Confronting Racism at University of California

[Communist]

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Confronting Racism at University of California - San Diego (http://stopracismucsd.wordpress.com/)

Some of you may have heard about the recent, overtly
racist incidents down here at UCSD, and others may know
of the thinly veiled, pervasive racism that has long
been a part of the UCSD climate (although none of you
warned me- thanks a lot!!) So I'm writing with a
weather report of sorts, to let everyone know what's
been going on here and also to reach out to my greater
community for support and solidarity.

Basically some white fraternity boys held a very
stupid, very racist party. The theme was a "Compton
cook-out" in facetious "honor" of Black history month -
complete with a very explicit, degrading, misogynistic
e-mail invitation explaining how party goers should
dress and act (and what they would eat) at this event.
In case you thought maybe racism has gotten more
creative in 2010 - don't worry it's the same old black
face foolery. As the invitation was leaked the UC
community voices of dissent, hurt and outrage poured in
from students, staff and faculty, who are already of
course all too aware of the racist and homogeneous
culture at UCSD. This was followed by even more hateful
words and actions as talks of a "Compton cook-out II"
were had, and on a student run (UC sanctioned) TV
station a note was posted reading "Compton lynching."
It is action time.

After discussing these issues with my students (and
encouraging them to participate in the teach-in/walk-
out yesterday) I felt that many of them, as well as
many grad students, remained somewhat apathetic so I
composed the following statement which I would like to
share:

"...regarding the recent events of racism in our
community, and more importantly the general climate of
oppression that many students struggle with on the
daily. Students and faculty of all different races and
economic backgrounds, women, queer folks, religious
minorities, and people of many diverse walks of life
consistently feel displaced, ignored, misunderstood,
trivialized, and unwelcome at UCSD! If you don't know
what I'm talking about or have never felt this way, I
encourage you to talk to your fellow peers - because
many, many people have had very real experiences that
they can share with you. If you have never felt the
ramifications of these issues, or if you think that
racism is a thing of the past, then you are living in a
state of privilege and are lucky that you don't have to
contend with these issues as you pursue your
educational goals. But you will do a great service to
yourself and others if you take time to
investigate/question the ways in which
racism/sexism/homophobia impact our entire community,
and learn to be an ally. I have seen you all think
critically about all sorts of complicated issues in
class and hope you will continue to be sharply,
radically, critical of our institution... and world. If
you have any questions or want to discuss this with me
- holler!

Sincerely, Sadie Barnette"

Below is a great website that the students rushed to
get up - with all the facts, links to news stories that
butcher the story to varying degrees, and also you can
read some great letters from professors and allies. But
the most articulate discussion of the matter I have
heard comes from the undergraduate Black Student Union
students, who with a constant systematic analysis, held
the administration accountable and reiterated a list of
demands to improve the "diversity" and climate within
UCSD. The Black population at UCSD is 1.3%. At the core
of the BSU's standpoint is also a deep sense of unity
with all other marginalized, underrepresented,
disenfranchised groups on campus, making ties to UCSD's
historic black brown unity movement, to the LGBT
communitie's struggles for space and funding, to the
Native American population (hello- UCSD is built on
sacred burial grounds). I am so proud of our young
Black leaders, having moved beyond the (justified)
emotional state of trauma into an organized, mobilized
force. The BSU has called a state of emergency for our
community. Although the daily struggles of alienation,
stereotyping, erasure and dismissal continue to be a
part of the social and academic lives of students of
color on campus, at least right now silence is no
longer the symptom.

For more info/news and opinions:

http://stopracismucsd.wordpress.com/

Thanks yall!
In love and struggle,
Sadie

[Communist]

.
UCSD students, allies mobilize against racist attacks (http://www.workers.org/2010/us/ucsd_0311/)

By Bob McCubbin
San Diego, Calif.
Mar 4, 2010 9:18 PM

Racist students on the San Diego campus of the University of California recently organized and publicized a sickening social event. Emboldened by increasingly common racist rants on the part of corporate media talking-heads, the coded racist outbursts of right-wing politicians, and the historic policies of discrimination and repression directed against communities of color and immigrant workers all across the U.S., they made no effort to disguise the racially offensive character of their “Compton Cookout” party, which took place on Feb. 15.

http://www.workers.org/2010/us/ucsd_0311.jpg
San Diego students protest racism on campus. Photo: stopracismucsd.wordpress.com

Compounding the offense, and clearly demonstrating that it was in no way “an isolated event,” several days later the student-run television station aired a defense of the racist social event that included a racial slur.

Additionally, the student who took public responsibility for the original event defiantly announced a second “cookout.” And then on Feb. 25, a noose was found hanging on the seventh floor of the campus’s main library.

As word of the original event spread locally and nationally, the initial official and unofficial apologetics (it was “off campus,” “protected speech” and even “a harmless spoof”) gave way to promises by the school administration to work for a better climate of “respect for diversity” and the announcement of an administration-sponsored, campus-wide teach-in on Feb. 24. The outraged campus community, however, wasn’t waiting for belated band-aids at a school whose African-American student enrollment constitutes only 1.3 percent of the total school undergraduate enrollment of 23,143.

Students marched and gathered the day following the offensive campus TV program to confront UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and other school administrators. Earlier that morning, while searching for a tape or digital file of the offensive TV program in the station studio, they had found a piece of cardboard with the words “Compton lynching” written on it.

Black students at the meeting with the chancellor stated that they feel neither safe nor welcome at UCSD. Their leaders issued a list of 32 demands.

Titled “State of Emergency: The UCSD Black Student Union Address,” the preface to the demands states, “Students in general feel isolated and unsupported, which contributes to the continuous cycle that prevents underrepresented communities from entering the university. For students of color, queer-identified students, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds, this has been a continuous struggle to validate our own presence at the university academically and socially.”

The preface also expresses support for the struggle of Latino/a students to have a Chicano mural placed on campus and for the struggle of Native American students to repatriate ancestral remains found on campus.

Prominent among the students’ demands is the insistence that serious attention be paid to and funds found for recruitment and retention programs that focus on students of color, the disadvantaged, first generation students and, in general, historically underrepresented populations. There must also be, the students continue, “strong institutional support for academic programs that contribute to an improved campus climate.”

The statement concludes, “We demand that the administration respond to these demands on March 4th. ... We expect all of administration to be out on Library Walk on that Thursday to state their message on these demands while allowing the students to respond back.”

Almost daily protests on campus and statements of support for and solidarity with African Americans have come from many student groups, including the Chicano campus organization MEChA, medical, fine arts and lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer students, and campus staff and professors.

At a student rally Feb. 24 preceding the teach-in organized by the school administration, David Richerson, the Black Student Union chairperson at UCSD, announced a state of emergency “to address the hostile and toxic environment on campus.”

Following that rally, an overflow crowd estimated at more than 2,000, and including students from other area schools and from as far away as Los Angeles, gathered at the site of the administration-organized teach-in. It turned out to be basically a long-winded, academic discussion of institutional racism and how to combat it. Midway through the program, an angry walkout led by Black students and their supporters left only a few hundred in the hall.

Fnann Keflezighi, vice chairwoman of the Black Student Union, spoke at a student rally following the walkout and denounced the teach-in as an attempt by the administration to silence the students. She expressed disbelief that the school administration really intended to do anything significant to rid the campus of racism and pointed out that there has been a long history of racial tension on the campus.

Two days later, following the discovery of the noose hanging in the campus library, there was another student rally and a takeover of the chancellor’s office. Several professors have called for the campus to be shut down until the safety of students of color can be guaranteed. As of March 1, students plan to continue meeting with the school administration to pressure for full implementation of their demands.

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