Brown students in solidarity with Mizzou demonstrate against racism on campus

Brown students came together today “in an effort to stand in solidarity with students at the University of Missouri and all over the nation.”

Students first gathered for a “BlackOut” demonstration on the Quiet Green behind the Van Wickle Gates. Demonstrators assembled in a circle and individuals walked into the center to share their moving stories.

After, students congregated on the main green where Africana graduate students hosted a teach-in.

They spoke about institutional racism and how it affects people of color within other categories than just their race, such as gender.

They also read out a list of demands that the Mizzou students crafted for their protest and a list of demands for Brown, one of which is to increase the percentage of faculty of color at the university.

The following students were present at today’s events and shared their experiences with The Tab.

Ade

“Today we wanted to hear how administration typically isn’t there for students of color when they are in need and when they’re facing problems – only when they’re supposed to fill diversity quotas or to promote the school.

“We also pointed out how Christina Paxson and other members high up in the administration were not present at that event. That was a big issue after she sent an email Monday saying that she met with students of color, that she was deeply disturbed to hear about their experiences on campus and that the university is making strides to improve those experiences.

“Yet a few days later she is absent from an event where we are expressing these experiences.”

“I’ve been attending predominantly white institutions my whole life because my parents have really valued education and they felt that these schools possessed the best education. They always taught me that education was empowering and was something that couldn’t be taken away from me.

“While, I am very grateful for the opportunities I have received at those institutions, as well as the education and social capital, the most pain I’ve experienced in regards to my race and identity has been at these academic institutions.

“How am I supposed to be at these institutions that are supposed to be ’empowering me’ that are actually making me question socially my identity on a day to day basis and causing me pain?

“How am I supposed to be focused on calculus and immunology when these racial issues are occurring? And students are receiving death threats at universities just because of their activism?

“I have also definitely encountered microagressions here. There are honestly too many to count. Also, two weeks ago the n-word was written on the wall in my friend’s dorm where she is an RPL.The message was written in sharpie on one of the walls in the entrance of New Pembroke 3.”

Mena

“The words ‘structural racism’ came up several times today. I think there is so much to be said about its prevalence, not only in the actions and words we hear about in the south as a whole and its universities, but in the lack of acknowledging its existence at Brown and in the entire North East.

“While institutions like Brown don’t always explicitly say racist things, and while they keep up their appearances of being ‘open, liberal, and supportive,’ what the school is built on and what the school operates on needs to be changed in order to actually have any progress on these racial issues.

“It’s frustrating and representative that the school has not yet posted a statement acknowledging the racism that is prevalent at Brown, and other universities, like Mizzou and Yale.”

Thank you to all the students who shared such genuine and moving stories. Here are more photos and videos from the events.