As a part of Missouri State’s homecoming activities during the weekend of Oct. 17, a group of students organized a grassroots protest entitled Homecoming Blackout. This protest was motivated by the recent fatal police shootings in the St. Louis area. The apparent goal was to start a dialogue that would raise awareness of the ongoing issues of racism in America.
The protest was a well-organized march with the participants carrying signs and banners, moving silently through the crowds in the tailgating area and BearFest Village. It was a legitimate effort to raise the dialogue of these issues on our campus.
It was disheartening and disappointing to learn that, in several instances throughout the march, their actions were met with anger and negative language by a handful of other students.
Actions of a small group of people not only discouraged the protesters, they threaten Missouri State’s ability to move forward in our effort to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our students.
All members of the Missouri State University community have the rights of assembly, free speech and expression throughout the campus. While we, as individuals, may not always agree with the ideas expressed, as a community built on civility and respect, it is expected that we will respect these rights, and that they will not be thwarted by the threat of abuse or harassment. Let’s be the example for our state on how to work through differences of opinion on difficult issues like race, the use of force by police authorities and poverty.
As president of Missouri State University, I can assure you that my administration and the Board of Governors are absolutely committed to improving diversity and inclusion on our campus and in our community. I made that point directly during my recent State of the University address and at many of the public venues at which I have been asked to speak.
Missouri State has done very well in increasing the ethnic diversity of students during the last three years. It has been recognized for creative diversity initiatives by being named a recipient of the 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine, but we still have miles to go towards creating a campus climate where all feel equally welcome. I believe the diversity climate survey that is currently in progress will enable us — in partnership with students groups of all ethnicities, political ideologies and religious creeds — to further expand our diversity emphasis. However, in order for it to be effective, this must be a campus-wide effort so that we reach a true understanding of our differences.
While change can be a slow process, it will never happen if we don’t begin the dialogue. I look forward to meeting with students and student groups interested in moving the conversation forward in the coming months.
This editorial was originally published in the The Standard.
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