University of Wisconsin-Madison
Since 1892 dailycardinal.com l
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Opinion: Like clockwork, racial erasure hinders students of color’s experiences tor releases a statement apologizing for the act, OPINION EDITORS followed by the university Diversity has become publishing a statement a phenomenon where condemning and apoloinstitutions feel the need gizing for said act. to advertise and, at times, Despite it only being a even glorify their members week since the homecomof color. Be it at universiing video was released, ties, corporations, or even it seems as though it’s amongst elements of popualready old news. lar culture, it is a buzzword In a matter of days, the used by white-majority cycle has shifted to the organizations to tout their next big football game or so-called care for marginmidterms season. alized populations. Incidents spark outBut heterogeneity cries from students as is more valuable than a soon as they take place, number in a report or a but after an apology is scale of melanin embedreleased and the univerded in marketing photos sity promises to do bet— diversity of race, ethter, the indignation dies nicity, gender and backdown — until the cycle grounds fosters growth starts again with the next and innovation, tolerance insensitive act committed and knowledge. on campus. True diversity, not docSomehow the world tored numbers or disproimmediately moves on; portionate representation, but, students of color do GRAPHIC BY MAX HOMSTAD must be a value embednot — and cannot. At this ded into each and every point, they cannot afford decision, rather than as a Students of color struggle finding a sense of belonging on campus, especially with the university’s lack of systemic change. to sit quiet and hope the mechanism for marketing university’s action-steps or upholding societal standards. diversity of Badger athletes is a 12 percent gap in terms of per- • Last spring, a “Make America will work out. With this being said, the great, given they are respected ceived safety between students White Again” and “Mass It’s time for the university to stop University of Wisconsin- as more than just bodies slinging of color and white students, immigration is white genoapologizing and promising that Madison has always championed balls across a field or court. and a 20 percent gap in feeling cide” stickers were plastered there won’t be a next time, knowing its actions to further inclusivity Delegating POC-specific spac- respected on campus. on campus light posts. there certainly will be. Until real, and acceptance of its students of es like the Multicultural Student Beyond these everyday feelings systemic change happens, people of color here on campus. Center or Multicultural Learning of prejudice and microaggresFrustrations from exclusion color will never really feel as if they Despite having a 70 percent Community is great, given that sions, there have been an unac- and such past incidents recently belong to UW-Madison. white student body, it seems as other common spaces are not ceptable magnitude of shocking came to a boil with the release of though the university aims to then, by default, “white” spaces. incidents in recent years. a video by the student homecomovercompensate for its lack of a Yet, only half of the narrative ing committee. truly diverse population. is consistently being told — one • In 2000, a Daily Cardinal Promoting “Home is Where True diversity, not By sensationalizing stu- of great strides towards accepreporter discovered that UW WI Are,” the video attempting to doctored numbers dents of color — whether this tance and welcoming. had photoshopped the face embody UW only included white or disproportionate be through repeatedly craftWhile we would hate to disof a black student into the students, ignoring students of ing involved Badgers of color credit triumphs on campus — as cover photo for the 2001-2002 color altogether. representation, must be as poster children, the battle of there are multiple tremendous application booklet. Reflecting on what makes a value embedded into overly PC culture, or the many identity-based student organizaMadison and the university a each and every decision. other examples of parading tions and safe spaces available • In 2016, a Sellery resident great community, the video diversity — these students don’t — students of color should feel posted photos of Adolf Hitler failed to show any predominantfeel included, they feel used. comfortable in all spaces, not and swastikas on his dorm ly-minority student organizajust the ones with their identity room door. tions, multicultural events or jammed into its title. inclusivity-based spaces. This Time and time again, stuThe university’s webpage • In 2017, the sacred fire circle video should have been a cel- dents of color are ignored as for diversity even states, “The at Dejope Residence Hall was ebration of all Badgers — not members of this community — Despite it only being University of Wisconsin– vandalized with the words just the ones who fit into the uni- effectively erased from a sense of a week since the Madison fulfills its public mis“Columbus Rules 1492.” versity’s expectations of a tradi- belonging. Instead of aiming to homecoming video was sion by creating a welcoming tional student. tick the boxes for a photo-op or and inclusive community for • In 2018, a student filed a It is not enough that the attempt ing to fix issues after the released, it seems as hate-bias complaint due to homecoming committee intend- fact, notions of equality must be though it’s already old people from every background — people who as students, facthe inclusion of two UW ed to include underrepresented embedded into every decision, news. ulty, and staff serve Wisconsin alumni’s names in various student organizations. It is not especially at the university-level. and the world.” spaces in Memorial Union enough that it was merely a techKavitha is a junior studying Yet, everyday phenomena — despite the fact that they nical fluke that certain bits did sociology and political science, and numerous incidents occurwere members of a student not make it into the final cut. with a certificate in educational When considered in isola- ring on campus embody a failure society that took on the name Until diversity and respect for policy. Sam is a senior studytion, streamlining woke termi- to live up to these commitments. Ku Klux Klan. all members of this campus are ing journalism, with certificates nology or requiring ethnic studThe 2016 campus-wide inherent and embedded in the in development economics and ies courses oversimplifies aims Climate Survey found dispari- • Also in 2018, student Ali process, intent will never make environmental studies. of equality and welcoming — ties in perceptions of campus cliKhan expressed frustration up for the damaging outcomes. What are your thoughts on the especially when we continue to mate along the lines of race. For over a political science class Yet, it unfortunately isn’t recent homecoming video and alienate, exoticise and frankly, example, 65 percent of students titled “Terrorism” which surprising that these situations past racially insensitive events manipulate, students of color. of color reported “frequently” Khan found “neocolonialist” happened and continue to hap- on campus? Do you think the Scholarship programs for stu- feeling welcome on campus, and greatly simplified the pen. Such exclusions and micro- University should be enacting dents of color are fantastic, given compared to 87 percent of white concept of Jihad in a “oneaggressions are so common to further substantive measures to that they serve the populations students and 73 percent of interdimensional, single-faceted, this campus that once a new incorporate and respect students that need it without tokenizing national students. and inherently violent” way. incident takes place, it is almost of color? Send all comments to recipients. Taking pride in the In the same thread, there was like clockwork. The perpetra- opinion@dailycardinal.com.
By Kavitha Babu and Sam Jones
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”