(NAME-MCE) Cotton Balls Set Off Debate on Race at University of Missouri

Tue Mar 2 09:10:30 CST 2010

Cotton Balls Set Off Debate on Race at University of Missouri

Students gathered at the University of Missouri at Columbia Monday night to
discuss the ramifications of an incident in which cotton balls were
scattered in front of the university's Black Culture Center, The Columbia
Missourian reported. The cotton balls were seen by many as a reference to
slavery and as "symbolic violence," according to participants at the
meeting. Students at the meeting criticized the university for not doing
enough to advance diversity. Some suggested that the Black Culture Center
should be a stop on campus tours. Others suggested a diversity course
requirement. And some criticized the university for not speaking out quickly
enough or forcefully enough about last week's incident. A statement from
Brady Deaton, the chancellor, called the scattering of cotton balls in front
of the center a "disheartening and inexcusable act" and "despicable" and he
pledged that university police were working to identify those
responsible.

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/03/01/town-hall-meeting/

Heartfelt views aired as MU addresses cotton ball incident

By Bryan Richardson  The Columbian Missourian   March 1, 2010

COLUMBIA, Missouri — The reaction coming out of a town hall meeting at MU's
Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center was to not let a revived conversation
about campus racism die. The two-hour meeting was a response to an incident
on Friday in which cotton balls were scattered in front of the center, read
by many as a hurtful, hateful gesture.

"We can no longer let these little acts of racism go on because it doesn't
threaten anyone's life," said Anthony Martin, president of the Legion of
Black Collegians, a student group at MU that hosted the meeting.

A crowd of what appeared to be more than 100 people stretched from a
conference room into the hallways. Many people stood, and news cameras
recorded the meeting from the sides of the room.

Martin explained the significance of the cotton ball incident when he
detailed the history of cotton for African Americans. The act was important,
he said, even if it was nonviolent. The center's director Nathan Stephens
agreed, calling it symbolic violence.

Regardless of the intent of the people behind the act, Deputy Chancellor
Michael Middleton said they “made a very serious mistake.”

Police think the cotton balls were scattered between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Friday.
MU Police Chief Jack Watring told the gathering he thinks the two people who
did it ran between Wolpers and Johnston residential halls toward the MU
Student Recreation Complex. The Black Culture Center, 813 Virginia Ave., is
near the dorms.

MU Police Department officers have reviewed footage from video cameras in
the area, but none of the footage is focused directly on the center.
Potential leads could come from looking at cotton ball purchases in the area
and the use of cards to enter residence halls at about the same time as the
incident.

Watring said the department was doing everything it could but needs help
from the community. The department can be reached at 882-7201.

Questioning the MU administration

Friday’s incident was the reason for the meeting, but during a
question-and-answer session, participants raised other concerns: the lack of
cameras at the Black Culture Center; not making the center a stop on campus
tours; hate crimes not being defined in the university’s code of conduct;
and a perception that top administrators responded slowly to the incident.

Some criticized the mass e-mail sent at about 5 p.m. Friday by Chancellor
Brady Deaton as too slow in coming and too soft in language.

“We were just trying to make a responsible statement at the time,” Deaton
said after the meeting. He said the administration had to deal with
explaining an issue about which they had no confirmed information to a broad
range of people in a few hours.

Repeatedly, speakers and questioners broached the need for a diversity
course general education requirement. The first mention of it by MU Chief
Diversity Officer Roger Worthington sparked applause.

In the Q & A, Yantezia Patrick, co-chairwoman of Four Front Minority
Presidents Council, expressed the frustration she felt when trying to go to
an MU Faculty Council task force with a proposal for a diversity course.

“When we came to y’all three weeks ago, y’all shot us down,” Patrick said,
adding that she thinks it’s sad the incident had to happen for the proposal
to get public attention.

After the meeting, Patrick, a journalism student, said the administration
has given promises year after year with no progress.

“I understand it’s a bureaucratic system, but I feel oftentimes the views of
minority students are low on the totem pole,” she said.

The Legion of Black Collegians submitted a list of demands to Deaton in
March 2005, which included academic demands such as turning black studies
into a major and the addition of a diversity course to the general education
requirement.

Importance of diversity

Many people at the meeting were African Americans, and, at one point, an
audience member noted the absence of other races there even though the
meeting was publicized over the past couple of days as open to everyone.

Yve Solbrekken, a science education doctoral student, said via a telephone
interview that as a past member of Difficult Dialogues, a program designed
to help educators facilitate open-minded discussion, she believes it is
important for those from different races and cultures to interact more
often.

“We need to become friends with one another,” said Solbrekken, who sent a
letter to the editor at the Missourian on Monday afternoon. “I don’t see how
we can understand each other if we don’t hang out more.”

Lakeisha Williams, a sophomore senator in the Missouri Students Association,
said many were in disbelief of the cotton ball incident because they thought
things were different after the election of Barack Obama.

“So many people feel we live in a post-racial society, and we don’t,”
Williams said at the meeting.

Discussions of this nature require everyone, Williams said.

“How are you going to have these conversations on diversity and only include
diverse individuals?” she asked.

Josh Travis, former MSA operations committee chairman, said it is time for a
“yes, we will” attitude and encouraged the audience not to let the
conversation die when the meeting ended.

“We have to redefine diversity,” Travis said. “Diversity is more than
numbers — it lies in each and every one of us.”

Taking the initiative

Martin said the issues brought up during the forum were far from over.

“It’s our job to take the initiative,” he said. “Any organization you’re a
part of can have an impact.”

Deaton said the university will stand strong. “We’ll never allow a situation
like this to divide us,” he said.

Solbrekken said the next steps won't be easy.

“We shouldn’t lay it at the feet of the chancellor, the people at university
or the organizers of the town hall meeting,” Solbrekken said. “The
responsibility rests within each of us.”

Missourian reporter Katy Bergen contributed to this article.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statement from University of Missouri Chancellor Brady
Deaton

February 26, 2010    Contact: Mary Banken, BankenM at missouri.edu,
573-882-6212

http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2010/0226-statement-from-university-of-missouri-chancellor-brady-deaton/

COLUMBIA, Mo. — “In today’s early morning hours, a disheartening and
inexcusable act was committed on our campus when cotton balls were strewn at
the front entrance to our Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center. Those guilty
of this despicable action have not yet been identified, but MUPD became
involved immediately and is conducting an investigation.  This university is
fully committed to tolerance and respect for every one of its members, and
this kind of conduct will not be tolerated at MU. I urge anyone who has
information related to this crime to contact MUPD immediately and to join me
in expressing your own individual concern and support to the members of our
community who were the apparent targets. I have been informed that the
Legion of Black Collegians is calling a Town Hall Meeting for Monday at 5
p.m., location to be determined.

“MU celebrates the diversity of our community and this behavior offends us
all.”