BIPOC people are exhausted. Especially at Ohio University with the recent hate crime in Sargent Hall as well as the incident in James Hall, students of color have had to raise their voices to be heard. Now, that’s nothing new. People of color have been protesting and fighting for equal rights for decades, but it’s tiring that we still have to continue to do so.
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Color and refers to the community that racial minorities have created in response to the whiteness of the U.S. Even though OU advertises diversity and inclusion with its “Make Respect Visible” campaign, the Athens campus is about 79% white. When I look around in my classes, it’s rare that there is another person of color, let alone another Asian.
Despite a lack of focus on uplifting and helping the BIPOC students already here on campus, OU has decided to plaster signs and decals around in a performative manner to increase enrollment of people of color students instead. In order to have successful diversity, equity and inclusion, the university should begin with working internally before trying to bite off more than they can chew and trying to consciously recruit BIPOC students.
I believe to be successful in diversity, equity and inclusion, one must not attempt to fill quotas and be stuck on the percentages of racial ethnicity of the student body. Instead, the main goal should be inclusivity and equity, as those appeals will allow for diversity to follow. OU has faltered in the sense that once BIPOC students have decided to enroll, they are brushed to the side. They have done their duty for the university by being a person of color and are then no longer needed.
Leading back to the recent protest that occurred Thursday, students marched from Peden Stadium to Cutler Hall in a peaceful demonstration in response to the university’s inaction to the hate crimes. Once more, BIPOC students have had to take the initiative in making sure that they are listened to, as all that OU had done about the crimes was a copy-paste statement sent to student emails. Many students spoke out at the march, mainly from the Black community, and voiced that OU needs to be more proactive instead of reactive.
Standing in the crowd in front of Cutler Hall, I couldn’t hold back tears as I watched the Black students speak out about their feelings of fear and lack of safety on a campus that is supposed to be their home. It’s the BIPOC community connection that made me ache for them. It was evident in all of their eyes that exhaustion, sadness and frustration were prevalent, but also, there was fire and fervor.
Those usually are the emotions that BIPOC activists feel: fatigue over having to constantly voice that we deserve to live as freely and as equally as anyone else but also a fiery passion to speak out and not be silenced. It’s a double-edged sword. We want to tell our stories and experiences, but it’s also emotionally draining and exhausting to have to be the ones who non-POC people turn to when they’re not sure how to support the community.
If you’re white, these are some of my personal tips to help support the BIPOC community: Educate yourself. It’s on you to be informed, and it can get burdensome for us to have to tell you our thoughts and feelings about topics that you can take the time to research. Listen. We don’t always want to hear your opinions and take on things; sometimes, we just need an ear. Be a support system. Similar to just listening, we may just need to know that non-POCs have our backs.
Don’t get me wrong: I love OU and being a student here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find the flaws that the university needs to improve upon. I think my love for the school means that I want it to be the best it can be, but that means they have to take the time and energy to push action forward. The BIPOC community and I will continue fighting for equal treatment and rights at OU, but it will be tiring, and we’ll need the support of others.
Mimi Calhoun is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Email Mimi at mc300120@ohio.edu or tweet her @mimi_calhoun.
