SU’s statements don’t show enough progress responding to racist incidents

As millions of Americans take to the streets in mass protest against racial injustice and police brutality, it is important for institutions like Syracuse University to foster and support a community that fights against those same injustices. Chancellor Kent Syverud’s statement on Tuesday shows the university is somewhat willing to deal with the root causes of problems that our campus community has faced for years. But SU must do more.

The university’s response to racial injustice now is much less inadequate than in the past, diverging from a trend that continued through the protests of THE General Body in 2014, the Ackerman Avenue assault in 2019 and the #NotAgainSU protests in November and this spring. SU has a duty to uphold its commitment to better support and include its own Black community, an effort the university is now attempting to take seriously.

SU’s actions this week, however, do not excuse the university’s poor responses to racist incidents on campus. While the administration does “recognize the hate and terror” of racial injustice, it still chose to mistreat the mostly-Black #NotAgainSU protesters inside  Crouse-Hinds Hall only a few months ago. The university blocked access to outside food, suspended many of the protesters and refused to sign their demands.

While officials admit that “each act of discrimination and violence carries with it a significant and sustained impact,” their statement fails to acknowledge the impact of the racist incidents and weeks of student protests that dominated the 2019-20 academic year.

While it’s important that the SU administration is finally addressing racism on campus with direct communication, many will find its statement hard to take at face value. A serious lack of trust between SU administrators and many students has formed after failing for years to direct attention to racism at the university. Now, the administration must not only fight to address  racism on campus but also repair the trust needed to effectively foster the “Orange community” that SU desires.

The D.O. Editorial Board commends SU administration for clearly communicating its commitments to combat racism within the campus community. However, much more must be done to bridge the gap between the experiences of white students and students of color on campus.

SU administrators must officially acknowledge the importance of the #NotAgainSU protests, instead of avoiding direct references to the movement in its communications. Additionally, by failing to mention the actions of Last Chance for Change and #BlackLivesMatter during current protests in Syracuse, SU once again ignores the very same community that it so often claims to want to include and build upon.

The D.O. Editorial Board endorses and supports the work of #BlackLivesMatter nationally and Last Chance for Change in Syracuse. These movements represent the grassroots efforts needed to implement the far-reaching cultural change to mend the nation’s centuries-long discrimination against its Black population.

We commend the actions of the city of Syracuse and Mayor Ben Walsh for supporting the peaceful demonstrations and also listening to community members’ calls for change.

The D.O. Editorial Board encourages our readers to support these activist organizations for the betterment of our community:

• Black Lives Matter Syracuse, the local chapter of the national #BlackLivesMatter movement.
• Unchained, a Syracuse-based nonprofit that aims to dismantle the prison system.
• The Syracuse Chapter of the National Action Network, a civil rights nonprofit that works to advance a civil rights agenda that follows the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Black Leadership Association of Central New York, a Syracuse-based organization that endorses and supports political candidates who plan to fight racism.
• Central New York Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, a civil rights group working to defend the civil rights and values in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution and the New York Constitution.
• Syracuse Police Accountability and Reform Coalition, a citizen-led collective that aims to reform the Syracuse Police Department to build trust within the community.

If you are unable to donate, or would like to help in other ways, visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/.

While the country appears to be under a dark cloud as Americans finally realize and begin to fight against the country’s rampant racial injustice and police brutality, movements like #BlackLivesMatter and Last Chance For Change prove that real change can happen in our country. SU should continue to support that change, both on and off campus.

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.