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

