Almost two weeks ago, a picture surfaced of the President of the University of Louisville and several staff members donned in full "Mexican" attire, including mustaches and veils. Since the Courier Journal released this photo and a rather scathing article about the President's House off-campus, many people across the state and nation have been commenting on whether or not the so-called "costumes" were appropriate. Well, here is yet another perspective.
In the apology emails sent to UofL students and staff, President Ramsey and the office of the President have stated that there was no intention to cause harm. Other students groups believe otherwise, having successfully launched a campaign that has protested in Grawmeyer Hall and has even elicited the response of several UofL faculty who penned a letter to President Ramsey.
One thing is for certain: this went very awry. In my peace studies class, we were examining the entire situation: the assumptions we have made about the people who went to the party, the assumptions the staff members made when dressing in their costumes, the impact it had on the students and faculty, and so on. It was certainly difficult for us to come to consensus on several points, but there was one theme we all understood: the intent of the costumes and the impact they had.
Assuming the best of all the staff members, including the President, we took them for their word about there being no harmful or malicious intent when deciding and wearing the costumes, especially with all the other controversies (financial and sexual) UofL is currently experiencing. It would be a different situation if they had planned to cause harm to a population of people.
Secondly, we understood the impact the costumes actually had, despite any intentions. The response was overwhelming, stretching from issues of race and culture to gender. Students and faculty alike organized a swift and nonviolent response, which still continues today. People have been offended, from the Latina/o community to the LGBT community because of portrayals of stereotypical and inaccurate cultural representation to the projection of masculinity and femininity also in stereotypical and inaccurate manners.
We must move forward. Punishment must be had. But how we do both is dependent on how well we understand the intent and impact of the situation. Some people are calling for President Ramsey's resignation. Others are calling for the affected communities to "grow up." Neither are correct.
I put forward a different recommendation, grounded in the belief that people can indeed improve and come to understand wrongdoings. Accepting that there was no ill intent and that many people have been affected, we must reach a compromise between parties instead of vitriolic retribution that satisfies only one faction.
Diversity training is a start, but it is nowhere near enough. Being in high-level administration for the state's most diverse university, President Ramsey and his staff have certainly had plenty of diversity training. However, it seems in this situation they safely tucked it away in their desk drawers before heading to the party.
Weekly meetings need to be had between officially recognized representatives of both faculty/staff and students groups who have been affected by the costumes where both parties can air out concerns and try to understand each other.
Some sort of administrative punishment must be given to all who attended the party. Perhaps it needs to be in the form of freezes on privileges, pay reductions, or third-party cultural evaluations. In other words, there must be swift justice but not as severe as resignation since this was an isolated event that did not carry malice.
"When it rains, it pours," the old proverb says. The recent financial, sexual, and cultural scandals that have surfaced at the University of Louisville prove this to be absolutely correct. Let's just hope the rainbow is on the horizon.
