So, a few observations from my end, as a graduate student at SU whose main area of focus is race, and racism on college campuses.
First, this is not an isolated incident just at SU. All PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) struggle with issues of race and racism. That is in part because we live in a racist society, but it's also because students often don't have much of a semblance of cultural/racial literacy and competency before they come to college. A prime example of this is when I hear white students use the phrase "colored people" EVERY semester I teach a class at SU. This has happened EVERY. SINGLE. SEMESTER for over five years straight. I've also heard it at other schools too. Whether or not the intent is to harm when that phrase is uttered by an unaware student, the larger lack of awareness remains.
Secondly, SU is absolutely a hostile place for students of color. Point blank. Full stop. How many examples do you need? The "blackface halloween" incident in the early 00's. How about "Over the Hill" student TV programming a few years later? Or the Theta Tau incident last year? Or the Ackerman assault last spring, which the administration tried to downplay and said wasn't racially motivated. Or, if you'd like something more common and everyplace, how about the numerous times I've heard white students in the SU basketball section next to me, while we're watching games at the Dome refer to our black basketball players as "monkeys" and "n****rs". Students of color are routinely harassed at SU, their experiences often invalidated by faculty. I know this because I've worked with many students of color on campus at SU through different programs, and I've also seen it happen.
Lastly, the big issue here is that structurally, SU isn't working hard enough to put their money where their mouth is in regards to equity and inclusion. You swell the student body with international students and enjoy their 100% tuition (international students are not eligible for any form of public financial aid assistance) and the opportunity to tout your "diversity numbers" but they're not supported once they get here. Many programs designed to attract, support, and mentor students of color have either been cut completely, or grossly scaled back. (Paris Noir, POSSE, CSTEP, etc). The SEM 100 class that was instituted as a requirement for all incoming first-year students in the wake of the Theta Tau incident is an absolute joke, with little to no discussion about important racial or social issues. This most recent example of the administration telling students to keep this incident "quiet" so that other students would not get upset is abhorrent.
Having working with many students of color over the last few years at SU, I'm noticing that this generation's group of students are far more in tune with and more likely to advocate for social issues that affect them directly. They're also more likely to demand more from the institution in terms of equity and inclusion, and to voice their displeasure when those feelings and changes aren't met with support and structural change.
This is absolutely a "moment" happening at SU right now, and I wish more people were able to understand both how deep these issues of race, racism and inclusion run on this campus, and why our students are rightfully so upset how their "SU experience" is impacted as a result.
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