Below is a link to a Buzzfeed article written by one of my classmates from my undergrad school. Here's my take on what I remember during my 4 years there (2000-2004):
- Confederate flags hung from dorm room windows. People had it as bumper stickers, wore it on shirts, etc.
- Jefferson Davis and Henry Clay have several connections to the school, both have male dorms named after them.
- Old South Week (part of the KA - Kappa Alpha - fraternity traditions) happened every year I was there.
- I saw men wearing Confederate solider uniforms and women wearing their finest hoop skirts walk across the campus to attend a ball.
- Every year on at the beginning of Old South Week, around midnight, the KA's lined up across from the women's main dorm, Forrer Hall, and sang their songs, one of which was "Dixie" at the top of their lungs. Every year, I watched the stupidity of the drunken brothers (not all were drunk but a good portion were) sing and chant until campus security finally showed up. Then they all ran, or attempted too.
- One of my fellow alumni had the "N-word" painted on their dorm room door
There were other things that I heard about and I don't doubt that they happen. Now that the author of this article has appeared on several TV programs to comment on her experience and the events that happened at Oklahoma University, my alma mater has asked that students not talk to reporters about it. They've released a statement saying that this article has sparked a renewed discussion of race and racism on campus. The KA fraternity has updated their website to state that they no longer practice some of the above mentioned traditions.
While I hope it's all true, and real change is coming, I'm skeptical. You see, every time that an event happened on campus during my tenure we heard that matters were being addressed, but there was no real change made. No one ever really got into trouble for anything. A come back I hear is that people are adults in college and they have the freedom to express themselves how they want. I agree when you're 18 you're an adult by the law. However, your freedom of self expression ends when it impacts on another person in a negative way. The fact is that the students who had the Confederate Flags hanging out their windows were doing it on property that they didn't own. Students reported it as being offensive. I know I reported the singing of "Dixie" as offensive.The university had every right to ask, dare I say tell, students what was acceptable to be put in the windows of their buildings. The failure of the university to issue a statement or make a request to take down offensive material makes them implicitly responsible for racism on their campus.
I loved the majority of my time at my undergrad school. I made great friends, got a quality education from quality professors. I had opportunities that I doubt I would have had if I had gone somewhere else. However, racism existed on the campus. Homophobia happened on the campus as well (that's another blog). There were lots of things that happened that needed to have been addressed during my time that weren't. There are many things that still need to be addressed because progress is slow at best.
And here's the thing, that's hard for a white girl to take but I'll own it - because I attended a school where these things happened, I participated in racism. If no one attended that university then that school wouldn't exist. But because I attended, even though I spoke out on issues of race, I still played a part in perpetuating racism. I had been on campus for a visit. I knew what I was getting into and I still choose that school for a variety of reasons. This is not to say that I believe any one employed by this school is a racist. I believe that most folks were great human beings. But there are gaps in word and deed. I and other students and alumni need to realize that while the majority of us were not explicit racists, we played a part in racism.And for that I am sorry. If I knew how to correct that I would. So that's why I'm writing this, to bring attention to the issues at hand. To show my alumni that they are heard and I stand with them for a call to do something more than just issue a press release.
I'm proud of my fellow alumni for sharing their experience, for speaking up for what is right and to call teaching institutions to stand up for what is right.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tracyclayton/transylvania-university-told-some-students-not-to-share-buzz#.xe9py5dYY1
- Confederate flags hung from dorm room windows. People had it as bumper stickers, wore it on shirts, etc.
- Jefferson Davis and Henry Clay have several connections to the school, both have male dorms named after them.
- Old South Week (part of the KA - Kappa Alpha - fraternity traditions) happened every year I was there.
- I saw men wearing Confederate solider uniforms and women wearing their finest hoop skirts walk across the campus to attend a ball.
- Every year on at the beginning of Old South Week, around midnight, the KA's lined up across from the women's main dorm, Forrer Hall, and sang their songs, one of which was "Dixie" at the top of their lungs. Every year, I watched the stupidity of the drunken brothers (not all were drunk but a good portion were) sing and chant until campus security finally showed up. Then they all ran, or attempted too.
- One of my fellow alumni had the "N-word" painted on their dorm room door
There were other things that I heard about and I don't doubt that they happen. Now that the author of this article has appeared on several TV programs to comment on her experience and the events that happened at Oklahoma University, my alma mater has asked that students not talk to reporters about it. They've released a statement saying that this article has sparked a renewed discussion of race and racism on campus. The KA fraternity has updated their website to state that they no longer practice some of the above mentioned traditions.
While I hope it's all true, and real change is coming, I'm skeptical. You see, every time that an event happened on campus during my tenure we heard that matters were being addressed, but there was no real change made. No one ever really got into trouble for anything. A come back I hear is that people are adults in college and they have the freedom to express themselves how they want. I agree when you're 18 you're an adult by the law. However, your freedom of self expression ends when it impacts on another person in a negative way. The fact is that the students who had the Confederate Flags hanging out their windows were doing it on property that they didn't own. Students reported it as being offensive. I know I reported the singing of "Dixie" as offensive.The university had every right to ask, dare I say tell, students what was acceptable to be put in the windows of their buildings. The failure of the university to issue a statement or make a request to take down offensive material makes them implicitly responsible for racism on their campus.
I loved the majority of my time at my undergrad school. I made great friends, got a quality education from quality professors. I had opportunities that I doubt I would have had if I had gone somewhere else. However, racism existed on the campus. Homophobia happened on the campus as well (that's another blog). There were lots of things that happened that needed to have been addressed during my time that weren't. There are many things that still need to be addressed because progress is slow at best.
And here's the thing, that's hard for a white girl to take but I'll own it - because I attended a school where these things happened, I participated in racism. If no one attended that university then that school wouldn't exist. But because I attended, even though I spoke out on issues of race, I still played a part in perpetuating racism. I had been on campus for a visit. I knew what I was getting into and I still choose that school for a variety of reasons. This is not to say that I believe any one employed by this school is a racist. I believe that most folks were great human beings. But there are gaps in word and deed. I and other students and alumni need to realize that while the majority of us were not explicit racists, we played a part in racism.And for that I am sorry. If I knew how to correct that I would. So that's why I'm writing this, to bring attention to the issues at hand. To show my alumni that they are heard and I stand with them for a call to do something more than just issue a press release.
I'm proud of my fellow alumni for sharing their experience, for speaking up for what is right and to call teaching institutions to stand up for what is right.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tracyclayton/transylvania-university-told-some-students-not-to-share-buzz#.xe9py5dYY1
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