2020-06-18

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Thursday, June 18, 11, 2020 2020

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

inside

Community asks ‘U’ to recognize Juneteenth

NEWS

#ShutDownStem

School of Education members send open letter to University President Mark Schlissel

STEM and academia strike in solidarity with Black Lives Matter

JASMIN LEE

>> SEE PAGE 2

Summer Managing News Editor

OPINION

Dismantling police Read into the history of policing agencies and what systems of injustice we must correct in America. >> SEE PAGE 4

ARTS

Country music and race The genre has a persistent white supremacy problem that is being addressed. >> SEE PAGE 6

MICHIGAN IN COLOR

Politicizing emotion The sentiment of resentment is presented as a tool for revolution and proper reconciliation. >> SEE PAGE 8

SPORTS

Draft Stories

A look inside Michigan’s 2020 MLB draft class. >> SEE PAGE 10

INDEX Vol. CXXIX, No. 118 © 2020 The Michigan Daily

NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ............................... 4 ARTS/NEWS..........................6 MiC......................................... 8 SPORTS................................ 10

michigandaily.com michigandaily.com

Chinese grad students face federal restrictions Design by Hibah Chughtai

JULIANNA MORANO Daily Staff Reporter

Chinese students in the U.S. have faced a unique set of challenges amid the pandemic, several of which exceed those of their domestic peers: from dealing with hate speech that wrongfully places blame on Chinese immigrants for the pandemic, to the threat of deportation in light of disruptions to their in-person research and academic pursuits. For Chinese graduate students in STEM fields, they face additional concerns from the federal government. On May 29, President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation that restricts certain Chinese students and researchers at the postgraduate and postdoctoral levels from entry to the U.S. on student visas, effective as of June 1. The proclamation specifies a few exceptions, such as undergraduate students, permanent residents and spouses of U.S. citizens and permanent

residents. According to the proclamation, these restrictions are a response to China’s “wide-ranging and heavily resourced campaign to acquire sensitive United States technologies and intellectual properties” for use by the People’s Liberation Army. The proclamation claims that this campaign constitutes a threat to both the U.S. economy and national security. Although affected students and institutions — including the University of Michigan, according to the International Center — await clarifications from the Department of State and Homeland Security on what may constitute an association with the PLA, some students say they already saw these targeted restrictions coming. A graduate student at the University, who requested anonymity citing fears of retaliation from prospective

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When Education graduate student Alyssa Brandon and Katherine Taylor, manager of communications and special projects at the School of Education, noticed the University of Michigan was not observing June 19 as a holiday, they decided to send an open letter to University President Mark Schlisel asking the University to allow faculty members and staff to officially recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday in the workplace. Since its release on June 16, the open letter has received over 500 signatures and continues to gain support from staff, students, alumni and other University community members. “We thought this was such a timely, urgent request,” Brandon said. “Given the daily reminders of brutality and loss faced in the Black community (and) the pain that is (being) experiencing. This is an opportunity for the University to really step up and to offer tangible evidence of its commitment to — not just only Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — but to its Black community members.” The letter asks the University to “give all regular staff members the option to take paid time off (without having to use vacation or sick time)” on June 19. It also includes a long term request, asking the University to develop plans for continuing to acknowledge Juneteenth in the future. University Public Affairs did not respond in time for publication. Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, is the day all slaves in Texas were freed in 1865, which signified the freeing of all slaves across the United States. Juneteenth is known among the Black community as the Black independence day. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed proclamations recognizing Juneteenth since 2019 and the holiday has been officially celebrated in the state of Michigan for 16 years.

Quicken Loans is giving their employees a paid holiday and other companies are recognizing Juneteenth in different ways. Many events are occurring in Ann Arbor on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth as well. The holiday has gained more recognition through the recent protests that have supported the Black Lives Matter movement and stood up against police brutality. According to Brandon, the School of Education is giving their staff early release to recognize the holiday, but she believes it is important for the whole University to be involved in celebrating Juneteenth. “You have to think of the University (as not) just a research institution, but it’s an institution that is a member of a larger community that not only serves the Black community, but is served by the Black community,” Brandon said. “It’s also the systems of white supremacy and anti-Blackness and violence (that) impacts us just as they do (at) other organizations (and) other communities. The University is not immune to those patterns. It’s very much entrenched and impacted in them … This timing really presents a very crucial opportunity for the University to step up. It will be such an awesome opportunity to show the care and commitment that (the University has) for the Black community and the University community at large.” David Humphrey, School of Education diversity and inclusion officer, signed the open letter, saying it was important for him as a Black man to celebrate Juneteenth. He said the University should be able to recognize the holiday for the Black community. “I thought this was an excellent thing to consider,” Humphrey said. “As a Black man, this is my Independence Day. An opportunity for an institution that I love and is committed to thinking deeply about

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