HSU forum examines local race issues By Matt Kapko Eye Reporter The Arcata Eye April 13, 2004 A group of organizations at Humboldt State University put on a public forum last Friday in the Kate Buchanan Room to address racism on campus and in the community. The forum was largely a reaction to an incident in late February that resulted in the arrest of two female HSU students for allegedly assaulting an Arcata Police Officer. Racist fliers, which blatantly attacked the two students, were found in men’s restrooms at HSU shortly after the incident. The on-campus reactions to the assault and resulting media coverage have created a buzz on campus and serious concerns for HSU’s administration and many organizations on campus, including the MultiCultural Center. Katya Amina, 23, and Natalie Dawley, 22, both expected to graduate this May, now face felony battery charges for the alleged assault and are awaiting trial. Although it was anticipated that fresh perspectives on the officer’s assault would be discussed, it was avoided by most of the speakers, and when addressed was referred to only as “the incident.” Few comments were made regarding the racist fliers on campus either, leaving the forum open to a more broad discussion of racism and white privilege on HSU’s campus and in the community. “These issues are not new for us at Humboldt,” said Issac Carter, in the opening address of the forum. “It’s not the first time.” Following Carter, Christina Accomando, a professor in American Literature, Ethnic Studies and Women’s Studies at HSU said, “We don’t see privilege, it’s precisely what we don’t think about. If you think you don’t got it, you got it! That’s exactly what it is. It’s a product of history.” Accomando said although HSU’s requirement for every student to take two Diversity and Common Ground classes for graduation is a step in the right direction, it pales in insignificance to the other dozens of classes that are required. “We have a white-centered curriculum” at HSU and “we will study the accomplishments of whites,” she said. Something as simple as being able to skip classes more often without their professors noticing is something that white students benefit from regularly on campus, Accomando said. It is not enough to say that someone is not racist, “we have a duty to be actively anti-racist,” she said. Soon after, student James Braggs captured the entire audience’s attention with his personal story of why he came to HSU and the realizations he’s made since that decision. “I consider myself in a dilemma,” he began, opting for a loud natural voice rather than the aid of a microphone. “I chose Humboldt State because I wanted to get as far away as possible without leaving the state of California.” Students at HSU introduced him to the environmental and feminist movements, he said. “On the flip side, everyday I have to ask myself: James, that comment I heard in class wasn’t racist?” He added, “ I have to convince myself that the [University Police Department] and [Arcata Police Department] are here to protect me. I fight with that everyday.” He asked rhetorically: “Am I truly welcome here at HSU? Am I truly safe at HSU? Cuz’ there are days when I’m convinced that I’m not.” Following the introductions, the forum was opened up for members of the community, students, and faculty and staff to present their opinions. The format also allowed for anonymous comments to be made via cards that could be filled out and read by one of the facilitators. One card read that although HSU’s administration “preaches” diversity on campus, it is not actively diversifying the faculty, staff and students on campus. One student, James Garcia, came to the microphone holding a stickered laptop to read his thoughts from the screen. He said the MultiCultural Center is “where you go if you are of color or gay,” but it’s not enough. “We need to spread it out like chicken feed.” Another student said race and ethnicity cannot be ignored. “It’s those differences that make life spicy. We’re not just a bunch of gray people.” Getting the full attention of the audience, two sisters – obviously of different skin tone, yet from the same parents – came to the microphone to tell their story. One of them (dramatically more white than the other) explained that her darker-skinned sister, standing next to her, faces racism often. “It hurts me to see her called bad names in other languages,” she said. “She’s being discriminated on because she looks different. It’s just not fair.” Student Travis Ford, a medical marijuana patient, said he is being discriminated by HSU’s faculty and staff. He claimed that his medical records were illegally obtained by HSU’s administration and that the school sent him an email, selecting him as a potential drug abuser. Struggling with his shaky hands and wavering voice, Ford said that HSU must allow medical marijuana use. “Current rules are out-of-date, unfair, and inappropriate. Access to medicine is a civil right,” he said. One of the last students to speak said, “I come from a long line of racism, but the hate stops here in my bloodline.” Home