Panelists explore how to better address ne What do we need to do better as a university in response to the racial injustices that led to the widespread civil unrest touched off by the death of George Floyd in police custody? A panel of faculty members discussed the multiple and complex issues involved in a Campus Dialogue on Racial Justice, held virtually via Microsoft Teams. (The session was recorded and can be viewed in Teams.) Panelists talked about their own experiences as well as the responses of their families and their students not just to current events, but to the historical and ongoing issues that underlie the protests. They also explored ideas about how to move forward as a university. Asked to consider her thoughts when she first heard about the killing of Floyd, Anika Wilson, associate professor and chair in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, said, “There was a feeling of ‘Here we go again’… It gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.” Giving voice But the protests were heartening, she said, because people were making their voices heard. “I went from a feeling of despair to a feeling of, ‘OK, this is something else we can do right now,’” Wilson said. The issues aren’t just about police misconduct, but also the unchecked violence against Black people fostered by ‘stand your ground laws’ and media depictions of protesters as thugs and looters, she added. David Pate, associate professor and chair in the Department of Social Work, said he was feeling anger, sadness and frustration. He sees the larger picture of the economic inequities Black students face as a result of centuries of systemic injustice. “We tout diversity, but we don’t understand the lives of our Black students” who have been affected by poverty and the unequal impact of unemployment and health care disparities, Pate said. He also sees the daily needs of Black students who may be sleeping in their cars, scrambling to pay bills or even buy lunch. The university needs to do more in providing financial support to students, he said. Sharing the wealth Black people were brought to this country 400 years ago and have helped build America’s wealth, but have not
4 • IN FOCUS • July, 2020
A panel of UWM faculty explored issues of racial justice in an online forum in June. Presenters were mode Anika Wilson and John Lane Hall. (UWM photo collage from screenshots)
participated in it, Pate said. A Black college graduate has less wealth than a white high school dropout, he noted. Young people give them hope, the panelists said. “If we have hope it is because of these younger generations,” Wilson said. Joseph Rodriguez, professor and chair in the Department of History, mentioned that his own children were taking part in protests, and how he’s learned more about racial injustices even from his own students. He mentioned one of his doctoral students, Steven Anthony, whose dissertation examined the 1919 Elaine race riots in Arkansas, and as a result, Rodriguez learned more about this area of history. Margaret Noodin, professor of English and director of the Electa Quinney Institute, said some of her students asked
