The presidential elec-
tion is not the only election that exists. There
are hundreds of other people in the House
and Senate who also have a say. It’s scary that
this orange, racist man is the new president.
Zainab Bhindarwala
LSA Sophomore
Involvement: SAAN, Intergroup Rela-
tions Council
To put it bluntly, I do not feel safe in
Trump’s America; nor do I think anything
positive will happen over the next four
years. In fact, I think the next four years
will be very rough for many Americans. By
the end, we’ll need to work hard to repair
the damage left in his wake. But somehow
more concerning to me is the potential for
damage committed by Trump’s supporters.
And with him as president, I don’t foresee
any dip in the number of hate crimes we’ve
seen against marginalized groups since
Trump announced his candidacy. This
constant state of fear, for myself as well
as my fellow Americans, is, quite frankly,
exhausting.
Perhaps the only silver lining I can draw
from Trump’s presidency is that his goal to
divide people ended up uniting us. While
Trump’s victory may have been because
he pitted people against one another, the
women’s marches last weekend showed
the world that we are united as one against
hate and bigotry.
Still, there is much more progress to be
made when it comes to coalition building.
While marching is a great way to exercise
political opinions, it’s crucial that future
movements don’t forget intersectionality.
Someone who marches for women’s rights
should also find themselves marching on
the streets for #BlackLivesMatter and
LGBTQ+ rights, to name a few.
Moving forward, it’s essential we make
more of an effort to communicate with
others. I truly believe that if more Trump
supporters had ever met and had a conver-
sation with a Muslim, a Latinx, an African
American or an immigrant, Donald Trump
would not be in the Oval Office today. It’s
easy to vote against a group you’ve never
met; it’s much harder to vote against a fel-
low human. Even on our “diverse” campus,
students should still make an effort to reach
out to those different than themselves. When
this occurs, we will start ridding ourselves
of the misconceptions that fueled the rise of
Donald Trump.
Jules Merringer
LSA Freshman
Involvement: Michigan Community
Scholars Program, Alternative Invest-
ment Club
Many minority groups on campus are
understandably concerned about where they
stand over the next four years. Will their
rights be taken from them? What’s going to
happen? Trump has said a lot of scary things,
and people are worried about the future.
I see a lot of parallels between the recent
Women’s March and the civil rights move-
ment. While people think about Martin
Luther King Jr. when they think civil rights,
the march on Selma was organized by Stu-
dent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee —
a group of people just like us. Many people
from different backgrounds united under
one voice to try to persuade a privileged
group to give them full equality. People need
to put aside differences and come together
to create that collective voice in the struggle
for equal rights because not one group can do
all of this. Coalition building is necessary for
success.
Jonathan Kuriakose
LSA Senior
Involvement: Global Medical Mis-
sions Alliance, Alpha Epsilon Delta
Pre-health honor society, Volunteers
Involved Every Week, Michigan POPS
Orchestra
For people of color to be effective, I think
it is a two-pronged attack. We need to not
only improve our situations on an individu-
al level, but also on a societal level. We often
feel that our impact is small, but I think it is
important for us to keep these topics in our
conversations with our friends and family
— the people we can really affect. We have
to continue to take a stand with non-violent
protests. If we can truly show our pain and
suffering to another, that’s how the percep-
tion of people of color will truly change.
I am not worried about a facetious rule.
A lot of the president’s statements are
unbacked. I think they were superficially
said and used to gain votes. I truly believe
and hope his statements won’t come true.
I worry about the increased power of big
business because America’s greatest weak-
ness comes when those of power gain more
control.
It’s important for us to remember what
America stands for because at the core we
cannot change America, though society
will continue to change. For me, Obama’s
greatest impact he’s had is instilling hope
and that is something we cannot forget.
Mark Anthony Lingaya
LSA Senior
Involvement: UMHS Volunteer, Afri-
can Students Association, Minority
Health and Healthy Disparities Interna-
tional Research Training, Circle K
I did not let my frustrations with the
results of the election stop me from taking
advantage of the opportunities I have as a
student of the University of Michigan. Had
I done so, I would not have been accepted
as a participant for MHIRT, the Minor-
ity Health and Health Disparities Interna-
tional Research Training program. Over
the course of this summer, I will travel to
Ghana to fight the health disparities I am
so passionate about.
Whatever feelings you have as a person
of color are valid, and you have the right to
express them in the ways you feel are best.
However, you should not let these feelings
inhibit you in any way; rather, let them fuel
you. The election is over and it is time to
think of the best ways to move forward. I
am worried that the president is not going
to listen to some of the issues people of
color face when they should listen to all of
those who are affected by their policies.
I will continue to tackle health dispari-
ties and medical racism with all that I am
and in all I do. Along the way, there may be
setbacks, but I will still push forward with
the passion and drive to accomplish my goals.
Andrew Mei
Business Junior
Involvement: Student Organizational
Funding Commission, Center for Posi-
tive Organizations, Gates Milennium
Scholars Michigan.
For students of color, you know that the
way other students of color are treated indi-
rectly affects you. As an Asian-American
male, the racial oppression we have faced
hasn’t been as highlighted as other groups,
but that doesn’t mean we can’t stand in
solidarity with them. By supporting other
students of color, I know I can contribute to
the fight for equal justice, which improves
racial conditions for groups even if their
struggles aren’t as well-known. Knowing
that can be powerful, impactful and can go
a long way.
From taking Intergroup Relations last
semester to being more invested as a stu-
dent of color on campus, I feel that I can
speak more openly and freely to other non-
students of color surrounding racial issues
on campus. For non-students of color, their
voices have the most resources and most
power to bring about change, especially in
the political process. It’s important for them
to realize that there are policies and systems
put in place that unjustly and unfairly lessen
groups of people, and they need to realize
that non-students of color have the power to
do something and ultimately help provide a
more positive and just society.
Vidhya Srivatsan
First year Masters of
Information
Involvement: CommonGround, Stu-
dents4Justice
People of color have different needs; dif-
ferent marginalized communities will have
different needs and different fears. A lot
of our activism has to be productive in a
defensive way. We are a lot less free to make
activist choices — which more privileged
identities can make in terms of protesting.
I’ve skipped out on a few protests because I
am a brown trans-woman. If I am arrested
and end up in a male prison cell, that would
do bad things for my mental health and
for my ability to keep going and doing this
work.
I also have to worry about whether
action will be inclusive of all my identities,
which it’s usually not. I have to do what I
can, which is participating in more educa-
tion-oriented work and in safer spaces. At
first I was a little down on myself for that,
but I realized I’m still doing positive work.
I’m still making a difference.
The first thing people of color need to
do is selfishly take care of our own needs.
In the upcoming months, we will lose a
lot of resources and things important to
us. We need to do our best to exist. A big
thing I try and tell marginalized people is
existence is a form of resistance. Much of
the greater world at large, whether they’ll
admit it or not, wants our existence to be
limited to certain modes of being in specif-
ic places where they can choose to avoid.
Beyond taking care of ourselves, people
of color need to find ways to educate white
people. It sucks because that’s not our
responsibility and not an expectation I
have for people of color, but also one of the
only ways they will learn is by education
from us. White people need to be educated
on our needs, our fears, the things we need
them to be doing for us.
of Color need to find ways to educate
white people. It sucks because that’s not
our responsibility and not an expectation I
have for People of Color, but also one of the
only ways they will learn is by education
from us. White people need to be educated
on our needs, our fears, the things we need
them to be doing for us.
A S O N E