This past week has demonstrated the powerful impact of words on our community. Thursday, April 15, two of our friends were disrespected and verbally harassed outside of Cohn's on the Corner. The girls, one Caucasian and one Togolese-American, were called the "N word" repeatedly after a comment was made about their multiculturalism. That single word resulted in a lost sense of security, comfort and trust in our University and among its members. Now, we have the opportunity to use our words to move forward and effect change in the culture of this institution.
The incident was dishonorable and wrong. It represented a part of our University of which none of us can claim to be proud - the part in which voices are silenced and friends are made to feel inferior and hurt. This instance should not be treated as a single act. Rather, it should be seen as a function of a greater University issue: the discomfort and fear that is perpetuated by a lack of understanding and appreciation for one another's differences. We need to change our culture of silence to a culture of conversation.
Today, students have chosen to participate in "Pledge Forward," a forum in which students dress in black and sign a pledge between noon and 5 p.m. on the second floor of Newcomb Hall. They are pledging to uphold the standards of our Community of Trust, and to protect all those within our University. At 5 p.m., they will then convene on the South Lawn to show support and solidarity.
The response cannot, and should not, stop after this event, nor should it be solely directed toward those involved with this particular incident. We must recognize that any instance of hate speech is an act we cannot tolerate. We have an obligation to one another to discuss this and to ensure that it does not simply fall by the wayside. As a student body, we must take ownership and responsibility to prevent incidents of this nature from happening again. It's important to step outside of our comfort zones and engage in conversations about the issues that make us uncomfortable. This should be discussed in meetings, with friends and administrators and in class. We need to make a personal effort to be aware of instances like this, and let it be a continuous conversation, rather than just a reactive one. Lastly, we must hold one another accountable - if we see any kind of activity that violates our community of trust, we should be the ones to step up and stop it. At times, this means speaking up when you think you are the only one. This also means standing up to friends, which is understandably one of the hardest things to do.
The idea of student self-governance is endemic to our culture, as it is instilled in our minds upon entering the University. Often, it takes small acts of personal and intentional effort to move our community forward. This change must come from us. We have the power, means and responsibility to make this a community we are proud to be a part of.
This article is supported by the Minority Rights Coalition, Student Council, Inter-Fraternity Council, Inter-Sorority Council, Black Student Alliance, Honor Committee, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and Stewart Ackerly, student member of the Board of Visitors.
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