Dear , it’s time to address our anti-black racism
JENNY CHONG
MiC Staff Writer
A statement from the
Black Student Union
“Are you sure you want to go to
school there? Isn’t it near Detroit,
which is full of dangerous black
people?” said my Chinese dad after
I had gotten accepted to the Uni-
versity of Michigan last spring.
My dad was not supportive of my
decision to enroll at the University
for a few reasons — one of them
being his perception of Michigan
as a crime-ridden state overflow-
ing with violence among the black
community.
I told him, “Actually, the Univer-
sity isn’t that close to Detroit, and
the black population at the school is
less than 5 percent.”
“Oh, of course there aren’t a lot
of black people attending. They’re
too lazy to get in,” he responded.
Appalled at the words that had
just come out of my dad’s mouth, I
expressed my disgust. “That’s rac-
ist. You shouldn’t say that,” I said,
leaving the conversation at that
without reading into his anti-black
racist statements.
Unaware of it at the time, I had
enabled my dad to continue believ-
ing his racist behavior was accept-
able by not speaking up. In being
silent, I was also at fault for subcon-
sciously perpetuating anti-black
racism. One year later, in the wake
of the recent violence and brutality
against members of the Black com-
munity, I am reflecting on the past
in an attempt to unearth my inter-
nalized anti-blackness and learn
how to be an Asian-American ally.
On May 25, George Floyd, who
was a 46-year-old black man died
in the custody of four Minneapolis
police officers, among them, Tou
Thao, a Hmong-American. In a
video of Floyd’s arrest, Thao is seen
looking on as his partner, Derek
Chauvin, holds his knee to Floyd’s
neck for nearly nine minutes.
The Black Student Union at the
University of Michigan would first
like to extend wholehearted con-
dolences to the families of recent
victims of police brutality: Bre-
onna Taylor, George Floyd, David
McAtee and Tony McDade. How-
ever, our concerns and expressions
are not limited to these victims as
there have been countless instanc-
es of police abuse for as long as
this country has existed. The most
well-known are those from the past
decade, where we have witnessed
many unjust murders of Black folks
at the hands of police. To name a
few: Gabriella Nevarez, Mya Hall
and Atatiana Jefferson. So, the
questions we should ask ourselves
are: How is it already 2020 with
things having not substantially
changed for the better? Also, how
can we implement reform such
that we do not find ourselves hav-
ing this same discussion with our
children?
Something has to give. It is time
to bring those in positions of power
to the table and demand that they
affect change. This includes gov-
ernment officials who are elected
to serve their constituents and the
people in charge of our criminal
justice systems. We are tired of
performative acts that create the
illusion that people care — it is
time to take this seriously. Actions
show us more than any amount of
characters in a letter or words in
a prayer. We condemn excessive
police force targeted at those pro-
testing the slaughter of Black bod-
ies and believe they should be given
the same privileges to peacefully
protest as those who protested
stay-at-home orders. Moreover, the
deployment of military forces by
President Donald Trump’s Admin-
istration, which is designed to dis-
rupt those protesting the unequal
treatment of Black folks in the U.S.,
is just another policy intended to
set back this crucial movement.
Additionally, we are disgusted by
the way the media and our nation’s
leaders have promoted the nar-
rative that protesters are “thugs”
who only intend to destroy proper-
ty. Most protests around the nation
have been non-violent displays
of solidarity amongst oppressed,
angry
and
empowered
Black
Americans and their allies. These
overt displays of opposition to the
forward progress of our cause are
evidence of systemic and institu-
tionalized racism and we will not
tolerate it.
To make matters worse, Black
Americans must deal with the
trauma of police brutality in the
midst of a global pandemic. The
irony of the current state of our
country and world is not lost on us.
Although the pandemic and police
brutality may seem unrelated indi-
vidually, the impact that both have
had on the lives of Black Americans
is rooted in the same issue: system-
atic inequity and discrimination.
At this time, we want to extend our
deepest condolences to our com-
munity members and families who
are mourning lost lives and suffer-
ing from increased health compli-
cations and associated costs. We
encourage everyone to stay updat-
ed on the symptoms of COVID-19
and how it is spread.
No matter how you choose to
respond to current events, you
should feel empowered in what-
ever decision you make. Based on
a history of student activism, we
are confident that you all will make
the best decision for yourselves and
the larger community. The BSU
will support you regardless of your
response to current events.
A Yelp review of
America
I’ve heard some rumors about
this place. Apparently, the owners
don’t even own the land on which
this restaurant sits. The service
here is terrible. The ambiance is
lackluster. Let me correct myself:
the atmosphere is hostile. Don’t get
me started on the food. Their week-
ly special of cultural appropriation
comes with two sides: fearing peo-
ple of color and the denial of white
privilege.
Sometimes,
if
we’re
lucky — and it’s in season — they’ll
add racial profiling onto the menu
and a free dessert. Imagine hav-
ing reverse racism a la mode with a
brownie. Yummy right? This place
has been here for what feels like
centuries. Some people dragged my
ancestors here because they just
had to try it. I didn’t like the taste. I
wanted to send it back. First, I tried
speaking to other patrons. Maybe
they would see something wrong
with this restaurant. They said the
food tasted great! Most of them are
regulars and thought I was outra-
geous for my negative review. I
tried speaking to the managers.
They ignored me. They didn’t both-
er to hear or see me. If I ever decide
to go to this restaurant again, it’ll
be a curbside pickup. Oh, and no
tip. All in all, I’d give it no stars.
There are so many names to say.
George Floyd, Eric Garner, Michael
Brown,
Freddie
Grey,
Sandra
Bland, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Mar-
tin, or Philando Castile to name a
few. Another year, another month,
another day and another unarmed
Black man and woman killed. To
SOFÍA C. BISHOP
MiC Guest Writer
wake up every day, seeing these
names, seeing graphic videos of
their death, is traumatizing. When
we urge others to say their name, it
is because they can no longer say it
for themselves and because some-
one decided that their life had no
value. Graphic videos, however,
create an unimaginable amount
of pain and perpetuate inherent
trauma. How many more names
are we going to have to say and
scream until someone can finally
see that this place is not safe? How
many more brothers, husbands,
fathers, mothers, daughters and
granddaughters have to die? How
many of our children across the
diaspora need to grow up and have
“the talk.” Not the birds and bees,
but the “Here’s what you do when
you interact with the police, are
profiled or when someone deter-
mines your skin color is a threat.”
That makes the birds and the
bees easy in comparison. How do
you tell your teenage Black son,
“Don’t wear that hoodie, wear
bright colors when you go out with
your friends and don’t move your
hands off the wheel when you’re
stopped?” Or your Black daughter,
“Limit your passion because they
will perceive you as angry. Remem-
ber to work twice as hard, because
you will only be given half.” What
does that say about America?
What does the silence from oth-
ers say? The silence from others
tells me that they do not value my
life or the lives of others who look
like me.
Read more at michigandaily.com
GRAPHIC BY MAGGIE WIEBE
PROVIDED BY BLACK STUDENT UNION
Read more at michigandaily.com
11
MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Thursday, June 4, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com