“It’s not just Auburn”: How Universities in Alabama Handle Racism

By: Kaitlyn Neese

On May 25, 2020, a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by kneeling on his neck for more than 9 minutes. A week later, Auburn University President Jay Gouge, sent out a statement of solidarity that left many students and faculty dissatisfied and frustrated.

But, Auburn University is not the only University failing their Black students and staff. Universities across the state of Alabama released statements that were met with complaints from upset students.

The University of Alabama President, Stuart Bell, sent a message to the students and staff stating: “As president, I pledge to continue promoting a safe and respectful environment for every member of our campus community, and to support those who are particular targets of hate and racism.”

Keyshawn Sellers, a freshman studying biology, said that the campus was never safe to begin with.

“As a Black student, I still feel unsafe walking this campus alone,” he said. “It feels like everywhere I go I have to do a double take just to be sure that I’m safe.”

Sellers said he felt as if the president was not being specific. In the statement, Bell did not mention the current racial climate at the university. He only said they will, “Continue to do more and be better.”

“People already know racism and discrimination against people of color exist. People already know that police brutality and social inequality exists. People want to hear what he is going to do about it as the president of the university,” Sellers said.

According to the University of Alabama Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, (www.oira.ua.edu), Black students only make up 10.5 percent of the population at the university. Bell did not mention increasing black enrollment in his statement.

“It’s not just Auburn. I feel like Auburn and Alabama are similar when it comes to this,” Sellers said. “I feel like they only see us in February, and even then, they barely understand.”

Donoven Roberson, a sophomore at the University of South Alabama, said he also feels like his president’s response was not genuine. The USA President, Tony Waldrop, stated, “The fate of the man charged in Floyd’s killing will be decided in the courts. We will decide ours.”

“He didn't mention anything about fighting for justice for George Floyd or even saying that the guy that killed George Floyd should be punished,” Roberson said.

In his message, the president of the university invited the community to a virtual town hall hosted by the university’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.

“We encourage members of our USA community to participate, to promote healing and condemn violence, and to hear the perspectives of others. We are listening,” he stated.

However, Roberson said he feels that the university does not care about Black students in general when compared to other ethnicities on campus. According to the University of South Alabama Diversity Report, (www.collegefactual.com), Black students make up approximately 23 percent of the population at the university, but he said he still does not feel like they are heard.

“We get chances to express our opinions, but they ignore our statements,” he said.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has also disappointed their students and staff while responding to hate crimes and the racial climate on campus. Graduate student, A’yana Cook, said she feels that the president of UAB only made a statement because silence would look worse.

Other kinds of words, she said, can be even more dangerous. She said she felt UAB did not respond appropriately in the case of Michael Williams, a graduate student in the biology department who was reported as a member of the white nationalist group, Identity Evropa. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, (www.splccenter.org), “Identity Evropa is at the forefront of the racist “alt-rights” effort to recruit white, college-aged men and transform them into the fashionable new face of white nationalism.”

“They are aware of his acts of hatred and do not care,” Cook said.

A flyer was circulated around campus with information about how to report him and demand action. The UAB Office Diversity, Equity and Inclusion released a statement stating, “While we may find certain beliefs repugnant, those beliefs are not a reflection of UAB or the mission we uphold and values we live every day.”

According to the UAB Data Library, (www.uab.edu), Black students make up 21 percent of the student population.

Forbes recently named UAB, America’s number four Best Employer for Diversity (www.forbes.com). However, Cook said she feels like UAB does just enough to get by when it comes to diversity.