SLU in the Age of the Black Lives Matter Movement

Edited by Ramon Veras and Michael Paulino.

As some of us march in protest, take to social media, and/or donate to organizations that speak to our values, we are beginning to recognize that some of our organized institutions do not reflect our concerns, interests, or needs. Nonetheless, Americans of all races who are actively engaged in the fight for social change are restless. For those of us who attend St. Lawrence University, this raises a particular question: what is our University doing to positively contribute to this popular movement that is so personal to many of us? In other words, what is our University’s role and responsibility in this larger systemic machine? 

As a University that prides itself on its missions of engaging diversity and inclusion, its students are anticipating and expecting action. Those of us who are involved in the fight for justice will no longer be satisfied with lip service and statements that are not accompanied by feasible action plans. 

In light of recent events, we find ourselves at a vulnerable yet monumental point in American history. During these times of hurt and discomfort, many Laurentians eagerly awaited a response from the University and its distinguished officials. As such, we slowly and carefully read every word in President Bill Fox’s address to the campus community regarding what is and has been going on in this country. His letter generated various reactions and emotions across our campus communities, ranging from dissatisfaction to contentment. As a result, multiple POC organizations that represent a number of students across campus came together in the spirit of solidarity, to discuss and organize a joint response to the University. These students have spent countless hours working on ways their University can engage the national conversations around racial injustice and thinking about what the University can do internally to address some of these issues. After receiving the President’s email, as a community, these students inquired and awaited for responses from the President to the following questions:

1. How do you plan on restoring the social trust and commitment between Laurentians who in light of recent events may have lost faith in the institution they attend and the people they share a community with?
2. What action plans, if any, does the University have to further engage in the fight for diversity and inclusion so that no Laurentian feels like a guest in someone else’s space?
3. When addressing the case of George Floyd, you deliberately used the word “death” rather than killing or murder.Why is that?
4. Are you willing to hold a public forum, where all Laurentians, current and alumni can come discuss race relations on campus and the direction they would like to see their University follow?
5. Lastly, why has there been no words from the University on how they plan to assist/support students who are living through traumatic experiences by offering resources, especially pertaining to mental health? As we understood, being Laurentians does not stop once we get off campus or go home. We are Laurentians for Life.

We generated these questions because we understand that how we approach and respond to these delicate moments will determine the campus atmosphere for years to come. Furthermore, any response from the University will send a collective message to former, current, and future Laurentians about who we are and how we act in times of crisis. 

President Fox was more than willing to address students’ concerns and articulate the University’s plan moving forward. He started off by expressing how important this issue is to him personally. He stated that he wants to meet with the student delegates and the delegates of the Board of Trustees early next week to have a conversation that allows him to develop plans for the fall.

President Fox says “this horrific, obscene image that just series in our minds of George Floyd being murdered by a police officer, makes me think that this man could’ve been the father of a St. Lawrence student, could’ve been the brother of a St. Lawrence student. Canton is not exempt from the world and we are a microcosm of the front page. So as we think about our students returning to campus, we have got to be prepared to meet them where they are and help them bind up the wounds that are just gaping right now in their lives and our hearts.” I believe that all Laurentians regardless of our ideological position on these issues should solemnly reflect on these particular words. These wise words capture the reality of some of our fellow Laurentians and how we approach this issue will either make or break our small cherished community. 

In a show of solidarity, the chapel bells will toll for nine minutes during noon in the next nine days in memory of George Floyd, says President Fox. The bells of the Canton Church will also ring at the same hour. “Canton may be an area that is somewhat obscure on the tourist destination but we are certainly feeling very much attached to the world and to our nation here.” 

In terms of restoring the social trust that may be lost during these times, President Fox believes that we cannot effectively do this on social media. Instead, we must hold these conversations in spaces designed with the intention of rebuilding our social commitment. We must share our wisdom and the immediacy of what we are thinking and feeling. 

He later mentions that a lot of younger alumni have asked about action plans from the University. He says there are things that have happened since Kimberly Flint Hamilton arrived on campus that alumni may not be aware of. The University needs to be more explicit about how far they have come with programs and training to create a healthy and caring St. Lawrence community. He believes that these concerns are well placed and the University is starting in a good place in addressing these issues.

In our efforts to hold our own communities accountable, I urge us all to remember that St. Lawrence is an institution that represents everyone in the University and comprises a body of people who have a wide variety of views. Even though some of us perceive the case of George Floyd as an unquestionable gruesome murder and injustice captured on tape, and see no other way to view this— which thus speaks to a larger systemic problem of police brutality and agression against Black Bodies— there might be other people in our larger community that will look at this tape and see it differently. Those same people may even disapprove and disagree with the Black Lives Matter Movement. As such, there’s this unwritten law that attempts to corner universities into becoming neutral entities and cautioning them to thread these waters carefully. However, we can no longer be afforded the privilege of remaining silent. As students, we all have one thing in common: we are all engaged in the business of higher learning. Learning is uncomfortable, it requires us to understand that our own cherished beliefs and unequivocal views of the world may be wrong. Therefore, we must hold difficult ideological conversations which allows space for disagreement and understanding. Put differently, there’s no better time to break that SLU bubble that cocoons us in our own comfortable realities and views of the world than now. 

It is imperative that as Laurentians we hold ourselves to a higher standard than all other universities. We must always keep our small community accountable on all issues. As I have stated before, we are the future, we are the leaders of tomorrow. We have the advantage of being on a campus that is somewhat a reflection of what this country looks like. We must not shy away from the uncomfortable. Our students are the best product of the American education system. We have immense responsibilities waiting for us beyond the 1,100 acres of our campus, for we are the future leaders that will shape and head the institutions that will govern our lives. Therefore, we must always ask what is our personal/university’s role in this larger systemic machine and what can we do to be better.  

These recent events across this nation are not just about police brutality, nor are they just about the many indignities suffered by Black people. This is about a revolution of morals and a reinvigoration of an entire culture. It questions the very foundations of our society and requires an examination of an entire system. It is a movement that indulges us to analyze and rewrite the “social contracts” that governs our society. What better way to do this than through our University?

Representatives from across the POC community at St. Lawrence are currently working on an article that highlights some of the changes we want to see implemented. I want to thank the group of students that have worked tirelessly in the background to prime and guide the University’s response to these issues. In the coming weeks, we will see many initiatives from the University, but I want everyone to remember that these are the results of the labor put forth by students of color and their allies. These students’ unmatched efforts may never be recognized and their names and pictures may never go on the St. Lawrence Page, but I want them to know that I see them; that they are creating a legacy that will impact our University and alleviate stress from future generations of Laurentians for years to come.