Dear Students On the Wrong Side of History,
The University of Missouri-Columbia is making history and you're standing on the wrong side of it. People are mad because they don't want anything to change. Others are mad because they've been waiting too long for this change to happen. If you don't understand, educate yourself and learn.
The reason all of this is happening is people are no longer going to stand silent when racial hate is displayed on campus like at the MSA president Payton Head, the LBC (Legion of Black Collegians) and any single human being on this campus.
"We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference." -Nelson Mandela
How can you not see why so many people are fighting for change on campus? There's been protests since the beginning of the year telling people that it's time things changed for the better, only to get negative responses from students. A man is putting his life on the line to get UM president Tim Wolfe removed, and people still don't understand why. Black members of the football team stand in solidarity with getting Wolfe removed and still there are negative comments.
If you don't think there is racism and that people are fighting over nothing then you are privileged. If you see that there is racism on this campus, but think most people aren't racist so nothing needs to be done, you are privileged. If you think it's okay for people to call others/use the word N*gger, you are a part of the problem.
Why don't you seem to understand why black students and minorities shouldn't feel threatened on this campus? Just because you don't understand a situation that someone is going through, doesn't give you the right to act like the issue isn't real.
Clearly from some of the responses to people fighting for what they believe in, a lot of you are on the other side of history. Why are you hiding behind social media like Yik Yak, only to post things like this:
If you don't ask questions, you'll never know the answer. Don't sit in ignorance and make comments on issues that are very real to people. Just because you haven't experienced or seen racism, does not mean it isn't happening to other people. Who is anyone else to say that people are overreacting to the situation. Who is anyone to say we should let people continue to say the N-word and other racial slurs on campus and feel this hate in their bones for people they don't even know but are making assumptions on based off of skin color.
Imagine walking around and being made to feel like you don't have a place at your own school. If you can't imagine this then have a conversation with someone who is different than you to understand and have that conversation without preconceived notions and bias.
Going to a different school is not the solution. Racism is everywhere and if someone doesn't stand up for it, then who will? Students don't just want acknowledgement, they're looking for real change. Real change has to start somewhere, so everyone will start to be included no matter what school they go to.
There's so much to say about students on a campus that are willing to fight for their rights. There's so much to say about students that refuse to give up when people do not want their voices to be heard. At the University of Missouri, nobody is giving up on being treated fairly.This university shouldn't have a president who doesn't take action against racism, and defines systematic oppression as, "because you don't believe that you have the equal opportunity for success." Nobody believes that removing Wolfe will magically make the campus less racially tense, but it's the start to a much bigger picture. You can help by signing this petition.
Finally to put this into perspective a little more, imagine if you were walking around your house and someone was constantly making it feel as if it weren't your home. Guess what? That's what a lot of students are going through. Mizzou is my home, it's the protestors home, it's Jonathan Butler's home, it's the LBC's home it's #ConcernedStudent1950's home. This is our home, so shouldn't we be treated like it is?
So to the person on the wrong side of history, I'm just asking you to be a part of the solution, not the problem.
Sincerely,
A Student Looking For Change
