To report on racist photos in SU yearbooks, The D.O. must reflect on its past
UPDATED: April 9, 2019 at 12:09 a.m.
Editor’s note: The following article contains disturbing images and descriptions of racist content. Examples of past racist, sexist and body-shaming imagery published by The Daily Orange are in-text below the scroll. Discretion is advised.
The Daily Orange’s staff recently conducted a review of Syracuse University’s published yearbooks, which encompassed more than 100 years of history including racist imagery such as blackface. And in order to responsibly report on the insensitivities outside of our organization, The D.O. Editorial Board believes it’s crucial to acknowledge The D.O.’s problematic past as well.
While cleaning in preparation for The D.O.’s approaching relocation, due to SU’s 20-year Campus Framework development plan, and as part of the staff’s yearbook review, The D.O. rediscovered several other racist, sexist and body-shaming comics published in the 1990s or early 2000s not previously known by the newspaper’s current generation of employees.
The illustrations are no secret, though.
The Daily Orange Archives
In fact, some of the comics sparked campus protests and public outcry. In response to anger and concern over a 2002 illustration depicting a black man stealing belongings from a white man’s home, The D.O.’s management team at the time told SA’s Assembly that new D.O. publication policies were implemented requiring all comic artists to sign “a contract agreeing not to draw racist or sexist content,” according to a Feb. 11, 2002 D.O. article. The D.O. no longer runs comics.
Looking back, the editorial board believes it’s important to recognize the platform that The D.O. inherently gave to illustrators who repeatedly made racist or sexist content.
This lack of thought and consideration for marginalized communities on campus wasn’t acceptable then and isn’t now. We know that.
Institutions must be held accountable, and that extends to ourselves, the editorial board acknowledges. Education is key to not only understand the past, but also work toward a more inclusive future.
It’s also important to note the progress The D.O. has made in the last decade. Most recently, The D.O.’s management team has held public diversity workshops to openly discuss staff representation and reporting on marginalized communities, among other things. It’s a step in the right direction — but there’s much more to be done. The D.O. is still a predominantly white institution, and we’re still improving our coverage of marginalized communities at SU and in the surrounding Syracuse area.
The D.O.’s platform is not one that’s taken lightly. We are committed, now more than ever, to accurately serving the community we represent. That’s why the 2019-20 management team has plans to conduct a comprehensive review of The D.O.’s archives to develop a better understanding of our past, closer to the early 20th century. We did it with SU’s yearbooks. We need to do it for The D.O., too.
As The D.O. prepares to relocate, the archives will move with us. And the editorial board believes The D.O. should continue to share and educate current and future staffs about the history we should never ignore. The history we won’t repeat.
The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. You can read more about the editorial board here. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.