Difficult Discussion
SLIPPERY ROCK — Students, faculty and staff of Slippery Rock University worked their way through a difficult conversation Monday night.
Before entering the ballroom at the Robert M. Smith Student Center, some students figured the “Campus Race and Diversity Discussion” would revolve around a Black History Month poster that was vandalized earlier this month.
Donte Davenport, a senior from Philadelphia, said he thought the poster was a spark that showed tension beneath the surface on campus.
“It seems welcome, but it's not all the time,” he said. “You can tell there's a separation in some parts of campus.”
Davenport said he was too familiar with racism to be surprised by the hate behind the poster vandalism, but the proximity did shock him.
“We shouldn't have to worry about that in school,” he said.
Michael Hooks, a sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y., said he had seen racism before attending the university.
“Racism goes on no matter where you're at,” he said. “To this day, we're still not free.”
Hooks said the discussion may be a step, but the right people aren't participating in the movement.
“In my opinion, this conversation is for nothing,” Hooks said. “The racist people aren't going to be here.”
Kennedy Moore, vice president of community inclusion for SRU's Student Government Association, moderated the event. She opened the floor to questions from students. Some students like William Rouse, still had the poster in mind.
Rouse, a resident assistant in Rose Hall, said he was one of those who discovered the writing on the poster. “I'm the only African-American RA in my building,” he said. “I was upset that someone was in my building that felt that way about African-Americans.”
Rouse said he thought deeply on the matter, and he hoped people wouldn't use the poster as a reason for retaliation.
“Don't retaliate. Don't go down to their level. Use your voices,” he said. “We are here for a bigger purpose than revenge. We are here to learn.”
Willard Whitton, a social work major and Army combat veteran, said he wanted to promote the idea that all lives matter and focus on the importance of equality through critical thought.
“It's important to educate the younger people on the power of social media and the power of the news,” he said. “I think we need to focus on promoting one's ability to critically think for one's self than to take what we're fed on a daily basis. Question certain things.”But as the questions flowed, more topics were brought to light, including feelings behind Black History Month.“Just because we do something to celebrate us, doesn't mean we're doing something against you,” one student said. “We don't dim anybody else's light.”After students voiced their comments, concerns and questions, William Behre, university president, answered questions, some predetermined and some impromptu.The first concerned the identity of the poster vandal.“Unless someone steps forward and says, 'I did this,' we're not going to know,” Behre said.Behre said it is important to give people the tools to have a conversation that could extend to those who need it most.“The most important person to give tools to is the person that wrote on that poster because that person is lashing out,” Behre said. “We have to figure out how to give that person the tools and the space to have that conversation.”Moving past the poster, Behre revealed his own opinions on SRU's cultural climate in regard to both staff and students.“I think we are not a diverse enough community,” he said. “We have to work really hard to bring people of color to this campus.”Behre said events are in the works to help continue the conversation. He said the only direction they as a community can move is forward with open minds and the tools for use in a difficult conversation.“I'm going to struggle through it with the rest of the community because we have to,” Behre said. “You have to risk that failure in order to get to success.”
