|
Letter writers should be ashamed
University Chronicle
EDITORIAL BOARD
The issue: One former and two current SCSU professors sent about 40 letters to high schools and groups in the Twin Cities, discouraging people of color from attending SCSU.
What we think: The best way to combat racial conditions is to encourage diversity. The letters could hurt all students.
One former and two current faculty members recently sent more than 40 letters to schools, churches and community groups in the Twin Cities area, discouraging students of color from attending SCSU.
The letter writers � Michael Davis, Tamrat Tademe and Myrle Cooper � have done more harm than good. Although they may have fulfilled their goal of drawing attention to issues of racism at SCSU, the message they sent may be taken into consideration by some minority students. The letters could cause fewer minority students to attend SCSU, thus decreasing diversity at SCSU.
Many SCSU students come from communities near St. Cloud that are predominantly white. Compared to many of these communities, SCSU is diverse. The students are not to blame if they have not experienced much diversity before attending SCSU.
By providing these students a chance to attend classes along with minority students, they may finally learn something about diversity, thus improving the conditions for minority students. As for minority students, the more there are at SCSU the greater the impact and the less they are a minority. In other words, the more people learn about diversity, the better off everyone will be.
The university currently requires all students to take three courses designated diversity (MGM) in order to graduate. Although these courses help students learn about differences among people, what better way to teach diversity than to have students of all races, cultures and ethnicity learning and working together? By suggesting that students of color refrain from attending SCSU, the letter writers have hindered this opportunity for SCSU students to grow together. They have given up on the current and future students of SCSU.
The letter writers need to remember that their struggles are not their own. They need to remember that there are many students already attending SCSU who still believe in working toward a future free from racism. The letters could set back progress.
|
|
|
|
|
|
