Students who aren’t protesting can still engage in activism

Dear Editor,

I would like to take a moment to speak directly to a particular subset of students we have on campus. To the students who are afraid while also feeling like they are not doing enough, it’s OK. You might not know me, but like you, I also attend SU. I am new here, I am not outspoken and I haven’t joined the sit-in, but right now I am doing what I know how to do: writing to you.

I understand your struggle as a student of color in the face of racism on your campus. There are many mixed emotions — fear, anger and responsibility. History has shown us great figures who stood in the face of adversity and dared them to blink first. We admire those people, and rightfully so.

But when adversity comes knocking at our front door, we ask “Why can’t I be more like them?” I understand. Everyone has a role to play in the fight for equality and freedom. As much as the fight requires those on the front lines, the fight also needs you. We hear the names of history’s greats, but we also need to remember those who stood beside them. We need the Hercules Mulligans just like we need the Alexander Hamiltons, the William Stills just as much as the Harriet Tubmans and the Bayard Rustins for our MLKs. We need you.

Activism is more than just protesting — it’s documenting the story so it’s never forgotten, encouraging those on the front lines and leveraging your connections to make sure that when change comes it is equitable for everyone. In some cases, activism is the act of simply existing.

In a world filled with racism and hate, your very presence, wherever that might be, in and of itself is an act of rebellion. To the students who are afraid while also feeling like they are not doing enough, it’s OK. I understand. Do what you can, wherever you are, and that’s more than enough. In the words of 6-year-old Christopher Robin, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

Sincerely,

Evan T. Davis

Social Work ’21