"The objective of SMC’s NOOC campaign is to reinforce the values for which we stand as an institution . . . the values of diversity and inclusivity that leave no room for hate against any member of the college community based on actual or perceived race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender or immigration status, among other things."
not on our campus
Last week began with an estimated 70,000 people gathered at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” a reminder of the violence that black people and their supporters met even as they adhered to nonviolent resistance. President Obama’s speech at the event was clear and inspiring, a call to meet the many challenges we still face today.
Student sit-in at Lewis & Clark College, Amy Rosenheim
By Karissa Tom
Last fall, racist slurs targeting black students at my school rocked my school community. Though black students make up a small minority of the school’s demographic, the hate-filled graffiti and the overheard jokes about “white power” left the whole student body feeling scared and threatened.
The initial reaction was shock and disbelief. At my seemingly accepting school in a politically liberal state, most people who heard about the incidents responded with, “This could never happen here!” Yet the sad truth remains that it did happen and that, when it did, my college as an institution and a community was unprepared for the consequences.
I’m a 20-year-old half-Chinese, half-Japanese fourth-generation American. And until three years ago, I didn’t know that I was a minority.
Growing up in San Francisco, CA, my home life reflected the city’s culture of diversity and acceptance: I was raised in an extended family network of Chinese babysitters with half-Filipino grandchildren; Jewish aunts and black uncles; half-Japanese cousins that spoke Spanish. At school, a majority of my peers were also Asian-American, so I never had to question my place based on race.
Yet despite San Francisco’s public “mixing pot” mentality, I discovered how easy it is to assimilate. For various reasons—I speak English at home, I had never been to Chinatown, I listened to “white people music,” and I had inherited my mom’s love of cowboy boots—I became, to my friends and to myself, the stereotypical “white-washed” Asian.
University of North Dakota students protest offensive T-shirts
American Indian students at the University of North Dakota came together in mid-May to protest offensive T-shirts worn by their peers, according to the Native Sun News.
Students photographed themselves wearing T-shirts that depict an American Indian drinking from a beer bong with the words “Siouxper Drunk” emblazoned on the front. The “Fighting Sioux” logo was retired in 2012 due to impending NCAA sanctions over its controversial depiction of American Indian, according to ESPN.
“The ‘drunken Indian’ caricature is one of the worst stereotypes about Native people that there is,” said Ruth Hopkins, a writer for LastRealIndians.com.
Video: Oak Ridge Paints Over Pain
The community in Oak Ridge, TN, recently came together to use art to speak up against bullying. The activity, called Paint Over Pain, brought in community members ranging from young children to recent high school graduates to paint powerful messages of hope in the face of bullying. The video features many art pieces created during the activity as well as messages such as, “Be yourself,” “Silence is acceptance” and “You are not alone.”
Valerie Hughes launched Not In Our Town in Oak Ridge after her daughter was assaulted in a classroom. Her efforts with Not In Our Town promote a safe and welcoming community for people of all backgrounds. Hughes coordinated this event in Oak Ridge, will be leading a Paint Over Pain activity at the Not In Our Town National Leadership Gathering later this month.
Watch the entire video here.
Bowling Green Community Stands Together Against Racist Tweets, Again
Here you will find a Not On Our Campus Proclamation from Scottsdale Community College, in Scottsdale, AZ. The proclamation opposes hate violence and promotes safety, inclusion, and acceptance on the Scottsdale Communty College campus. This proclamation also designates a Not In Our Town Day.
Download and adapt for your campus.