Students of color on DePauw University’s campus have planned a protest at a family weekend event Saturday where President Mark McCoy will speak to parents.
The protest falls three weeks after an incident of targeted hate speech occurred on campus. In the incident, the words “H8” followed by the n-word were written on a whiteboard attached to a student of color’s dorm room door.
An email was sent by senior, Paris Murray, to student leaders on Wednesday night informing the student body of the events planned for Friday evening and Saturday morning.
On Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in the Union Ballroom, a group of people of color and white allies will be assembling before McCoy speaks to parents at 9:30 a.m.. The message asked that all who wish to stand in solidarity with the group wear black. “The idea is to get in there and share our stories and experiences with the parents,” said Murray in the email, “We organize ourselves in silence, but also in power, within the room.”
After the speech, at 10:30 a.m. in Bowman park there will be readings of poetry, debriefings, and affirmations following the event.
There will also be events on Friday such as a barbecue hosted in Bowman park by Chi City-Wide Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and the Psi Chapter of Omega Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
Immediately following this event, there will be a meeting in the Student Space, in the basement of the Hubbard Center, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday. This meeting will focus on preparing signs, messages, and letters to read on Saturday morning. “Please use this time to congregate as a community of color and prepare ourselves for our bigger actions not only as students, but as powerful activists of color,” said Murray in the email.
While the event is specifically for people of color, white allies are welcome if they are there to support the people of color physically. White students are planning on attending to show their solidarity with the students of color on campus. “I think it's important for students of color to be heard by the rest of students on this campus because of everything that is happening,” said sophomore Kiara Goodwine, “We have privilege and we need to listen.”
While Murray encouraged white allies to attend in her email, she also made it clear the event isn’t designed to incorporate the entire campus. “This is not an event aimed at mobilizing the entire student body,” said Murray in the email. “This is for us!”
