We are not safe here

 Months ago I had a conversation with a friend about Black students at her university.  It was during/just after the BLM protests were getting attention this summer, and however belatedly, the university or one particular administrator, reached out to her (as a Black woman) to help them brainstorm ways to make Black Lives Matter on campus.  

The more she reflected on it, she could not in good conscience help the university re-brand themselves as suddenly woke, suddenly supportive of the unique needs that Black students in particular might have on a predominantly White campus, with disproportionately White faculty and disproportionate representation of people of color in maintenance roles on campus.  Who is maintaining what here?

It looks like lots of folks maintaining the structures of inherited privilege, of a White settler colonial mindset which posits that all the non-White folks around here can benefit from learning, can make their way up the corporate ladder if only they spend tuition dollars here.  

We realized that not only is it disingenuous to welcome students who are not welcome.  It is dangerous.  Students have been shot by security on this campus.  Heck, staff and faculty have been driven out of town by the structures of Whiteness and preserving privilege.  We are not safe here.

As the summer wore on, we realized that the needs of the NCAA and associated contracts with media were going to make sure college football happened this fall, which necessitated "opening campus".  Even before Covid, we knew that universities didn't give a duck about their athletes as humans, as students.  Risk of Closed Brain Injuries from repeated blows? Don't hate the player, hate the game.  Biology lab is scheduled during practice?  I guess you don't get to major in biology, son.  We are not safe here.     

Two days ago, armed men strolled into the US Capitol, with the assistance of Capitol Police who just months ago were teargassing peaceful protesters.  They placed two explosive devices.  They bragged of plans to execute elected officials.  They took selfies, trashed offices, stole things, posted photos on social media, and walked right back out, back to their hotel rooms and their flights out of town.