Focus on racism spreads beyond the University of Missouri

The University of Missouri campus was calmer Tuesday, though student demonstrations centered on racism continued and the reverberations were being felt at other area schools.

Members of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus met with Concerned Student 1950, a black student group that led the campus protest against racial oppression that on Monday toppled the university’s president and chancellor. Outgoing MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, who will assume a new position on the campus in January, participated in those discussions.

On Tuesday, the university filled a newly created position, naming Chuck Henson as interim vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity.

Also Tuesday, hundreds of graduate students wearing their identifying red shirts converged on Traditions Plaza, a spot established for students to speak their minds. They came there to remind the campus that their fight for equity and inclusion would continue.

“As graduate students we are in a unique position to continue the labor and to create change on this campus so that every student who comes to this campus is welcome and valued, not just tolerated,” Sarah Serff, a third-year doctoral theater student, told the gathering.

The protest messages of the past few days carried over to the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where student leaders and university officials took proactive steps to discuss racial issues on their campuses.

Meanwhile in Columbia, MU students reported receiving an email message from university police suggesting that “individuals who witness incidents of hateful and or hurtful speech” report them to police. While the email said cases of hateful and hurtful speech are not crimes, they might be violations of student conduct.

Members of the university’s Board of Curators will be back on campus Wednesday for a 4:30 p.m. meeting. The curators did not specify the reason for the meeting, but are expected to immediately go into a closed session.

After the resignations Monday of University System President Tim Wolfe and Chancellor Loftin, curators appointed senior vice chancellor Hank Foley as interim chancellor, and said an announcement of an interim president would come later.

In his newly created role for inclusion, diversity and equity, Henson — an associate dean for academic affairs and trial practice in the university’s School of Law — said he is not looking to hold the position permanently. But he’s ready to help the university move away from the image cast upon it in recent days, as being intolerant and unwelcoming.

“I think the role of this new position is to act as a bridge for building relationships...relationships between faculty and administration, faculty and students,” said Henson, who’s been with the university since 2009.

The lack of diversity among the faculty at MU, he said, is certainly an issue: “The reality is that it is an issue across the country. Is that something we can improve on? Absolutely.”

Henson’s academic work has focused on Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. He also has taught continuing legal education courses on employment discrimination.

In addition to bringing Henson on board to combat diversity problems, the curators on Monday announced a series of initiatives to be implemented over the next 90 days to address the racial climate on all four campuses — Columbia, Rolla, St. Louis and Kansas City.

The plans include a review of all policies related to staff and student conduct, and providing more support to those subjected to discrimination. The university also pledges to work toward employing a more diverse faculty and staff.

The university had already said that starting in the spring, all faculty and new students are required to go through diversity and inclusion training.

Graduate students, who have been rallying on the campus since August when the university temporarily suspended graduate instructors’ health insurance, say they still have grievances.

Several months ago, the graduate students sent university leaders a list of demands dealing with pay, tuition, more affordable housing and child care. Those issues have yet to be addressed.

“I think that graduate students understand that systematic racism needs to be addressed on this campus,” said Kenneth Bryant Jr., president of the Graduate Student Association. “And addressing those issues are not necessarily in conflict with the issues that we are trying to address.”

Members of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus vowed to assist in fostering a more inclusive campus.

“The racial climate at MU must be addressed immediately, and the Black Caucus remains 100 percent supportive of students seeking change,” said state Rep. Brandon Ellington, a Kansas City Democrat and Black Caucus chairman. “We will do everything we can to assist students and MU administrators in implementing meaningful and lasting change to ensure all students, present and future, feel welcome and safe.”

Racial tensions on the campus began at the start of the school year. Students complained of being called the “N” word on campus, and a swastika was drawn on a dorm wall.

The campus racial climate, described by some students as oppressive, prompted black students to camp out in protest, and graduate student Jonathan Butler to go on a hunger strike that lasted seven days until Wolfe resigned. Members of the university’s football team also threatened to stop playing until Wolfe was removed.

“This action shows the incredible power of our university community, that collective action can achieve incredible result,” Eric Scott, one of the organizers of the grad student rally, shouted over a public address system. “But a few personnel changes does not change the fundamental problems of this university.”

UMKC students didn’t waste any time assessing such problems on their campus. Student government leaders called an emergency meeting Tuesday night to sound out the campus reaction to the events in Columbia.

University leaders also announced a series of “listening sessions” beginning Wednesday morning to bring together students, faculty and staff to talk about their different perspectives on diversity and campus climate.

“I’m just trying to get the perspective of students of color on our campus,” said Ida Ayalew, president of the UMKC Student Government. “I think the goal is to hear what students have to say.”

In Lawrence, campus leaders at the University of Kansas planned a similar meeting. University Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little was scheduled to moderate the town hall gathering Wednesday.

“It’s a safe space for people to come and talk about these issues,” said Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, a university spokeswoman.

In Kansas City, organizers of a symposium on race and diversity Wednesday said they hope the community will continue thinking and talking about these issues beyond the national headlines of one day.

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Focus on racism spreads beyond the University of Missouri."