In May, protests erupted in

Ypsilanti after a video showed
the officer repeatedly hitting
Grady El in the head.

Elected officials, candidates

and community members spoke
out against racial injustice in
education, the criminal justice
system and the economy during
Saturday’s event.

Eli
Savit,
Democratic

candidate for Washtenaw County
prosecutor, said the charge for
wanton endangerment — but not
for Taylor’s murder — proved that
“Black lives are devalued.”

Bill
Amadeo,
Grady
El’s

attorney, told the crowd he is
committed to fighting Nessel’s
decision in the Grady El case.
He said he is also representing
many young Black men who
are overcharged in Washtenaw
County.

“They have been victims of the

criminal justice system,” Amadeo
said. “If we’re going to move
forward, this bullshit needs to
stop, and it’s only going to stop if
we all sit down and talk as a team.”

A recent report from the

Citizens for Racial Equality in
Washtenaw
found
significant

gaps in the treatment of different
racial groups in the county’s
criminal
justice
system.
The

report
revealed
prosecutors

charge people of color more often

than they do white people.

U.S.
Rep.
Debbie
Dingell,

D-Mich., told The Michigan Daily
before the event on Saturday that
she was one of the people who
suggested the Grady El case go to
Nessel’s office.

“We need to have someone

who’s going to look at what facts
are,” Dingell said. “Sometimes
they’re really difficult findings
that are made. We’ve got to figure
out how we’re going to go forward
from here and have a legal process
that’s fair, open and transparent
(and) treats everyone the same
way, and also talk about the
problems we still have.”

Dingell told the crowd she was

frustrated by the lack of progress
on racial issues in the U.S., a

failing exposed this summer amid
a series of high-profile police
killings. She criticized President
Donald
Trump’s
leadership

during the unrest.

“We have a problem of injustice

in America,” Dingell said. “But
what we need is a leader who’s
not afraid to have uncomfortable
conversations, not a leader who’s
gonna put kerosene on a fire and
divide this country with fear and
hatred.”

Rev.
Joe
Summers,
pastor

at the Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation, pointed to the general
wealth of University students,
many of whom he said come from
households making hundreds of
thousands of dollars per year, as
evidence of the disparities in the

community. He said the nation’s
education
system
gives
the

wealthiest families access to high
schools that send students to elite
universities. Meanwhile, college-
aged Black men are more likely to
go to prison than graduate college
in Michigan, he said.

“And it costs almost as much to

send someone to prison as it costs
to send them to a place like the
University of Michigan,” Summers
said.

Art & Design sophomore Emma

Peterson said she came to protest
the lack of indictment in the Taylor
case. She said she was inspired by
Summers’s call to action.

“Since we’re privileged enough

to have the opportunities that this
university gives us, our obligation

is to give back to our communities,”
Peterson said.

Other speakers included Nick

Roumel, candidate for Washtenaw
County Circuit Court Judge, and
Krystal DuPree, candidate for Ann
Arbor Public School board.

After the speeches, the crowd

filed out of the Diag to chant and
march through downtown Ann
Arbor.

Aside
from
some
of
the

organizers, the protesters were
almost all white. For Michigan
State
University
sophomore

Savannah Fort, the racial makeup
was nothing new.

In Ann Arbor, two iconic

local cinemas — the State
Theatre on South State Street
and the Michigan Theater on
East Liberty Street — have
been closed since the start
of the pandemic. Both have
offered virtual screenings of
films and asked for donations
to help keep them in business.

The city currently limits

indoor
gatherings
to
10

individuals and caps events at
25 people when in an outdoor
setting. City Council passed
an
ordinance
in
August

putting the restrictions in
place amid fears that students
returning to the University
of Michigan’s campus could
trigger an outbreak.

Those
restrictions
align

with rules set by Washtenaw
County earlier in August.
The county’s policy prohibits
outdoor gatherings of more
than 25 people in Ann Arbor
and Ypsilanti, both of which
are college towns.

As of Friday, the University’s

COVID-19 dashboard, which
was
recently
updated
to

include testing at off-campus
facilities and better align
with data from the county,
showed a total positive case
count of 288 since Aug. 30,
the day before the start of
the fall semester. That count
includes both students and
non-students.

On Wednesday, prior to

the University’s decision to
incorporate off-campus tests
that were not self-reported,
the dashboard reported 117
positive
cases
during
the

same time period.

Whitmer noted the state is

still in a state of emergency
and that the virus is still a
persistent threat.

“We are not out of the woods

yet, and we will continue
to monitor the effects of
these incremental changes,”
Whitmer said. “Right now, the
federal government and all 50
states have been under some
form of state of emergency.
We must stay the course and
continue fighting this virus
on behalf of our families,
frontline workers, and our
small businesses.”

Managing News Editor Leah

Graham can be reached at
leahgra@umich.edu.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 — 3

THEATERS
From Page 1

Business
graduate
student

Tunde Osilaja, who is of Nigerian
and American descent, wrote in
a post on @blackatmichigan that
his professor made a derogatory
remark about Nigerian people to
his 80-person section in September
2018.

According to Osilaja’s post, the

professor said, “I wouldn’t try
to deceive you, I’m not like one
of those Nigerians,” a comment
that refers to a discriminatory
stereotype about Nigerians.

“I thought I misunderstood

him, but I was shocked when he
repeated the same comment later
in the lesson,” Osilaja said.

DeRue told The Daily the

Business administration is aware
of this comment and has addressed
it with the faculty member.

“I’m aware of the matter, and

certainly it’s unfortunate and
disappointing, very disappointing
that happened,” DeRue said.

When asked by The Daily what

specifically was said to the faculty
member regarding the incident, a
spokesperson for DeRue said they
cannot comment on personnel
matters.

The professor’s comments are

not what hurt Osilaja the most,
he said, but rather the response
of
his
classmates.
According

to Osilaja, the majority of his
classmates laughed along with
the professor, while only a few
of them approached him later to
discuss the incident and share their
misgivings.

DeRue said the administration

encourages students and faculty to
report any discrimination they may
experience.

“We take these matters very

seriously and are very proactive
... and we do a follow-up on every
single instance that is reported and
take action as appropriate for that
matter,” DeRue said.

Many Black Business students

said
their
experiences
with

discrimination and racism were
covert rather than overt, such as
microaggressions — remarks or
actions that communicate negative
or demeaning attitudes toward
marginalized groups.

Business junior Karla Bell, Black

Business Undergraduate Society
president, said she has experienced
microaggressions when working
in small groups in class where a
majority of the other students were
white.

“There have been experiences,

especially working within teams,
where I would say something
and then I’m not heard, and then
someone will say a similar thing
and then they’ll be listened to,”
Bell said. “A lot of times, it’s the
lack of people believing that you
have the skills that you obviously
have because we’re all in the same
place.”

An underrepresented Black

community

In the Winter 2020 semester, 3.3

percent of students in the Business
School were Black and 50.7 percent
of students were white, according
to the Office of the Registrar.

Business
alum
Errington

Bethel said the Business School’s
racial demographics should be
proportionate to the country’s.
About 14 percent of people in
Michigan and 13.4 percent of
people in the U.S. are Black.

“Michigan needs to look at Black

Americans getting accepted into
Ross and understand either why
they’re not getting in, understand
why
they’re
choosing
to
go

elsewhere, and it’s always a play
on, ‘Is it the chicken or the egg?’”
Bethel said. “So, do we get more
Black students, and then we need
more Black professors, or do we
get more Black professors and then
more Black students come in?”

Business
Professor
Marcus

Collins said there are not enough
students
of
color
attending

the
Business
School
or
the

University.
However,
he
said

these demographics are a result
of a systemic issue larger than the
University.

“I think as higher education

becomes more financially out of
reach for socially and economically
deprived
communities,

marginalized communities, you’re
going to see lack of representation,”
Collins said. “It’s a major issue, and
I think that it doesn’t fall at any one
school’s feet.”

DeRue said one reason behind

the low number of students of color
at the Business school is Proposal 2,
which was approved by Michigan
voters in 2006 and prohibits
colleges in Michigan from taking
race into account in the admissions
process.

But it is not clear if the

demographics within the Business
School have changed since the
proposal. In the winter semester
of 2005, prior to the approval
of the proposal, Black students
comprised 3.8 percent of Business
students, nearly the same as the
3.3 percent of Black students in the
Business school today.

DeRue said the Business School

has been working hard to increase
diversity
within
the
student

body. Programs like Michigan
Ross Enriching Academics in
Collaboration with High Schools
(MReach)
help
high
school

students who are interested in
business prepare for the college
applications process and explore
the business world.

And
this
summer,
DeRue

announced new diversity initiatives
at the Business School through a $6
million dollar gift from Stephen
M. Ross and Jeff Blau. The new
Blau Initiative for Diversity in
Real Estate and Infrastructure
is designed to offer high school
students from underrepresented
backgrounds
internships
and

learning experiences in real estate
and investing. The new Related
Scholars
Fund
will
provide

scholarships to support students
from diverse backgrounds who
are underrepresented in business
leadership.

Students like Donald Lindsay,

an MBA student and co-president
of the Black Business Students
Association, have also called on the
administration to hire more Black
faculty members.

“If I see another Black person or

Black faculty in the program, I feel
a little bit more comfortable than
if I didn’t, because I’m thinking,
‘Man, if I need to talk to somebody,
I’d probably talk to that person,’”
Lindsay said. “That’s something
that’s undervalued.”

There were eight Black or

African American faculty members
and 141 white faculty members in
the Business School as of November
2019, according to the University’s
Office of Public Affairs.

Bell said in her experience,

most Black faculty members are
concentrated in the marketing
track at the Business School.

“There are literally no Black

faculty around,” Bell said. “ … If
you’re not a marketing student or
if you’re not interested in anything
with the marketing focus, you
can go through four years of Ross
without having a Black professor,
easily.”

DeRue said he recognizes there

is much work to be done regarding
increasing faculty of color within
the Business School.

“If you look at all the accredited

business schools in the country,
we’re slightly above average,”
DeRue said. “That’s not good
enough.”

DeRue said the Business School

wants to prioritize DEI in faculty
hiring, especially with doctoral
students. This year, the Business
School’s doctoral program was
awarded a Rackham Faculty Allies

Diversity grant to support its
diversity initiative.

Disappointment
with
the

Business School’s namesake

Black students in the Business

School said they were disappointed
that the school is named after
Stephen Ross, a Michigan alum
and founder and chairman of
Related Companies, because of
Ross’s political affiliations. In
August 2019, Ross held a fundraiser
for Donald Trump which raised
$12 million. The move upset some
students,
who
demanded
the

Business School be renamed.

The backlash highlighted anger

over racism stemming from the
president’s office, such as Trump’s
response to violence at a white
supremacist rally in Charlottesville
in which he blamed “both sides” for
the conflict.

Naja Edwards, a Business School

alum and former MBA Council
President, said that her fellow
Business students were angry
after hearing the news of Ross’s
fundraiser.

“In my opinion, there was a lot

of pushback from MBA students,”
Edwards said. “They know the
deal. Donald Trump is a polarizing
figure.”

Lindsay said he is “painfully

aware” the school is named after
one of the largest Trump campaign
supporters.

“The fact that he’s a Republican

is probably neither here nor there,”
Lindsay said. “But (he is) someone
who’s actively supported someone
who represents a lot of what’s
wrong in this country.”

DeRue said he appreciates Ross’s

support and that he has been of
great value to the Business School,
specifically through programs like
the Ross Initiative in Sports for
Equality, which works to empower
and educate the sports community
to end racial discrimination.

“Stephen Ross has been a true

champion of higher education,”
DeRue said. “He’s been a true
champion of fighting for social
injustice and inequality … and we
are very grateful to Stephen and all
of his support.”

Concerns
regarding
the

transparency in DEI efforts

Many Black students have said

there is a lack of transparency and
accountability within the Business
School
administration’s
DEI

efforts.

DeRue’s statement after the

police killing of George Floyd
sparked
criticism
from
some

students who took issue with the
wording he used.

“Like so many of you, I have

watched in horror the recent
events
in
Minneapolis
where

George Floyd died while in the
custody of police officers,” DeRue
wrote. “Mr. Floyd’s senseless and
tragic death has motivated days of
protests across our country, and
I want to recognize the pain, fear,
anger, and hopelessness that many
are experiencing, especially those
in our Black and African American
community.”

According to Business junior

Bolaji Gaba, BBUS vice president
of corporate relations, some Black
students said they were angered by
the timing and content of DeRue’s
statement. They specifically took
issue with DeRue referring to
Floyd’s murder as a “senseless
and tragic death,” instead of
acknowledging that white police
officers killed Floyd.

DeRue later apologized for his

choice of words through a follow-
up email and town hall.

DeRue said he did not intend in

any way to discount the killing of
Floyd, and hearing feedback from
Business students was a moment of
growth for him.

“I took full ownership of the

choice of words, in terms of
describing the killing of George
Floyd as his death,” DeRue said.
“I was truly heartbroken that my
choice of words caused the pain

that it did to our students. Also, it
was a learning moment for me, and
so I really appreciated the feedback
that our students gave in terms of
that word choice.”

Later that week, the Business

School held a DEI Virtual Town
Hall
discussing
the
school’s

approach to racial justice, where
DeRue publicly apologized for
his statement. There were 420
Business School faculty, staff and
students in attendance, according
to Bridget Vis, Business School
public relations specialist.

Edwards
said
Business

graduate students were initially
disheartened by the DeRue’s first
statement, which did not include
a specific plan on how the school
would reduce racial discrimination.

“That
created
this
whole

sentiment
amongst
the
MBA

students where everybody was just
like, ‘There needs to be more here.
People need to be held accountable,
there needs to be concrete action,
there needs to be an action plan,’”
Edwards said.

After talking with the BBSA

and other members of the Business
School, DeRue released a second
statement on June 10 that included
a 14-step action plan to promote
and improve DEI initiatives. DeRue
listed steps to improve diversity
within teaching and learning
practices, leadership teams and
human resources policies.

The Black Business students

The
Daily
spoke
with
had

mixed feelings about the second
statement. Some were hopeful
that this plan would reduce racism
and discrimination while others
remained skeptical.

Collins said while he did

appreciate having a specific action
plan, he empathized with students’
frustration.

“The frustration that students

feel in regards to like, ‘Is this
lip service, is this real, will this
happen?’ is a completely fair,
understandable and arguably, the
right frustration that should be
felt,” Collins said. “I feel it too, and
I think that is the right frustration
to have, and until there are
receipts of actually realizing
those promises, they should be
frustrated, absolutely.”

Taylor said she thinks the

Business
administration
is

making a genuine effort to
improve its DEI initiatives,
but she said she would not
have this same view if she
did not have close ties with
the
administration
through

programs like BBUS.

“If
I
didn’t
have
those

relationships and actually hear
from their mouth that they were
trying to do stuff, on a regular
day, even walking through the
Winter Garden, I wouldn’t be
able to tell a thing,” Taylor said.

DeRue
recognized
that

students might not be aware
of
the
administration’s
DEI

initiatives.

“To any student who feels

disconnected from our efforts
or that we’re not engaging, we
want to engage, and I would
encourage those students to
either reach out to me directly,
reach out to our team, engage
in the workshops and the events
that we are holding so that we
can work together to accomplish
our shared goals,” DeRue said.

Bethel said he hopes the

Business School continues to
focus
on
combatting
racial

discrimination.

“I definitely think continuing

to keep the conversation going
is important, but I think what’s
more important is following
up and actions and not letting
something distract us from what
we’re trying to achieve,” Bethel
said.

Daily Staff Reporters Parnia

Mazhar and Ann Yu can be
reached at parniam@umich.edu
and anncyu@umich.edu.

ROSS
From Page 1

“I couldn’t stand Northwood

anymore,” Thedford said. “It’s
just crazy there and more kids
who test positive are literally
right next to you. For my safety,
I thought it was best if I just
went home cause I have the
luxury of living an hour away.”

The
conditions
at
the

University’s quarantine housing
have
been
the
subject
of

numerous complaints — and a
viral Tik Tok — by students sent
to isolate there. Residents have
voiced concerns about a lack of
sanitation, the low quality of
the meal delivery service and
limited communication between
them and the University. In
response to the criticism, the
University created a new job to
oversee students and conditions
in quarantine housing.

Martin
said
while
the

first set of data to come from
surveillance testing recorded
zero positive tests, she would
“love to get as many people
signed up as possible” to collect
more data from students.

Public
Health
graduate

student Peter DeJonge works
with Martin in the surveillance
testing program. DeJonge also
encouraged students to sign
up for the program, saying it
benefits the community.

“I would encourage people

to sign up,” DeJonge said.
“Everyone will eventually be
selected to come in and collect
the self swab. We give their
results back pretty quickly. It
contributes to the overall well-
being of campus and there’s
very little hassle to make an
appointment.”

Thedford
brought
up

concerns
about
the
newly

reinstated
football
season

affecting testing and contact
tracing, saying tailgates could
negatively impact the progress
of the CTC.

“If a positive person goes to

a tailgate, there’s no point (in
contact
tracing),”
Thedford

said.

“It’s just not effective because

if a kid has COVID, they’re only
going to say the five close friends
that they know of and everyone
else is just going to walk freely. I
think contact tracing is going to
have a big issue coming up and
we’re going to see an influx of

people entering Northwood. It’s
just going to keep getting worse
and worse.”

While COVID-19 surveillance

testing
has
faced
backlash

over privacy concerns, Martin
said their program is based on
influenza surveillance, which is
a common program in the state
of Michigan.

“So we watch what’s going

on at doctors’ offices, we watch
what’s going on at the hospitals,
we watch what people are
reporting in the community,”
Martin said. “But we also kind
of go out and do targeted testing
to figure out if influenza is here
yet. Is it going? Is it getting
higher? And that gives us an
extra
piece
of
information

to help us tailor how we’re
responding (to the virus).”

DeJonge said surveillance

testing is important among
college students because many
virus carriers are asymptomatic.

“With
any
communicable

disease
or
something
that

people can spread from person
to person, it’s important for
the community to know what’s
out there,” DeJonge said. “So
the surveillance that we do is
important to just recognize how
many people are out there, we
don’t know about and wouldn’t
know about because they never
will have symptoms.”

Racial disparities persist in

the pandemic’s impact, with
Black and Hispanic Americans
bearing the brunt of the virus.
Martin said some marginalized
communities
have
been

negatively
affected
by
the

medical system and may be
unwilling to participate in
these surveillance programs.

“I think that we need to be

mindful of both sides of the
people that would feel safer
with
mandatory
testing,”

Martin said. “I think we need
to acknowledge that there
are communities of people
that both have reasons that
they don’t want to participate in
mandatory testing, but then also
may have had experiences with
the medical system and public
health surveillance systems that
may make them uncomfortable.
With that kind of mandate, I
think we need to acknowledge
that and also as part of the
conversation.”

Daily Staff Reporter Jasmin

Lee can be reached at itsshlee@
umich.edu.

TRACING
From Page 2

PROTEST
From Page 1

Read more at
MichiganDaily.com