Why everyone needs to know what’s happening at Mizzou

It started in September when a group of people showed their true colors in the form of racial slurs, as they were said to have verbally attacked the senior president of the Missouri Student Association, Payton Head.

The silence on the part of the University of Missouri was deafening.

It took another reported incident in early October to galvanize an apology on the part of the university. It took more students who claimed to have been hit with racial slurs to finally get a response from Chancellor Loftin, however insufficient.

That’s not all.

On the day of Mizzou’s homecoming parade, members of Concerned Student 1950, a student activist group named after the year MU admitted the first black graduate student, brought their concerns to President Tim Wolfe, only to have him remain in his car as it accelerated into a member of the group, Jonathan Butler. Butler had, from that point, been on a hunger strike until President Wolfe resigned.

On Monday, MU’s President Tim Wolfe finally did just that, and not hours later, Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said he would be stepping down as well at the end of the year. This is big for MU, but it isn’t enough. The resignation of Tim Wolfe was only one of the demands made by Concerned Student 1950.

The inaction of the MU’s administration and faculty in response to all the injustices which occurred on campus could not have been a bigger mistake.

On Tuesday night, threats against students of color were issued on Yik Yak.

Threat found on MU’s Yik Yak

Another one

Even after countless tweets warning other students against going on campus, MU Alerts had only this to say:

This can’t really be happening, can it? Many people think racism was left in the past. They refuse to acknowledge that it’s still very real, and very dangerous. It’s so easy to pretend like everything is OK when these injustices aren’t happening to you, when your privilege allows you to live day to day without fear of discrimination.

At the same time, students are speaking out for all to hear.

COM sophomore, Jazmyne Jackson, said in a Facebook post: “Mizzou was my second choice for school and I have a close friend who goes there.

“I’ve been texting her everyday since the football players announced that they weren’t participating in any activities to check on her and the status of the racial unrest occurring there. These events are making me absolutely sick to my stomach.

“The fact that two PWI’s (predominantly white institutions)- Mizzou and BU- that are near and dear to my heart are experiencing or have experienced such horrific and exploitive acts of racism is disgusting. If you’re still denying this is an issue, please delete and block me. I can’t associate with people like that. We really need to get it together America.”

Jazmyne was referring to the issues with professor Saida Grundy over the summer.

“There were KKK posters posted around campus. Explicit acts of racism. Also, failed attempts at inclusion of minorities of BU, lack of diversity, everyday issues like these that happen at BU and occurred at Mizzou which ultimately led to the president’s resignation and this backlash by white people.”

Jackson is one of many BU students supporting Mizzou.

Want to show your support? This Friday at 3pm, students will come together, wearing all black, at Marsh Plaza to raise their fists in unity to show solidarity with the students of color at the University of Missouri.

This goes without saying: to the students of color at Mizzou, we stand with you in solidarity. To those who would threaten their sense of safety, we are watching. #ConcernedStudent1950 #InSolidarityWith Mizzou

We need to support each other. We need to fight this together.