September 19, 2006
Dear Editors and Cartoonist of the Independent Alligator,
Resign now and you could change the course of history in a significant, positive way. Stay, and you will be recorded as just another group from Florida who tried to keep UF to the standards of the racist 1970s South. Perhaps the larger Gator and Gainesville community will not agree with your "opinion" and how you think it a representative reflection of Gainesville or the Gators. If you don't represent UF or Gainesville, who do you represent? Yourselves? With that stance, perhaps when you graduate, you'll have about as much chance as getting--and keeping--a good job as Michael Brown of FEMA. Will all of your staff be confident in listing their work with the Alligator on their resumes; do they agree with your "leadership?" I'm sure at some point, John Newton, introduced below, thought that he had sound reasoning too. But in the end, he realized that he had to see the bigger picture and hold himself accountable to a higher moral standard and not merely stoop to the lowest common denominator, even if it was popular.
On the surface, your arguments about popular culture and irresponsible representation of Black entertainers is astute. I agree with your critique about what is perceived to be "Black," and think your tenure at the Alligator and at UF will be very useful in holding the entertainment industry...especially BET and other "Black" outlets...accountable. But that is outside of the issue. What is central here is your job as representatives of the newspaper associated with UF (even if only by implication) and of Gainesville.
Read the two statements below and then make up your own minds. You seem to feed on attention. Well, now you have it; we will see how you hold up to the scrutiny of the nation and to the test of time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Evans
Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans
September 19, 2005
Here are my two statements on the University of Florida and Independent Alligator Issue.
The first is my recommendation to the very active coalition for solution to this tension. The second is my original personal statement regarding issues raised by the Alligator. I
wholeheartedly support the coalition and hope to be part of the larger campus and local solution to find satisfactory resolution in the timeliest manner possible.
Go Gators!
In keeping with Kevin Ferguson's and others' correct assessment that it is time for action, not only words, I would suggest that we revisit a letter written by Imani Hope on September 14th which called for a retraction AND the resignation of the cartoonist. At this point, it would also be in order to call for the resignation of the editor. They clearly don't care about letters of opinion or marches, though both have been and will continue to be essential to this process. The cartoonist has been at this nonsense for three years and has seen much of this before. While I think it is extremely important that SG pass a resolution, and we should encourage the faculty senate to do the same, it is also important for them to investigate whether SG funds contribute to the
Alligator in any way and withhold that funding immediately if a resignation isn't tendered. If the Alligator staff insists on staying their course, the SG should encourage local funders to divest as well. Dr. Russell-Brown's suggestion for urging local businesses not to support the Alligator would be crucial.
If there is not a retraction, AND resignation of the editor and cartoonist by Wednesday, September 21st at 5pm (before the IBC meeting), the paper should be prohibited, by the appropriate university officials, from being distributed on campus and the machines removed or a massive boycott and campaign against advertisers/funders should commence as suggested. The students at the Alligator have surely been exposed to diversity "sensitivity" issues. They have demonstrated that don't care. If, however, their funding dries up, no one wants their paper AND IF THEIR ACTIONS BEGIN TO AFFECT THE RANKING OF THE UF COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM, they will have to care. Though the paper is "independently" funded, they are UF students and therefore also held accountable as such. Surely there are some students who could do a more professional job with the great resources afforded this university.
I have already given my personal view, but consider the institutional perspective. The most significant part of the ranking criteria for the U.S. News and World Report (25%) is peer institution review, which is defined below. By making UF notorious for offensive, irresponsible, and low standard reporting, the UF students involved need to understand that they are not only affecting the weight of their degree, but pulling the whole institution down with them. If the cartoonist, after three years, and the editor who just doesn't get the big picture, are allowed
to continue, it will in the long run be very costly for everyone. They have to go. I agree with Dr. Greene that a campus-wide dialogue needs to take place, but the students must be held accountable for their actions. The Alligator "separated" from the school three decades ago. Times have changed (one would hope), and as we go into claiming this great GATOR NATION so too need the policies of the newspaper staff. I agree with Ms. Hope and the UF Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW): I do not think it appropriate to negotiate with students who, even in the guise of cartoons, call Black people Niggers--and over the years call other minorities a range of indefensible slurs--and keep their job. If the students are allowed to continue their illusions, they will end up getting smacked in the face by reality on a much larger scale, and end up doing much greater damage by their incompetence in their professional lives, as we have seen from Michael Brown at FEMA.
While this is indeed very engaging, we all have much better things to do than conduct a massive boycott; I surely have other writing to do. The students should resign and perhaps be part of a transition team for the new guard. They need to see their actions for what they are. If they are true Gators and bleed orange and blue, we can all work together and take valuable lessons from this experience.
I commend the much needed coalition committee for such important work.
Go Gators!
Dr. Evans
U.S. News and World Report Ranking system:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/about/weight_brief.php#peer
Peer Assessment. How the school is regarded by administrators at peer institutions. A school's peer assessment score is determined by surveying the presidents, provosts, and deans of admissions (or equivalent positions) at institutions in the school's category. Each individual was asked to rate peer schools' undergraduate academic programs on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5
(distinguished). Those individuals who did not know enough about a school to evaluate it fairly were asked to mark "don't know." A school's score is the average score of all the respondents who rated it. Responses of "don't know" counted neither for nor against a school.
Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans
September 15, 2005
Amazing Grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believ'd!
***
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be forever mine
This song is sung around the world as a salve for sorrowful times and it is a mainstay at African American churches nationwide. A White man, John Newton, wrote these words in 1779. Newton was the captain of a slave ship, the Duke of Argyle, for four years. He left the slave trade due to poor health, became an Anglican priest in London, and after repenting his involvement in human bondage, became an outspoken critic of the African slave trade. For Newton, "amazing grace" inspired his responsibility to fight for human equality.
Race is a central thread of our national and international fabric. To not talk about race, or to regard race discussion as mere polemic, is to misunderstand the past and to dangerously misdirect future endeavors.
Hurricane Katrina was a mirror, reflecting all about the United States that many refuse to see--or have the option of not seeing--on a daily basis. Though there has been a deluge of national commentary, there has been virtually no directed discussion on the tragedy at the University of Florida. Though providing the best education possible is the primary charge of the university, a vital part of higher education is critical analysis and that does not happen in a vacuum. In the last two weeks, there has been only an eerie silence, measured commentary, or controlled fundraisers around Katrina; no open discussion. The tension around campus is palpable.
The Alligator newspaper has breeched the issue of race, but not with serious or critical news coverage. Discussion of the national catastrophe and the governmental failure has been relegated to the opinion page, mainly via cartoons. When returning to campus following Labor Day, on Tuesday, September 6, after a week where thousands of citizens died, after they were criminally neglected or brutalized by those charged to protect, and after being maligned by idle commentators and venomous spectators, the stories of the Alligator wrote around the issue. On Tuesday we learned: The Gator football team won, alcohol policy implementation issues clouded the game, and Kanye West is slated to perform on campus. The West announcement came with comment from a "Gators for Bush" member who was re-evaluating his status as a fan due to West's "unscripted" critique; this news presumably was designed to incite some backlash around the upcoming concert. But in the Alligator news, no discussion of the dead, dying, disenfranchised or the disproportionate number of African Americans affected. No discussion of the disheveled multi-state migration that will result in a (purposefully?) fragmented New Orleans diaspora. No discussion of the rich and White tourists who chose not to evacuate that were pushed to the front of the line when the evacuation busses finally began to roll up to the Louisiana Superdome. No discussion of how the Viacom-owned BET network quietly canceled the nightly news and did not mention Katrina until the telethon a week later, and then resorted to the standard issue rap game and "the Parkers" re-runs. Political statements about Bush and the Roberts confirmation? Yes. Race analysis? No. The next day presented little more. There was a small piece about athletes who were affected by Katrina, but again, no recognition of a crisis that concerns--or should concern--everyone. The main story was about how expensive it is to provide towels for students at the gym. Again, no reflection of the major story in the national news. In the next few days came stories of, gas prices, Justice O'Connor's visit to the law school, the pressing issue of minority recruitment, but no substantive story about the larger implication of Kanye West's statement. Only a cartoon.
On September 13, the cartoon of West holding the "race card" (with a Joker in the middle) and Condoleezza Rice's comment, "Nigga Please." On September 14, a cartoon depicted Mr. Bush in water with two Black survivors remarking, "My Bad." The cartoons themselves present ample opportunity for much-needed evaluation, but without contextual news accounts or reflection on the national news coverage to accompany the photo, not to mention liberties with the n-word, it was simply a slap in the face. Among the many letter writers to challenge the Alligator to address race in a genuine manner was Dean Terry Mills. Dr. Mills, the UF Associate Dean for Minority Affairs, sent an eloquent letter pointing out the disastrous effects of using the n-word in a campus environment that is overtly and covertly hostile to African Americans at all
levels. Diversity is not code for lower standards, Dr. Mills correctly wrote. The Alligator printed the letter, but the larger question is, will the paper, (and the campus community as a whole)
become more cognizant of race, or will the paper and general silence continue to distort race by relegating it to commentary, opinion pages, raw statistics, or cartoon? For those who think
that White supremacy is not central to the American and campus psyche, answer this: Why after a week where thousands of (mainly poor Black) Americans died, did many national flags not go
half-mast until Justice Rehnquist died? Would the term "refugee" have been employed if those affected were mainly White? Do you know the name of the Physical Plant worker who cleans your building or mows your lawn on campus? Do faculty, students, or staff you know demonize East Gainesville like many who only "dare" to venture as far as Main street? or do they support and invest in its growth? Do you encourage financial support of the Institute for Black Culture, or simply enjoy the programming? When the Center for the Study for Race and Race Relations hosted Dr. Beverly Tatum for a Machen-supported campus wide read along for the book Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race, did faculty members you know purchase the book, read, and discuss the issues therein,
or is race not talked about in your department? Dehumanization of Black or working class Americans, whether by relegating inter- and intra- race complexities to mockery, by devaluing Black lives, by naming humans other than humans, or by rendering those close to us
invisible is standard historical procedure for racism.
President Machen talks, seriously, about race. For good reason. He speaks volumes on a campus where people have been historically unwilling or afraid to raise the issue. But he cannot address the issue alone. The University of Florida community, students, administrators, staff, and faculty, must also take seriously the task of discussing and addressing race. The Trustees have expressed concern that there has been a drop in Black student enrollment: down to around 3,000 undergraduates in a school of almost 50,000 total students. But that is not the only deficit. In
Fall 2004, out of almost 3,000 faculty, only 86 were African American. Deans and top-level administrators reflect the same paucity. The result is not only an almost homogenous approach to
scholarship, but an exclusionary and privileged campus climate.
As one of the few Black faculty members on campus, I have had revealing experiences. For example, while walking to my car in a parking garage on campus in Fall 2004, someone saw me coming and reached over and locked her car door out of fear. In Spring 2005, a woman, presumably a visiting parent, who also presumably thought that I was "just" a student because I look fairly young, stood on a narrow sidewalk, scowled directly at me--as if on a dare--and
expected me to walk around her. Though I was clearly in stride, and she saw me coming for quite a while, she decided that no courtesy need be extended to a Black girl. But a deeper, more
potent example speaks to the dangers of unchecked White privilege on college campuses. I am notorious for upholding high academic standards in my classroom; I have no choice, really. As a woman of color, my ability or credibility is subject to question at a moments notice. So, I must be extra qualified in order to appear remotely adequate by would-be evaluators. Though I am an historian by training, I am working in the non-traditional fields of African American Studies and Women's Studies, which also makes me suspect. Despite the Phi Beta Kappa key, research experience at Stanford, administrative and teaching experience at Brown, and Ph.D. from
University of Massachusetts, as a Black woman academic, additional scrutiny is inevitable. So, I revel in academic rigor and tout administrative policy as a matter of principal as well as survival. According to university policy, I support the honor code in all of my classes and have, in the last two years, registered a number of students with the Dean of Students Office (DSO) for academic dishonesty; I have done this uniformly, regardless of race, gender, or other student disposition, because I believe in the responsibility of learning, fairness, and honest scholarship.
I have failed students when warranted, though I have done so with heavy heart. I am clear about course expectations, meticulous with classroom management, and give the students the benefit of the doubt. I spend much time honing my pedagogy, and fortunately, my teaching evaluations have consistently exceeded general standards. I love teaching and it shows? I laugh often in class, and have no desire to inflict undue stress on students; I simply expect the honest and professional effort that I give. One White student, when she was caught cheating and realized I was serious about the charge, retaliated by accusing me of "racism" when we arrived at the DSO hearing. She cut and pasted a significant amount (with a few changed words) from a website, on a major assignment, clearly underestimating my intelligence or professional intent, and when I held her to uniform standards, I was racist? This despite the fact that countless other White students, here and at other universities, have been quite capable of earning As in my class when completing their own work according to the established grading criteria. Some have even returned to take a second class with me! This student, when charged, brought a parent in for her
support-and for my intimidation. The Dean of Students evaluators were reserved, professional, and similarly policy-oriented; they recognized this student's rouse for the diversionary tactic that
it was and upheld my appropriate, (and considerably mild), grade sanction. These experiences of fear of all Black people, standardized rudeness, and calls of "reverse racism" reveal a
White "race card" that is rarely ever discussed. But I am not the only one with these experiences at UF, and more importantly, UF is not distinct in incidences of racism; my colleagues around the nation share similar stories as commonplace. The culture of race privilege affects campuses at all levels and we are all responsible for correcting the situation, challenging though it may be.
We simply cannot operate as if race no longer matters. This problem concerns everyone who cares about the greatness of a university. A favorite quote from a former teacher warns, "if you think education is expensive, try ignorance!" Discussions of race and campus diversity are messy, difficult, and time consuming. African Americans, regardless of ethnicity, vehemently disagree on how the discussion of race should take place, but that it should take place is of general consent. Not making a serious effort to address race issues, especially at a major university in the South, will be costly. Rosa Parks is now seen as a heroine; but in 1955, some White people characterized her as a criminal who broke the law and some Black people denounced her as a troublemaker who threatened their tenuous security. There are faculty and staff here at UF who were part of the 1970s student movement to desegregate and equalize the campus. They are still, admirably, proving their commitment to the campus and to the Gainesville community. Yesterday, student leaders around campus have stood up in a call for action, yet again, to denounce the racist and damaging portrayals in the Alligator and by extension, they implicate the complacent campus climate. Whether the campus as a community will unite to make change remains to be seen. I do not believe that the Alligator represents the majority view on campus-am I mistaken in my optimism? Further, race is not simply about Black and White; the cartoonist in question has been universally offensive to other minority populations. Without vigilantly interrogating the supposedly dichotomy of Black and White people, and redefining "minorities" on campus, race tension will remain, and perhaps the desired top-10 ranking for UF will remain elusive.
Historian Lawrence Levine, former president of the Organization of American Historians, wrote The Opening the American Mind: Canons, Culture, and History (1996), which provides an in-depth look at the development of colleges and universities in America and how they have always been arenas of fierce debate. We are at a defining historical moment, in a series of such moments. Those generations who come after us will duly note whether or not we dedicate ourselves to advancing equal human rights and equitable campus access, despite the hard work and discomfort it requires. If White students don't talk about racism, they will be subject to recurring painful and expensive social repercussions. I encourage all students, regardless of race, to take a class in Asian Studies, women's studies, Jewish Studies, African Studies, and Latin American Studies to get an alternative academic perspective. I challenge the university to invest in a substantial Native American studies program. Beyond student discussions and campus populations, diversity must be represented in the curriculum as well. Of course, students from a wide range of backgrounds should enroll in an African American Studies course where contemporary issues and historical roots of racial construction can be addressed with a challenging mix of interdisciplinary theories and methods built on rigorous research. "White" people have a complex heritage that is part of race studies. For example, Polish dissenters joined Black Haitians against the French during the revolutionary era. Irish music is a core part of jazz music. Stories like John Newton's "Amazing Grace" are part of the complex discussions inherent in African American Studies. Race and other "minority" studies provide the much-needed scholarship to help understand the factors that have shaped our present institutional, national, and international situations. When done well, race scholarship is redemptive as well as instructive; when ignored, campuses remain relentlessly divisive and intellectually stagnant. But study is not enough, action must be taken as well.
Ultimately, race is an illusion; I am genetically closer to some "Whites" than to some "Blacks." I take this to heart and view myself as kin to all. But the historical, social, political, and economic ramifications of race are real. We must face them on this campus-together. Renee Holcombe, Associate Vice President for Student Services at Greenville College in South Carolina, recently resigned after calling African American evacuees from the Gulf Coast that were in the area "yard apes." Racism, it is often thought, appears only on other campuses, but does it? As brought
to our attention with historic disasters, we either deal with our local, national, and international myopic views now, or we will continue to elude our amazing grace.
I support the student movement that demands an Alligator apology and future accountability or, barring satisfaction, removal of the paper from campus. This is not about censorship; this is about what the campus community decides to stand for. I also support the ongoing and much-needed campus-wide dialogue on race and a commitment to diversify the university, at all levels, in order to improve the professional standing and prosperity of this institution.
This letter expresses solely my opinion. I do not offer my opinion in the classroom because I require students to investigate sources, consider evidence, incorporate theories from their major
disciplines, utilize a viable methodology, and to come to their own conclusions. I do not want students to tacitly agree or disagree with me; I prefer to hear their own thought process and watch the blending of primary and secondary sources with peer learning. As an untenured faculty member, I am vulnerable in the university, and that scares me-but as a Black woman, I have been vulnerable all my life. Despite the challenges that face the Gator Nation, I remain optimistic about the potential of a university education to transform the world. I also understand that history vindicates the just. In the rising tide of local community and student voices, it is hypocritical to stand aside and say nothing, so this statement adds my voice to the record.
Sincerely, Go Gators!
------
Stephanie Y. Evans, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
African American Studies
Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research
3332 Turlington Hall
University of Florida
Box 118120
Gainesville, 32611
352-392-6088 phone
352-294-0007 fax
web page: http://plaza.ufl.edu/drevans