We, the faculty and staff in the Department of Ethnic Studies, stand in direct condemnation of white supremacist hate speech and acts. Recent footage of racist hate speech directed at Black students studying at the Engineering Center on Sunday, October 6th, 2019 has compelled us to issue a statement of condemnation for the intolerable actions of the perpetrator and to express our support for those students who experienced this bigoted act of hate speech, and all those affected by this recent act of hate speech. We declare that this act is not just an isolated incident, but symptomatic of the pervasive nature of white supremacy in this country. As faculty and staff within a Department that was founded on struggles against racism, sexism, and colonialism, and who center anti-racist and decolonial thought, movements, and scholarship in our classes—we resolutely oppose any attempts by University officials to define this act as anything other than racist hate speech. We support the specific demands of the Black Student Alliance, as provided below. We in Ethnic Studies pride ourselves in working to create safe spaces for students, faculty, staff, and community members.
In Solidarity,
Faculty and staff of the Department of Ethnic Studies
