Editor:
I’m proud to be an alumnus of the U—except when I’m ashamed. Yesterday, while visiting the campus, my wife heard an employee at the Red Onion Cafe refer to an African-American woman as “flat-nose” and “tree-climber” when it came into question whether the woman had paid for a drink refill.
I have lived in the still somewhat racially charged South for 10 years now. And I have never heard such language come from the mouth of a Tennessean. To come back to Utah and witness such blatant racism and hatred is disillusioning, to say the least.
I know that racial harmony has progressed at least somewhat in this state in the last 40 years—perhaps this just doesn’t apply to certain employees of the Red Onion. Needless to say, my wife and I (and many of our friends) will not be patronizing this establishment again.
Matthew Flinner,
U Alumnus
Nashville, Tenn.
Shamed by racism at the U
Tennesseans Are Less Racist
Ashamed at Utahn Racism
Slurs overheard on campus
20 comments
2. Someone on a skateboard yelled ‘f*ggot; to me and my friend as we were walking by the union – granted this is not racism but it is still bigotry
3. me and a friend were bypassed at a restaurant for a white couple that was behind me in line. (this is one that happens a lot.)
4. I was accused of supporting Obama in class only because he is a person of color (I often cannot talk about politics without my race being the central discourse and motive)
5. I talked to someone in power (a staff member at the U) about an important issue to me and was completely ignored. This happens a lot and in talking with my colleagues of color, we often share these feelings and experience.
6. When trying to have a real and honest conversation about these issues and saying “this isolated experience echoes a whole series of incidents (microagression) many student of color experience day to day on this campus” my experience was called into question (with a bs flag.) Something that really happens when people (often white people) deny or try and invalidate the experiences of people of color. I can keep going…This is all this week pal (just 3 days). Imagine this and other irritating things repeating every day! Now these may not seem like big things but when they add up, they create a negative campus climate that is often hostile for many students of color. (please feel free to look at the collage retention data among students of color and racial battle fatigue.) And in some cases (particularly in banks, business settings, etc.) people are just plain rude – treatment that does not match my white colleagues. My point is that this behavior does not surprise me and that racism is a day to day thing for many students. It not always so blatant (in the Red Onion case it is) but we know that based on our experiences that this is an attitude that is very real and an attitude that systematically isolates people of color. I also think people of color are very strong and knowledgeable about navigating these microagressions – so please don’t feel sorry for me or view me as a martyr!... just do something about your people! Educate yourself. The problem is with you not me. I don’t need a tougher skin, you need to stop poking me or get your people to stop poking me!