It’s Time For Action, SLU: Building Forward in the Age of the Black Lives Matter Movement

Edited by Hamidou Sylla and Ramon Veras.

Few moments in my life have filled me with so much drive and dedication — while at the same time leaving me so devastated. I write this with my mind cycling through the countless corporate statements, the sympathetic press releases or the blacked out squares of an Instagram post, knowing that they are the consequence of a sharp and sudden awakening. An awakening from those largely unaware, unaffected and/or unresponsive to the immense injustices and pressure that are synonymous with the Black and Brown experience in cities and towns, restaurants and churches, libraries and for the purposes of this piece: our schools. 

While my heart was at first content with the sentiment emanating from the words of President Fox and Thelomethesian Society President Molly Thompson, my mind continued to grapple with the same crushing realization. I spoke with my friends. They spoke with their friends.  Hours were spent on Zoom calls with leaders of marginalized groups throughout campus, each of us equally as disheartened and frustrated at the response from an institution which we hold close enough to feel like a home, while feeling neglected enough to struggle in our ability to call it home. 

Sympathetic words are not enough. Promises are not enough. 

This is not an attempt to deny St. Lawrence University’s progress when it comes to issues of diversity and race. We have seen real momentum over the years in efforts to improve the University’s stance on diversity and inclusion. However, it is clear that there is a dire need to reimagine a culture that allows future leaders to graduate without facing difficult, uncomfortable conversations—conversations that are necessary to close the divisions across different communities on campus and ensure St. Lawrence graduates are equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing world. 

We are in a moment that demands deeply rooted change in the way we operate as a community of Laurentians. For too long, sympathetic words and half-filled promises leave many feeling as though the fracturing wounds of a divided campus, or the crackling and crumbling foundations of a more just community, are being mended by a metaphorical roll of Scotch tape. What is needed now is not just the known and the comfortable, but an exploration into the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable, guided by the steady candlelight which symbolizes St. Lawrence’s leadership. 

Long before the release of President Fox’s letter to the St. Lawrence community addressing the murder of George Floyd, students across campus have been working hard to develop new ways to address the problematic issues within our campus culture. They are the unspoken heroes, often never getting the attention or the recognition they deserve, pulling at the ears of those in power in the hopes of one day feeling like their voices are heard. We remain frustrated, as critical changes and investments originally promised to come in waves, instead slowly trickle in, in what can only be compared to a leaky Dean Eaton faucet. 

Leaders from across campus have dedicated hours of their time in the last few weeks, across Zoom calls and GroupMe chats, to once again bring their ideas forward. The following is a list of proposed actions that are the result of difficult conversations by dedicated members of the St. Lawrence community. It is expected that University officials recognize the deep need for serious reform. 

Action One: Addressing the Flaws in Our Curriculum

The purpose behind a liberal arts education is to provide all students with a breadth of knowledge across multiple disciplines in preparation for life in the real world. It should not be up to students of color to supplement the racial awakening of the dominant student body, as it is an incredible burden and unfairly exhausting. Instead, SLU’s curriculum should reflect the need for deep discussions on the impact of race in American society. Administrative officials must not only implement new courses to analyze and promote discussion on the impacts of race, but mandate them under a revitalized Diversity requirement necessary for degree completion. Imagine a STEM class surrounding the disproportionate effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on black communities. These discussions must take place in every corner and crevice of campus, and should not be left to the classrooms of the social sciences (where more often than not, students of color are expected to dominate discussion rather than be equal participants to a wider class dialogue). Race impacts every field, from Art History to Statistics, and its prevalence across society can no longer be minimized. By addressing the flaws in our curriculum, we are able to work towards a world where race is no longer at the forefront of tense discussions surrounding privilege and state violence, but rather viewed as the celebration of different groups and cultures. 

Action Two: Club Diversity and Representational Funding  

All clubs and organizations should take a look at their internal operations and reflect on their ability to address issues in creating a welcoming environment for all students. All clubs and organizations should supplement their executive boards with a Chief Diversity Officer, whose sole purpose should be in addressing and reporting on new initiatives to increase inclusivity and construct a more unified campus culture. Furthermore, POC clubs and organizations have struggled for years to receive adequate funding and support from the University in their mission to create a more inclusive campus. It is time for the University to double their efforts in collaborating with organizations on campus dedicated to the promotion of diversity and inclusion both on campus and beyond. In the coming weeks, these clubs and organizations will negotiate a plan to consolidate their power into scheduled meetings, where a joint fund can be allocated to bring about the ability to increase the inclusion of diverse groups on campus in a united front. The University should match the contributions made by the particular groups towards this joint effort.  

Action Three: Permanent Exhibits of Positive Cultural Imaging for Students of Color 

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion has made strides to increase campus-wide exposure of positive black and brown imaging, most recently with the opening of the “Faces of St. Lawrence” exhibit by Nadirah Croft ‘21 and Sosina Erkailo ‘19. However, these exhibits were only temporary, and their planned removal felt like a step backwards in the eyes of many who felt seen and welcomed by its presence. These exhibits should not only come around in February for Black History Month, or for Diversity Week in March. These exhibits need to be implemented in high traffic areas around campus, and it is time for the University to make these exhibits permanent moving forward. This is one way for students of color to stop feeling as though they are guests in someone else’s space, because there is power in seeing positive images of people who look like you. 

Action Four: Increased Training for Fac/Staff for Discussions on Race

With an expected increase in the difficult conversations that lie ahead, St. Lawrence should be prepared to address any tense racial interactions proactively, not just with the reactionary nature of the Bias Incident Reports. Increased training is necessary to help professors navigate these difficult conversations within their material, in ways they may not already be accustomed to. Many of these situations will be uncomfortable, and disagreements may arise—that is okay. However, it is imperative that these discussions are genuine and productive. 

These recommended actions are a fraction of the larger movement brewing amongst student leaders driven to move our community forward beyond performative talk. They do not represent the end, but rather the beginning of a greater conversation that pushes us past the point of asking if we are doing enough, but rather focusing on the ways we can help achieve our full potential. In the coming days, more will be written surrounding the immediacy of the actions necessary.

But for now, no more statements and no more promises. It is time for decisive action.