Nemsie Gonzalez
Copy Editor
In light of all that is going around on campus and in our global community, I think it’s time that we pull out our dictionaries, get our definitions straight and correct misconceptions some of you may have.
Let’s start with the phrase “white privilege”: the unearned, mostly unacknowledged social advantage white people have over other racial groups simply because they are white. How about “unsubstantiated”: not supported or proven by evidence. Now for one of our more important definitions, “protest”: a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Finally, let’s define “bullying”: the unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.
If you’ve been keeping up with the Voice, reading your email or simply scrolling through YikYak, you probably know where this is going. What I want to talk about here is the inappropriate nature of the responses of some students and faculty to the protest held during inauguration.
I started by defining white privilege to remind my white readers that they do, in fact, have access to certain benefits that people of color do not. Namely, you will likely never have to deal with implicit racial biases from faculty, you will almost always be given a seat at the table and your concerns will almost always be listened to. These privileges are less likely to be offered to Black students, or any students of color for that matter. BIPOC students often have to fight for their seat at the table, fight to be heard and fight to be seen.
This desire for justice, and the ability to be seen and heard creates the nature of protests. Protests often work as the “language of the unheard” and as forms of resistance to societal norms. It is because of the nature of protests, as well as the reasons behind their initiation, that we cannot dictate the manner in which they take place.
So for those of you itching to discredit the protests or highlight how great the administration on campus is, I urge you to look at the privileges you hold and think about how they impact your lived experience. We might also question whether or not the demands presented by protestors were really unsubstantiated, or simply not representative of our own experiences. And if you’re feeling empathetic, you might also consider how it would feel to have your concerns invalidated by those whose job specifications require that they help you.
Ignorance is a dangerous thing, as it causes a plethora of issues surrounding misinformation. So rather than remain ignorant, perhaps we can ask more questions or fact check our statements. Rather than simply discrediting the protest or accusing students of being “mean” or “bullies,” perhaps we can all work to be more professional and communicative with one another.
Students do not have the ability to “bully” faculty members; students more often than not are at the mercy of our administration — whom we rely on for assistance and support. When we feel we aren’t receiving the necessary support and our attempts to address the situation are ignored, we will find a way to make our issues known. How else would we be able to hold our institutions accountable?
The limitations of our own experiences, biases, personalities and the structures that divide us cannot continue to be used as an excuse to maintain failing systems. We must instead do the hard work of moving past these barriers to enact real and long-lasting change. I’d encourage those of you who are still confused to step back, listen to the voices of the unheard and take the time to educate yourself on the issues at hand.
I hope this article has provided some insight and for others, reminders of how to navigate and understand your privileges. Maybe even prompt us to ask, why statements surrounding the protest have focused primarily on its delivery as opposed to its concerns. Or discuss why the negative experiences of students with administrators have been dismissed.
Revolution will not come quietly. Keep speaking out, even if it means you have to yell.
