More Race Relation Issues
People try so hard sometimes, and they just don’t get it. Race is maybe the most complicated issue in America. A lot of people who think they get it can still find themselves unsure of how to act in situations where racial prejudice appears to be expressed. How should they react? What has actually happened in the situation? Is it worse to do too little or too much? Is there a risk of further offense by your actions?
Tony sent me a copy of a letter he got from Michael A. Viney, Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs, at UW-Platteville. Mr. Viney composed this letter (sent as an email) after someone wrote “nigger” in a stairwell in a dorm at Platteville. Here is the letter, as Tony sent it to me.
“TO: Residents of Morrow Hall and All UWP Community Members
RE: An act of hatred in Morrow Hall – Your help is needed
On Thursday evening, November 9, between 8:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., in Morrow Hall in the
east stairwell at the 4th floor level, some person or persons wrote a racial epithet on the wall with a marker. The slur that was written on the wall was a vertical spelling of the highly offensive “n-word.”
This flagrant display of racist grafitti is deplorable and has absolutely no place in our UW-Platteville community. The efforts underway at UWP to make this community of students, faculty, staff, employees and citizens open and welcoming to all persons without regard to an individual’s color of skin, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, marital status, developmental disability, creed, political affiliation, disability, veteran status, or arrest or conviction records is harmed whenever an incident like this happens on our campus and in our community.
An offense as despicable and harmful as this hateful act is an offense against every thinking, sensible, caring and mature person in this community.
It is acknowledged that nearly every one of you would not do or participate in such offensive behavior. This intolerable behavior by one or more individuals, which has no purpose other than to hurt others, is something that can be difficult to hold as a secret. If you noticed anything on the evening mentioned that might help identify the person(s) responsible, or have heard anything about this incident, we encourage you to tell a member of the staff at Morrow Hall, or someone at the Student Housing Office, or someone at the Office of Student Affairs, or an officer of University Police.
More importantly, you can also let other students know, especially students of color, that this incident of racist grafitti offends you too.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Viney, Ph.D.
Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs”
As Mr. Viney does, I would also encourage anyone who may have information about this crime to come forward. But I also have some criticism for Mr. Viney and his views on race relations.
1) He ends the letter by saying, “More importantly, you can also let other students know, especially students of color, that this incident of racist grafitti offends you too.” This statement actively excludes students of color from participation in the message. The point is for White students to let minority students know that they are not racist. There is no need for students of color to let each other know they are offended. Mr. Viney has brought race into a situation that has nothing to do with race; he has associated being offended by a racial epithet with being a certain color. If anything, White students ought to let other White students know they are offended by this crime, as a way of saying, this isn’t something that anyone should feel passive about, as if they aren’t affected simply by being White.
2) In the second paragraph of Mr. Viney’s letter, he says that Platteville is open to all persons, and then goes on to state each and every possible way that we might choose to exclude someone. Black? We don’t care. Gay? We don’t care. Jewish? We don’t care. Mentally challanged, redneck, convicted felon with a limp? Don’t care about that either. He writes as if he’s copying straight from the student handbook or a legal guide. It’s a poor way to make a case for tolerance and acceptance. Plus, what does he think, that people are going to start thinking Platteville is full of racists? His coverup sure makes me wonder.
There’s other criticisms to be had, surely. But I’m not going to break down Mr. Viney’s letter anymore. Instead, I am going to encourage Mr. Viney, should he stumble upon this post, to come forward with an explanation for why he wrote such a terrible letter. For why he wants to bring up further reminders of differences and separaters at a time when the Platteville university community ought to draw itself closer together.
There’s a right way and a wrong way to heal racial wounds. Recognizing differences and working to fix them – good. Drawing attention to differences during a situation in which all people can unite – bad. Shame on you, Mr. Viney, for dropping the ball on this one.
Related posts (automatically generated):
November 21st, 2006 23:00
I think there’s a rather pointed hypocrisy evident in this email. After an anti-African-American racial epithet appears, an email which vehemently decries the message is sent to all students.
However, several times per semester I walk past a sidewalk preacher on campus who advocates the idea that homosexuals are sinners and going to hell. I have never received an email or any other correspondence from the University criticizing this message. Given the response to the anti-African-American graffiti, should I take this continued lack of criticism as a tacit acceptance of the anti-homosexual message? Judging from the fact that about 40% of the campus voted in favor of the gay marriage ban, I might make the conjecture that anti-homosexual prejudice is considerably stronger than anti-African-American.
There’s always been a great degree of hypocrisy revolving around hate speech and 1st Amendment, especially on campuses, but whatever position the University chooses to take, they should at least make it consistent. Anything else just raises further questions of prejudice.
November 30th, 2006 14:36
From: David Markee
To: all-l@uwplatt.edu
Cc:
Bcc: Anthony E Gregerson
Date: 11/30/06 11:54 am
Subject: Chancellor’s statement
Attachments:
November 30, 2006
TO: All members of the UW-Platteville community
RE: Acts of hatred and the meaning of community
UW-Platteville is a quality undergraduate school with a very traditional student body primarily from southwest Wisconsin, northwest Illinois, and northeast Iowa. We have over 40,000 alumni who believe the statement “It’s a Great Day to be a Pioneer” and these alumni believe our University’s Main Messages, which include such statements as “students make lifetime friends, have the benefit of faculty and staff who know them on a personal level – and can receive help when they need it from people who care” and “students interact in a safe, secure environment.” These statements reflect our values. Generally, I believe, as the alumni do, that these statements are true but are they true for everyone who attends this University?
During this semester, there have been a number of acts, committed out of hatred or ignorance, that have been directed primarily toward students of color and especially toward African-American students. These incidents have included the display of the Confederate battle flag in a window, racist graffiti written on residence hall stairwell walls on more than one instance, a verbal slur directed toward an individual student by an individual student, racist comments in a classroom by an instructor, a majority student refusing to live with an African-American student, an incident of a student attending a Halloween party in “blackface,” wearing a stereotypical wig, and costumed in a blaze orange t-shirt with “State Prison” printed across the chest, and an incident of vandalism to the vehicle of an African-American family with one spouse being a UWP professional staff member and one spouse being a full-time student at UWP. To share my concern about one of these incidents, know that it is no laughing matter to me that the number of young, African-American males in prison in this country exceeds the number enrolled in higher education. That is tragedy and certainly not comedy and shows but one aspect of the disparate impact of race within our society.
There has also been a report of homophobic graffiti on the walls of a restroom in Pioneer Tower. Apparently that graffiti had been there for some period of time but it had not come to our attention until recently. I also believe that I may only be seeing the proverbial tip of the iceberg as there are almost certainly other incidents of acts of hatred toward students, faculty and staff that have not been reported but nonetheless have inflicted pain and harm.
Because of the color of skin, ethnicity, religion, gender, creed, disability, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, size, appearance, age, veteran status, national origin, ancestry, marital status, arrest record, or conviction record – no member of the UWP community should be subjected to acts of hatred, ridicule, humiliation, or disrespect. Every individual is valued at UWP and each person brings special qualities and gifts to this community that can enrich the experiences associated with being a member of this community.
I am saying very clearly that our campus values as a community of learners calls for nothing less than absolute condemnation of these acts of hatred and an affirmation that we expect one another to deplore these acts as unacceptable and intolerable behavior within our community. We are also called to use our voices to object to these acts of hatred and to call to accountability those individuals who are responsible for these hateful behaviors. Each and every member of the UWP community should be treated with respect, should feel welcome at this campus, and should feel safe at this campus. I call on all of the good people of this community to actively demonstrate their best qualities in helping to make these basic fundamentals of human decency and dignity the reality of day to day life at UWP.
If anyone is determined to be involved in an act of hatred at UW-Platteville, that person may expect to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and subject to disciplinary action by UWP. There are no excuses for acts of hatred within our community. There are also few to no secrets within our community. If you know the identity of someone who has committed an act of hatred, you may anonymously inform me at 342-1234, or the staff of the Office of Student Affairs at 342-1854, or the staff of the Office of Student Housing at 342-1845, or University Police at 342-1584. If you are unwilling or unable to take that action, please consider confronting the person who committed the act of hatred and state your clear objection to it and your expectation that it cease.
When a student of color at UWP is reported to say, “I’m in college. I shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of hatred on a regular basis. I’m really not sure that I’m welcome here and I don’t know if I should stay.” such feelings, perceptions or thoughts are not acceptable outcomes of student experiences at UWP.
It will also be a major step toward strengthening our community if you reach out to someone in our community who might be the target of these acts of hatred or is a member of an underrepresented group at UWP and let that person know that you care. Messages of concern that convey your rejection of acts of hatred, your appreciation of the person’s presence at UWP, and your willingness to listen to how it feels to be the target of these senseless acts will be well received when they come from your heart. Simply going about your business and daily life as usual, when some students are feeling attacked and unwelcome, can be interpreted as a message that you really don’t care or that you’d care if it were someone you already know, or if you just had more time you could show that you care. Please make the time to show your concern to at least one other person.
There will be some opportunities in the upcoming semester for us to learn more about what we can do individually and collectively to combat and prevent acts of hatred within our community.
If you have comments or ideas related to the topics of this letter, I invite you to share those with me.
Let’s work together to bring true meaning to the popular expression “It’s a great day to be a Pioneer.” All of us ought to see that expression as a true reflection of life at UW-Platteville.
Sincerely,
David J. Markee, Chancellor
UWP Classes of 1964 & 1968
December 27th, 2006 21:05
Is it actually legal to punish students for making offensive statements inspired by hate and ignorance? I know that UW-Madison has been the subject of several speech code controversies; some cases even made their way to the Supreme Court. I just took a First Amendment class this past semester, so I should know the answer to that question, but I’m not quite sure. However, I’m leaning towards the only thing constitutionally allowable would be punishment on the basis of vandalism.
This is an area where I definitely feel torn. Part of me feels there should be no question whatsoever of the legitimacy of singling out and punishing hateful speech and actions. But when I consider Constitutional and judicial philosophy, I can’t overlook the arguments of over breadth, vagueness, view-point neutrality, chilling affects and all in regard to the First Amendment and free speech. I agree that it’s best to be consistent; but what policy to be consistent with, I’m not sure.