Institutional Racism @ Emory University (fwd)
Simisola O Sanni
reading...
-----------------Forwarded Message-----------------
>The following is an account from more than reliable sources about an
>incident which has been taking place at Emory. This is not the only
>account of institutionalized racism at this institution, nor will it be
>the last. The students of color who have lived through the racist,
>sexist, and classist environment on this campus have a long history of
>struggle and are continuing to struggle in an environment riddled with
>problems. This environment is nonconducive to a learning environment, where
>the students have paid over $26000 to attend. Please read the following
>account and respond to the noted individuals. Pass this along to your
>friends and colleagues at other institutions. This is a case of
>injustice in which money can buy power and justice.
>
> Statement of Facts
>
> At the onset of fall semester 1995, Brandy Lilly an
>African-American freshman, and Kristin Smith, a Caucasian freshman were
>paired together in Dobbs Hall (Emory University, Atlanta, GA). Early on
>in the semester Kristin and Brandy maintained a friendly relationship,
>often finding the occasion to share meals together.
>
> Soon thereafter Kristin became acquainted with and began to date
>David Neider, another freshman and also a resident of Dobbs Hall. As
>their relationship ensued David began to spend inordinate amounts of time
>in Brandy's and Kristin's room much to Brandy's frustration. Despite
>Brandy's repeated complaints, the situation did not change. David would
>retire to their room at night, spend long hours there with Kristin during
>the day, and return to Brandy's room after his classes even when Kristin
>was not present. David effectively became a third roommate depriving
>Brandy of her living space, right to privacy as a female, and any ability
>to create an environment conducive to studying within her own residence.
>Moreover, Brandy complained about suffering the indignity of being forced
>to sleep on the bottom bunk while David and Kristin would engage in
>sexual intercourse on the top bunk. On several occasions this illicit
>behavior literally forced Brandy from her own bed to seek refuge in a
>girlfriend's room down the hall. As Brandy became more vocal, tensions
>between the roommates escalated while their relationship deteriorated into
>an increasingly hostile situation for Brandy.
>
> Over the Christmas/semester break, Brandy and Kristin decided that
>Kristin should move to another room. Upon returning for the Spring
>semester, Kristin and David began relocating her possessions to Kristin's
>new room. The transition progrssed uneventfully until Brandy discovered
>that a possession of hers was missing. Immediately, she went to
>Kristin's room where she confronted David and Kristin about the item.
>Kristin claimed David had taken it and that she could not locate it right
>away, Kristin entered the room recovered brandy's possession and Brandy
>returned to her own room.
>
> Once in her own room she noticed that Kristin had one last item
>to retrieve, a rolling computer table. In order to assist Kristin, she
>moved the table from the room to the hall. A short time later Brandy
>heard a knock on her door. Without any inquiry as to the identity fo the
>visitor, Brandy answered, "Come in." David entered the room and
>violently shoved the table in with him and informed Brandy that she would
>not move Kristin's table until he instructed her to do so. Brandy,
>asserting authority over what was now her room, rolled the table back out
>and requested that David leave her room. Instead, David struck Brandy.
>When Brandy attempted to defend herself by pushing him away, David
>Neider, a state championship wrestler, went into a rampage brutally
>attacking and beating Brandy. He grabbed her and placed her in a
>headlock. As she tried deperately to free herself, he punched her in the
>stomach. When she clutched her abdomen in pain he rammed his knee into
>her groin and threw her to the floor. As she lay there he jumped on her
>and commenced beating her with closed fists. Her attempts to scratch him
>were to no avail. By this time others had gathered to watch but no one
>intervened.
> A Sophomore Advisor looked and then went to find another
>Residence Life official. Finally, her girlfriend appeared and with the
>help of a Residence Advisor, David was finally pulled away from Brandy
>and instructed to leave the hall and not to return. While Brandy lay in
>her room, no one called the police. No SA or RA even suggested this as an
>option. She was left to seek justice alone. When she filed a report
>with the Emory Police Department that evening no one rode to the police
>station with her. Residence Life officials have characterized this
>beating as a "fight."
>
> The next night three African-American men, all students of the
>College knocked on David's door. He invited them in. In the room that
>night were David Neider, the Sophomore Advisor, two of David's friends,
>and Kristin. The three students proceeded to inform him of the
>seriousness of his crime. Using a series of hypothetical and conditional
>statements beginning with the word "if" they helped him to understand
>that had the circumstances been different the gravity and the heinous
>nature of his crime would have placed him in bodily danger. They asked
>him how would he feel if it was his sister and presented him with
>HYPOTHETICAL consequences of physically assualting women. After
>the conversation they left. Soon after exiting Dobbs Hall the three
>African-Americans hailed an Emory Police officer and recounted the
>incident in order to preclude any confusion. The officer said that there
>should be no problem but asked the three for their names and phone
>numbers for later reference. The SA along with David Neider callled the
>Emroy Police to make a report. Later that night all who were present
>made statements concerning the incident.
>
> As of now, David Neider has been charged with simple assault, a
>misdemeanor for which he will probably receive first offender treatment,
>maybe probation, but ultimately his record will be expunged. The conduct
>council has met and levied sanctions against him. A month later,
>probably in response to the conduct council's decision, David's father
>decided to press charges against the three students.
>
> The three students have been arrested and charged with making
>terroristic threates, a felony. They have been released on a signature
>bond. Two of them face repercussions from the University.
>
> The University has dismissed an African-American Resident Advisor who
>spoke out against the violence and n behalf of the three students who
>confronted the attacker.
>
> WHAT HAS EMORY DONE ABOUT THIS?
>
> The Emory Police Department elected to sign the warrant against
>these black males. The President of the University, Dr. William Chace,
>did not feel the need to address his student body concerning Nieder's
>violent attack (even after two organized protests by students) until a
>month and a half after the incident transpired. The Director of
>Residence Life, Lauren Kent-Delany allows Nieder to remain in on campus
>housing, to have a BODY GUARD on campus (recall, this is over 30 days
>after the incident that Nieder feels the need for a body guard. He has
>been attending a psychology class 3 days a week with the three black
>males for over a month before his parents hired a body guard), and made a
>staement in the campus newspaper qualifying Lilly and Nieder as "both
>victims." When the investigation began, Emory Police Department had a
>Black female officer on the case but she was replaced by a white female
>officer. Is E.P.D. implying that the Black officer could not be
>objective because of the color of her skin? The President of the Black
>student Alliance and a pivotal organizer in seeking justice in this case
>was terminated from his position as Resident Advisor after 3 years of
>service to Residence Life. What message is Emory sending? If the tables
>were turned and a Black male had physically assaultedd a white female and
>three white males confronted him about his wrongdoing, would Emory
>support the Black male? ( I think NOT!). He would probably would have
>received immediate expulsion.
>
> Nieder boasted about his father's powerful influence and his
>boast foreshadowed the result that these males are experiencing.
>Apparently, his father is very influenctial because Ed Seagraves,
>Nieder's attorney, arranged for the Dekalb County part-time magistrate (a
>college colleague and "buddy") to arrest these men on felony charges 3
>1/2 weeks after the event occurred (which is highly unusual and highly
>questionable due to procedural time lag of such events).
>
> THESE MALES NEVER THREATENED NIEDER'S LIFE OR MADE PHYSICAL CONTACT
>WITH NEIDER.
>
> Now they are fighting for their futures and their lives. A
>felony charge carries one to five years imprisonment with a $1000 fine.
>Some of these students are pre-med. Any charge of a felony would destroy
>any chance at admission to a medical school much less a decent job.
>
> A candidate for an associate professor position in the School of Public
>Health at Emory University declined the offer due to this incident. She
>said that she could not work for an institution which treats students in
>this manner. She has notified her colleagues across the country and the
>Dean of the Public Health School of her stance and disgust at this
>institutionalized racism.
>
> Please become part of the solution to the problem. This is a
>community issue and an issue of equality.
>
> E-mail your concerns about this disparity in treatment to these
>University officials.
>
>PRESIDENT'S OFFICE: OFFICE of the VICE PRESIDENT for Campus Life:
>Dr. William M. Chace Fracis Lucas-Tauchar
>President, Emory University Vice President & Dean of Campus Life
>408 Admin. Building Emory University, Drawer PP
>Atlanta, GA 30322 Atlanta, GA 30322
>(404)727-6013 (404)727-4364
>(404)727-2613 fax (404)727-0281
>e-mail: wch...@emory.edu e-mail: luc...@emory.edu
>
>Director of Residence Life Chief, Emory Police Department
>Lauren Kent-Delaney Craig Watson
>Emory Univ, Drawer B 1784 North Decatur Road
>Atlanta, GA 30322 Atlanta, GA 30322
>(404)727-4359 (404)727-6115
>(404)727-4774 fax (404)727-8039
>e-mail: lar...@resfac.emory.edu e-mail: wat...@emory.edu
>
>
> For the latest information concerning this case call (404)727-6197.
>
>
>
>
>%%% overflow headers %%%
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>%%% end overflow headers %%%
>
OMOFOLABO AJAYI
justice at Emory or should I say I have become so jaded with
dissillusionment that I am not even mildly surprised?
I think what never ceases to amaze me is, when these folks turn around and
with a very bland face say: "there is no racism" and "you people are just
too sensitive" and so on so much rubbish. Yet with the one incident of
the OJ verdict they all went into paroxysms of indignation. The best of
them will say, "yes but racism is not institutionalised and so much advances
have been made" then go on immediately to cite how the OJ verdict has
really turned back the hands of the clock.
Before the OJ verdict hawks descend on me, let me make it clear that I
never once believed that was a trial and that whichever side the verdict
came out would have been pronounced as violence to justice. My point is
to point out the bared-faced brazen double standards, the abilty to call
'truth' two different things at the same time without any visible
contortion of the lips. It is simply an amazing feat to watch, but I
do get so tired of it all.
But for the underlying and often repeated message that the law does not
exist for the racial minority (and the economically deprived), those
three brothers would not have gone to 'talk' to the state wrestler who
thinks the best way to keep up his training is by beating up on women.
Now a serious 'case' is pending against them. That is how satistics of
young black men in prison are made.
Thanks a lot for posting the incredible but 'deja vu' show at Emory.
Let us hope that when the whole of Emory is innundated with calls
complaints and denunciations, even if simply to ask questions, from right
thinking people, across the racial divide, the Emory authority will
finally do the right thing. Yes, there is still strength in numbers and
there is still the truth of justice despite some perversions.
Folabo.
R2...@vm1.cc.uakron.edu
omo...@FALCON.CC.UKANS.EDU (OMOFOLABO AJAYI) writes:
>
>I think what never ceases to amaze me is, when these folks turn around and
>with a very bland face say: "there is no racism" and "you people are just
>too sensitive" and so on so much rubbish. Yet with the one incident of
of other organizations/institutions are designed to neutralize struggle for
racial equality. By denying the existence of such, they perpetuate it.
This becomes very ugly when the very elements who perpetuate racism are the
the ones who are movers and shakers in those institutions. The only way that
the dominated groups and races can achieve the goals of freedom, equality and
unconditional respect is through ORGANIZING THEMSELVES and making an uncompromi
sing demand for respect and recognition. That is the only language a dominant
culture understands. As ugly as LA riot was in its physical appearance, it
was able to send a
message to those who tend to undermine the latent energy of
oppressed races when they are pushed beyond the limit.
I will come back to the rest of your arguments later.
Regards
Belete Muturo
>the OJ verdict they all went into paroxysms of indignation. The best of
>them will say, "yes but racism is not institutionalised and so much advances
>have been made" then go on immediately to cite how the OJ verdict has
>really turned back the hands of the clock.
>
>
OMOTOLU IDOWU
I forwarded a not to these officials at Emory. I hope that others join in
too. Please keep us informed on all actions taken.
Also, I'm sure some of the netters have the address and/or e-mail to 60
Minutes and the white house. Maybe your piece could be forwarded to those
places. Every little bit helps. Right?
Take Care
Omotolu Idowu.