Week 12

I’ve been reading about the Black student protests at the University of Missouri in the news and on social media over the last couple of days, and I am truly appalled at some of the comments I have been seeing. Through these protests, Black students are fighting for what they believe in, but it seems that they are only being mocked for it. All over Twitter, I’m reading ignorant tweets making fun of the situation, and I’m also surprised to see the number of people who are retweeting and favoriting these ridiculous comments.

It seems that a lot of these comments are completely missing the point of the protests. Black students at Mizzou do not feel safe; they are constantly subjects of racial discrimination and bigotry in what should be a safe space for all students. As a college student, I could never imagine the experiences that some of the Black students at Mizzou described. One student explained, “At a predominantly white environment, you just have to deal with acceptance and it’s hard being a student of color because you have to deal with the segregation of Mizzou. You deal with racism and you just deal with people trying to belittle you because you’re black.”

Even while Black students are fighting for justice, they are receiving threats and insensitive comments about the protest. Several students have even threatened to shoot the protestors on Yik Yak. While media coverage of the protests is inevitable, it does not create a safe space for the students participating. It should be about securing a space where blackness is not violated. Considering the media portrayals of Blacks throughout history, it is obvious that Black people would not be fairly represented even when they are fighting social injustices and defending themselves. Anyone who mocks the situation is contributing to the problem of racism that seems to never end. Despite the so-called progress that has been made, racism is still very much alive and well. 

To the students of color at Mizzou, we, students of color at the University of Southern California, stand with you in solidarity. To those who would threaten their sense of safety, we are watching. 
‪#‎ConcernedStudent1950 ‪#‎InSolidarityWithMizzou