San Diego, CA-
Thousands of students nationwide are supporting minority students at the University of California, San Diego after a racially charged off-campus party increased tensions at this Southern California school (UCSD).
UCSD's administration sponsored a "Teach-In [1]" February 24 to address student concerns, but meanwhile other University of California campuses hosted their own protests to support San Diego students, including Berkeley [2], Irvine [3], Los Angeles [4], Davis, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, along with other schools in California and across the nation. University of California, Irvine and UC Los Angeles held coordinated sit-ins at their Chancellors' Offices. Yesterday, students at Berkeley dressed in black and held a silent solidarity protest. Tensions remain high at many UC campuses.
The fracas stems from a Feb. 15 off-campus party called "The Compton Cookoff [5]" which has been linked to a fraternity. Attendees were urged to dress and act according to offensive African-American stereotypes. The invitation asked people to "wear chains, cheap clothing, and speak loudly." Women were advised that "Ghetto chicks usually have gold teeth, start drama and fights, and wear cheap clothing." A broadcast on UCSD's Student Run Television Network aired a program in which a controversial comedic group "The Koala" endorsed the party using the "N-" word and calling African Americans "ungrateful".
On February 26, a noose [6] was discovered hanging in the seventh floor of the Giesel Library. The Black Student Union (BSU) and other student organizations have implored Chancellor Marye Anne Fox [7]to take action to ensure safety for students of color. “The university is allowing the African-American community to be racially demoralized by a group of students on campus,” declared a BSU statement. "UCSD must realize that this is a state of emergency."
The administration states that disciplinary action is difficult because the party was not UCSD-sanctioned and took place off campus.
More than 1,200 students and faculty members showed up at last Wednesday's UCSD "Teach-In," but 900 walked out after an hour and organized their own "teach-out" [8] at another campus location. BSU-led rallies and protests continue this week. "They thought it{Teach-In] would make us quiet,” said BSU Vice Chairwoman Fnann Keflezighi. "The party was just the spark that ignited long-simmering ethnic tensions on the campus." Students wore black last Friday to protest the noose incident [9]and occupied the Chancellor's Office, demanding action to quell the environment of fear on campus. Chancellor Fox condemned the noose as "abhorent and untenable," but said she could not adhere to student demands to shut the university down while the situation is resolved.
Dr. Jody Blanco, a UCSD literature professor, wrote this letter [10] describing why Filipino student organizations should stand with the Black Student Union.
Read statements of support from the UCSD Faculty Coalition [11] and other UCSD organizations [12] supporting the battle against hate!
Have you ever faced similar incidents at your campus? Share your thoughts with us!
