Two weeks ago, I was embarrassed to say that I was a student at the University of Virginia. I was embarrassed to say that I was going to school alongside someone who subscribes to a mindset so unthinkably hateful. My embarrassment, however, has since disappeared -- almost.
There have been discussions, speakers, dialogues and marches, all in condemnation of the attack on Daisy Lundy. There have been posters, chalking and e-mails. And most importantly, there has been a continuous dialogue among students, all over Grounds, condemning what had happened. All of this has made me feel proud, once again, to be a student at the University.
But still, something is wrong.
Think back to one year ago. There was a series of incidences similar to the one the University community is currently facing today. Several students were attacked, targeted specifically because of the color of their skin.
The difference? The majority of these students were white, and their attackers were black.
Where was this outpouring of support last year? There were no community reflections, or marches, or posters. These attacks were just as vicious and just as hateful, yet there was no outrage from the community.
Granted, the situation that occurred last year is not entirely comparable to the one that occurred two weeks ago. The attackers were Charlottesville High School students, not University students. Assuming Lundy's attacker is a student here, it is undoubtedly more shocking to think that one of our own could commit such a crime. And the motive behind it -- that some ignorant racist didn't want a non-white student as Student Council President -- has undeniably stunned our community.
However, unlike Lundy's attacker, the offenders last year were caught and questioned. While their victims were all either white or Asian-American, the students directly admitted to having targeted students that appeared white. They gave no other reasons. These students essentially committed hate crimes.
The Commonwealth Attorney did not, however, seek hate crime charges. Their case was effectively swept under the rug and out of public debate. The community did not cry out against their actions even a fraction of the way that it has cried out for Lundy.
There is a race problem at the University. But it cannot and will not be resolved until every race is seen as completely equal in every respect.
Expressing outrage over one racially motivated attack and not another only furthers racial divisions. The disparity between the reactions to last year's attacks and this year's attack is indicative of a larger problem within the University and Charlottesville communities. We are rightly upset when a white person attacks a student because of her skin color. But we remain silent when the roles are reversed, despite the fact that both are equally despicable crimes.
At a teach-in on Tuesday, Anthropology Prof. Wende Marshall called the University a "bastion of white supremacy." Today, with affirmative action programs, the efforts of University organizations such as the Office of African-American Affairs, and a generally progressive and tolerant student mindset, this is hardly the case. Historically, African-Americans have been subjected to countless forms of racism and oppression, even at our own University. There is a difference between the attack on Lundy as opposed to last year's attacks because of this dark part of American history. However, no student here today is responsible for the past. In today's world, where we strive for true equality, all victims of racial crimes should receive equal support from their fellow students.
What message has been conveyed to those students who were attacked last year? No one marched for them. There is no reason why they shouldn't have received the same torrent of support last year that Lundy is now receiving. This inconsistency conveys that no, University students do not tolerate racially motivated crimes -- most of the time.
Racial barriers can only be broken when all races and all people are truly given equal treatment. This includes racially motivated crimes committed by people of all races against people of all races.
The University has shown tremendous honor, dignity and compassion in its support for Lundy and condemnation of the attack. In the future, students will hopefully show the same support for all victims of racist crimes.
(Kristin Brown is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | YesterdayThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
