In fewer than 11 months, two racist incidents occurred in St. Thomas residence halls, a number that is two too many. In October 2018, a racist word was found on a student’s door in Brady Hall. Late Wednesday, another racial slur was found in the third-floor south bathroom in Ireland Hall. These two incidents add to a handful of similar events that have occurred in the past four years.

Last year’s incident, which occurred on October 19, became “day one” for battling racism on campus. The administration promised change – all focused on improving and diversifying St. Thomas. However, action wasn’t immediate, and a lot of students were left to question what would come next. With the recent incident, we have to wonder whether the action that the university has taken in the past is enough and if the response this year has changed enough to satisfy the community.

Two days later, in response to the fall 2018 incident, President Julie Sullivan emailed the St. Thomas community. In the email, Sullivan condemned acts of hate and reminded that all students are welcome at St. Thomas.

On October 25, 2018, the Black Empowerment Student Alliance organized a sit-in in the Anderson Student Center. Later that day, faculty and staff met with more than 100 students to discuss the Action Plan for immediate and long-term goals.

Then, on October 31, classes were canceled for a campus-wide meeting held in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex. It was estimated that more than 5,000 people were in attendance. St. Thomas brought in a speaker, Dale Allender, an assistant professor of language and literacy at California State University-Sacramento. Allender had met with St. Thomas students the day before to learn about their concerns and answer questions.

Action from the university took a while, both in notifying students and in detailing steps forward. The meeting held on October 31 was nearly two weeks after the initial event. Part of the delay could have been in scheduling the guest speaker, but even so, a St. Thomas faculty member could have presented at the event (which could have made it more personal to the school rather than bringing in a professor from across the country).

Fortunately, the response to Wednesday’s incident has been much faster, possibly learning one lesson from last year’s events. An email to the St. Thomas community from Sullivan arrived at noon on Thursday, less than 24 hours after the incident. The faculty also received separate emails from Associate Vice Provost Ann Johnson and Dean and McQuinn Distinguished Chair Yohuru Williams that listed events and sessions available to students, faculty and staff across campus.

Also, the teach-in on Thursday discussed Wednesday’s incident, and a “BE-in” was held later Thursday evening in Koch Commons in order to “reclaim the space and reaffirm our values.” More than 200 students, faculty and staff attended the event, and afterwards, a large group gathered outside Ireland Hall for a peaceful protest. The immediate communication from administration shows it has learned and seems to be committed to being open with the student body about these types of incidents.

St. Thomas promotes a commitment to diversity and, with that, a promise to combat racism, which is detailed in the Action Plan. Many of the plan’s ideas would be beneficial in creating an inclusive campus, but unfortunately, the plan is not always obvious in the community.

After last year’s incident, teachers were encouraged to talk about racism on campus and in our society during classes. While encouraged, this does not mean required. Many classes did not give the opportunity for discussion. Some did not even mention anything had happened.

The Intercultural Center for Students was opened in ASC, along with trauma and counseling services being provided for all students. The university also began offering ways for students and faculty to better report bias incidents or hate crimes. It pairs with the promise that the university will be transparent in reports of these types of incidents and in how it will take action.

“Taking action” is the key phrase. Change cannot occur if issues are swept under the rug. Despite their discomfort, issues like race need to be discussed, especially when they are relevant to our campus.

So far, the response has been immediate: informational emails, teach-in discussions and campus gatherings. These are positive steps for the university, but it is also essential to not let the conversation die. If it blows over, we all seem to forget and to no longer worry about change … until the next incident occurs, and we start over once again.

These racist events reflect St. Thomas, and as students, they reflect us, too. It’s our responsibility to actively condemn racist and white supremacist mindsets. If we remain passive bystanders, the hate will only grow.

Unfortunately, the St. Thomas community has a dose of indifference. The events and talks that are offered are great, but they hardly reach past those who choose to go to them. The ones who care about these issues enough to go to a teach-in or “Be-in” are not the same ones actively participating in hate. The key is reaching the large population that does not seem inclined to attend the events. This group may not partake in the hate either, but allowing it to happen grants the space for racism to remain present on campus.

The responsibility to reach these people shouldn’t fall on minority students alone. It should not be their job to teach white students. While it may be uncomfortable, those with privilege need to acknowledge that privilege and examine their own hearts for any discriminatory tendency. White students need to face the truth of their place in this issue, both as contributors and as alleviators. Even if it feels like nothing can be done, we all can start with ourselves and then work outwardly.

If St. Thomas cannot provide a safe, nondiscriminatory environment for all students to live and learn, then it cannot promote an inclusive and diverse community. It is not fair for students of color to feel uncomfortable or unwanted at a school where they have been rightfully admitted.

The next steps will be more important than ever. We cannot simply let the issue blow over until the next comes about. As students, we can make a conscious effort to learn and to accept all people on campus. In the end, we must strive to make St. Thomas welcoming to all students because all students deserve to be free from hate.

Please read the articles referenced above:
St. Thomas community denounces racism with sit-in
Community meets in first step of anti-racism action plan
Racist word found in St. Thomas dormitory bathroom
St. Thomas community responds to another incident, rejects racism
St. Thomas community gathers to reclaim Ireland Hall, protest racial slur incident
Action Plan to Combat Racism

Maddie Peters can be reached at pete9542@stthomas.edu.
Kayla Mayer can be reached at maye8518@stthomas.edu.