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Wednesday, February 10, 2021 — 3
Activist, scholar LaTosha Brown hosts
Black History Month kickoff event
Speaker encourages students to “reimagine how we can better our world”
To begin this month’s Black
History Month celebrations,
LaTosha Brown, co-founder of
the Black Voters Matter Fund
and a 2020-2021 American
Democracy Fellow at Harvard
University,
discussed
civic
engagement, voter suppression
and political power in the
21st century at a virtual event
Monday evening.
Hosted by the University
of Michigan Office of Multi-
Ethnic Student Affairs, the
event marked the start of a
month dedicated to honoring,
informing
and
recognizing
the important role that Black
people
play
in
American
history.
Brown not only spoke on the
significance of Black History
Month but also shared personal
experiences. She began her
lecture
by
singing
a
song
discussing how her hometown
of Selma, Ala., influenced her
political activism today.
“Well, the first thing I did
right was the day I started to
fight,” Brown sang. “Keep your
eyes on the prize and hold on.”
Brown’s vocals and use of
music during her talk resonated
with many attendees, including
Music, Theatre & Dance senior
Jack Williams III.
“It was really beautiful to
not only hear her sing, but to
also hear her stories about
how music has helped shape
her life and shape her work,
and about the ways in which
music is being used time and
time again,” Williams said.
“If you look at old videos from
the Civil Rights Movement,
you will see them singing as
they’re marching. It just makes
me think of the ways in which
Black people have used their
voices time and time again to
enact change.”
Despite the bleak history
that often accompanies her
tune, Brown said this song is
also optimistic because it is an
anthem for political activism.
“It was being created and
raised within the context of
people who had that song in
their
heart
that
ultimately
shaped me into the person I am
today,” Brown said.
Brown
carried
this
tone
of positivity into addressing
President Joe Biden’s victory
in the 2020 election. She said
people have a responsibility
to be civically engaged and
cognizant of the policies that
impact their day-to-day lives.
“We want people to believe
that they have agency and the
right to govern themselves,”
Brown
said.
“Every
single
aspect of our lives is impacted
by policy. We’re not asking you
to believe in the system. We’re
asking you to believe in your
agency and power. You’ve got
to show up.”
Brown urged the audience
to
continue
fighting
for
democracy,
noting
that
democracy has always been a
threat to white supremacy.
“Democracy
has
been
a
vehicle
for
American
exceptionalism
to
hide
behind,” Brown said. “At the
same time that we were having
lofty ideas that all men are
created equal and endowed
by
their
creator,
we
saw
the genocide of Indigenous
people
in
this
country
and
the
exploitation
and
dehumanization of Africans.
However,
democracy
allows
us to use our leverage and our
collective voice to reduce some
of the harm that has happened
in our communities. If Black
people were not voting in this
country, we would not have a
democracy.”
Brown also commented on a
more recent event: the Jan. 6
Capitol riot. Brown said current
economic
uncertainties,
as
well as blatant racism and
scapegoating, contributed to
the attempted insurrection.
“There
are
some
larger
structural
issues
that
are
driving the frustration that
is rooted in the current state
of the country and economy,”
said Brown. “However, Black
people and immigrants are
consistently
the
scapegoat
and receive most of the blame.
There is an expectation that
America is supposed to serve
the interest of white comfort.
So
when
there
is
white
discomfort, there has been
a history of society blaming
people of color.”
LSA senior Josiah Walker,
vice president of LSA student
government,
asked
Brown
about the influence that Black
college students have on the
future of democracy. Brown
responded by posing a question
of her own: “What would
America
look
like
without
racism?”
“98% of people cannot see
anything
when
doing
this
exercise,” said Brown. “Spend
more time radically envisioning
what this world can be. There
is nothing that has ever been
brought into being that was
not first envisioned. We can
radically
reimagine
every
system as founders of a new
America. Spend more time
not just reacting to what is
happening around us, but to
reimagine how we can better
our world.”
This exercise was powerful
and
eye-opening
for
many
attendees,
including
Music,
Theatre & Dance associate
professor Antonio C. Cuyler,
who moderated the event.
“I’ve
heard
of
this
experiment before and I’ve
been thinking about it more,”
Cuyler said. “If we remove
racism, if we remove sexism,
if we remove all forms of
oppression currently in our
society, what would that look
like? And the answer I came
up with is a more prosperous
society, a society that allows all
of us to prosper unencumbered
by these artificial differences
that we placed too much value
in.”
Walker said he wanted to see
the University raise awareness
of Black history during all
months of the year.
“Black people still exist
outside the month of February,”
Walker said. “I want to see the
University continue to promote
Black
history
further
and
highlight
the
contributions
that the Black community has
made
in
American
society
throughout history and today.”
Chief
Diversity
Officer
Robert Sellers spoke on the
panel and echoed Walker’s
sentiments, urging the audience
to celebrate Black history and
recognize
the
contributions
Black people have made to the
country.
“You
can’t
understand
American
history
without
understanding
African-
American history,” Sellers said.
“I would like for everybody —
regardless of race and cultural
background — to have a better
understanding
of
the
role
of African Americans in the
world.”
Williams said he wished
the University would spend
more time and resources to
events supporting the Black
community on campus.
“I think having consistent
programming
that
acknowledges Black students
on
campus
is
important,”
Williams said. “Members of
my Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Inc., Epsilon Chapter in the
past were really influential in
starting organizations such as
the Black Student Union and
things of that nature. So, I
think that it’s important that
the University acknowledges
the work that Black students
do because part of the Black
experience on campus is not
just the hardships of being
the only person of color in the
classroom. It’s the fun things
too — it’s the things that we do
to constantly uplift students on
a day-to-day basis.”
Public
Policy
senior
Cydney Gardner-Brown, also
a
panelist,
encouraged
the
University to pay students who
speak on panels and offer their
knowledge to the University
community.
“It seems that the University
recognizes the importance of
having student panelists and
having the voice of student
activists on their panels, but
they don’t see the necessity of
making sure those students feel
compensated for their work,”
Gardner-Brown said. “A lot of
the work that student activists
do are things that people in the
workforce get paid to do.”
Throughout the event, Brown
urged attendees to advance
humanity in a direction where
equality reverberates through
every community. According
to
Brown,
commitment
and perseverance form the
foundation
of
successful
movements. She encouraged
the audience to welcome the
tension
and
pressure
that
accompanies producing radical
change.
“Pressure
either
destroys
you or stimulates you,” Brown
said. “You have to radically
recreate what you want to
see.
Every
generation
has
something to offer. Tension is
normal. As long as you have
mutual respect, change can
happen.”
Daily Staff Reporter Janice
Kang
can
be
reached
at
janicegk@umich.edu.
Students of Color Liberation Front releases
anti-racist demands for U-M administration
Coalition of racial/ethnic justice organizations calls on University to increase funding, decolonize curricula and more
CAMPUS LIFE
CAMPUS LIFE
JANICE KANG
Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan’s
Students of Color Liberation Front
— a coalition of racial/ethnic
justice organizations — released
a 15-page document of demands
Monday calling on the University
to take concrete steps to address
and dismantle racism on campus.
Almost 100 community members
have signed in support of the
statement by time of publication.
The SoC LF is made up of the
Black Student Union, United Asian
American Organizations, La Casa,
Arab Student Association, Native
American Student Association,
the
Student
Community
of
Progressive Empowerment and
Students Allied for Freedom and
Education.
The demands cover a wide range
of issues, some new and many
longtime demands from each of
these organizations. The goal of
these demands is to improve the
experiences of students, faculty
and staff of color on campus while
positively impacting the entire
U-M community, the statement
said.
Some of the demands call
on the University to support
the leadership of racial justice
organizations
on
campus
in
their work. This includes the
Office of Student Life giving each
organization $1,500 in funding
starting this semester, as well
as
offering
other
sustainable
funding
models
particularly
for Arab Student Association.
The statement also asks that
student leaders from SoC LF
member organizations be able
to
recommend
candidates
to
fill
administrative
positions,
particularly those that impact
students of color on campus.
Some of the demands pertain to
academics at the University: they
ask the University to decolonize its
curriculums, echoing sentiments
from
last
semester’s
United
Statement; reassess the Race
and Ethnicity requirement; and
provide more support for faculty
of color.
One category of demands are
increasing staff for students of
color in key support areas, such
as Counseling and Psychological
Services — particularly for
Indigenous,
LGBTQ+
and/or
undocumented students — as well
as at the Spectrum Center.
Other demands ask for making
Indigenous People’s Day a U-M
holiday, abolishing the Office
of
Enrollment
Management’s
40-day clause for in-state tuition
and
disaggregating
Asian/
Pacific Islander American data
for climate surveys. The latter
two have been long-time asks
of
SCOPE,
the
organization
advocating
for
undocumented
students on campus, and AAPI
groups, respectively. Additionally,
the demands include mandating
that
Student
Legal
Services
provide
training
for
Arab/
Palestine student activists and
that the University commit to
transparency
regarding
secret
societies’ access to administrative
resources, among many other
asks.
LSA
junior
Rebeca
Yanes,
external director of La Casa,
wrote in an email to The Michigan
Daily that these demands are
empowering
because
they
encourage students of color to
actively participate in discussions
about anti-racism.
“The
Students
of
Color
Liberation
Front,
along
with
the
collective
leadership
and
membership of the organizations
that make it up, should be regarded
as stakeholders in conversations
about anti-racism on campus,”
Yanes wrote. “I believe that
University
leadership
should
equally and meaningfully consult
all the demands if they seek to
create a truly anti-racist campus.”
Yanes also wrote that the
power of these demands lies in the
collective action of these different
organizations to make campus
better for all students.
“As the Students of Color
Liberation Front, we are a united
front, equally invested in the
empowerment of each other’s
communities and demands for
University
leadership,”
Yanes
wrote. “Each demand is made as
equally valuable and significant in
the University’s work that impacts
students of color.”
Policing demands
The executive board of Students
Allied for Freedom and Equality
wrote in a statement to The Daily
that SoC LF is a platform for people
of color to collectively address
racism at the University, especially
after members of the Graduate
Employees’ Organization, faculty
and
undergraduate
students
called for demilitarization and
diversion of funds from local and
campus police during their strike
last semester.
The demands include that the
University cut all ties with the
U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement and the Ann Arbor
Police Department, commit to
investigating alternatives to police
intervention and reexamine how
the University currently utilizes
alternative methods to policing.
The statement writes that these
demands are non-negotiable.
“Accordingly,
these
action
items will cultivate a safe campus
climate for all students,” the
demands read. “Especially Black
and Brown students who are
disproportionately placed at risk
when the University relies heavily
on police presence on campus.”
These demands followed a
summer of protests to end police
brutality. In response to GEO’s
anti-policing
demands,
the
University created the U-M task
force on public safety to evaluate
the operations of the Division
of Public Safety and Security
and recommend improvements,
though a member of the task force
told The Daily the group is set on
police reform.
The demilitarization demands
also arose out of the University’s
choice to introduce — and soon
after repeal — the controversial
Michigan Ambassadors program,
which had armed police officers
walking
around
campus
to
monitor student behavior during
the pandemic. Many cultural
associations said they were not
consulted about the creation of the
Michigan Ambassadors program.
“SoC LF is a coalition space
made up of various racial justice
organizations
that
have
had
existing relationships, but our
organizations
came
together
under this name in response to the
University’s decisions regarding
policing last semester, and the
lack of consultation with our
organizations,”
the
statement
reads. “In response, our coalition
banded together to resist shallow
consultation of students of color,
and over the course of the last few
months, developed these demands
for this anti-racist vision.”
Outreach to prospective
students of color
The demands also call on the
University to restructure outreach
initiatives to underrepresented
students
of
color.
In
their
statement, SoC LF said this is a
necessary step toward creating an
equitable campus.
The steps for achieving this
include increasing the population
of
staff
who
can
speak
to
experiences of students of color
in the Office of Financial Aid,
meeting the 10% Black student
enrollment
benchmark
as
originally demanded by the Black
Action Movement and hiring full-
time staff members who are well-
versed in experiences of people
of color to coordinate the 2006
Proposal 2 adherent recruitment
strategies.
It also asks the University to
recommit
the
Comprehensive
Studies Program to its original
purpose of serving Black students
and giving “students — primarily
in-state
minority
students
from
inner-city
high
schools
— an opportunity to attend the
University of Michigan during
the summer to achieve a solid
academic foundation for success
in the fall term.” Other programs
meant for Black students, like the
Bridge Scholars Program, has also
seen a decrease in Black student
enrollment.
“The University of Michigan
must commit to an extensive
restructuring
of
outreach
and
recruitment
methods
in
enrollment
management
and
outreach offices,” the demands
read.
The
University
previously
offered the Provost Award, which
fully met out-of-state students’
demonstrated needs who typically
had expected family contribution
below approximately $11,000. Last
year, the award was discontinued
and the Victors Award was
introduced, which includes a
merit component and provides a
flat $8,000 per year. The award is
given in addition to other aid for
which a student might qualify for.
Last month, after seeing a drop
in Latinx enrollment, La Casa
released a statement opposing
the
discontinuation
of
the
Provost Award. According to the
statement, the reduced financial
aid packages did not provide
sufficient support for out-of-state
Latinx students who were unable
to afford University tuition. The
University has countered that the
drop in Latinx enrollment could
be due to the pandemic, but La
Casa maintains that it believes the
end of the Provost’s Award also
played a factor.
“The policy sends a concerning
message to the Latinx community
and
prospective
out-of-state
students who experience financial
hardship that the University of
Michigan is not accessible,” the
statement reads.
Climate demands
SoC LF also asks that the
University reassess its relationship
with the fossil fuel industry and
divest from companies that violate
the rights of Palestinians in order
to demonstrate a commitment
to sustainable, ethical and moral
spending.
In December, the President’s
Commission on Carbon Neutrality
— created after sustained student
activism — released its draft
recommendations
to
reduce
greenhouse
gas
emissions
associated with the University.
However, activists — particularly
those involved with the Climate
Action
Movement
—
have
criticized the PCCN for not
including divestment from fossil
fuel industries under the scope of
its work.
“Rather
than
be
purely
profit-driven,
the
University’s
investments must be built upon
ethical and moral considerations
for sustainable investment,” SoC
LF’s list of demands reads.
Daily
Staff
Reporter
Paige
Hodder can be reached at phodder@
umich.edu.
PAIGE HODDER
Daily Staff Reporter
“Spend more time radically
envisioning what this world can
be. There is nothing that has ever
been brought into being that was
not first envisioned.”