UPDATE: This story was updated to include statements from the ASU System Office and Arkansas State University.
Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – Scores of Arkansas State University students gathered on the Heritage Plaza Lawn on Friday to protest instances of alleged racism on campus.
During the peaceful demonstration, student organizers called for accountability from the A-State Title IX office as well as for the university to publicly acknowledge “racist remarks that caused real harm to our students and our community.”
The protest comes after a video of a student calling another student a racial slur was widely shared online. Several other students referenced other incidents of racism, including one in which a student had a racial slur and a swastika drawn on their body.
| READ MORE: Arkansas State responds to recent reports of “hateful and deeply inappropriate behavior” on campus
“It’s only been a week since Isabell [Dickerson], she overheard someone calling her the N-word,” John Thompson, a sophomore political science major who was one of the demonstration’s organizers, told JRN. “She did what she was supposed to do, she reported it to Title IX, and they told her, basically, that he had a First Amendment right to say it, and she was kind of on her own. We disagree with that wholeheartedly.”
In addition to accountability, Thompson and other protest organizers are seeking an independent investigation into the incident, an implementation of new policies in the A-State student handbook regarding protections for and respectful treatment of students. They’d also like a commitment from the university that leadership will not use the First Amendment to defend “derogatory” speech.
Thompson added, “It’s not just students that are outraged. It’s parents, it’s every citizen, the state of Arkansas, that does not want their child to be called out of their name. That’s why we’re out here today. Because we don’t want to be racially targeted. And there used to be a time when this Constitution silenced our voices, so we don’t buy into that argument.”
A-State Chancellor Todd Shields released a statement Sunday evening condemning “hateful and inappropriate behavior.” While the statement did not specify what the incidents were, it did say there were incidents under investigation. Other A-State student organizations, including the A-State National Pan-Hellenic Council and the A-State Young Democrats, released statements on social media condemning the incidents.
JRN reached out to A-State and asked for an update on the investigation and the protest. Both the university and the ASU System Office released statements Friday afternoon, which can be read in their entirety here.
A-State’s statement said the incidents, which were not specified, were investigated externally by the ASU System General Counsel and by the ASU System Office of Institution Integrity and Title IX. The ASU System Office’s statement said that “corrective actions were taken.”
A-State’s statement said university leadership was not involved in the investigation, but that they’d been informed of the “findings, decisions and communications after these had already taken place.” It added that federal law limited public statements about specific individuals, findings and outcomes.
“As always, the safety of our campus community remains our top priority,” A-State’s statement read. “Today’s demonstration was student-led, peaceful and reflects the respectful exchange of ideas central to the mission of a public university and to the campus community we continue to build together.”
During the hour-long demonstration, several A-State students spoke. An A-State faculty member and a community leader also spoke. Additionally, several students holding signs calling for justice were dotted throughout the crowd.
“This message is not only for my Black and brown brothers and sisters, but for anyone who felt the weight of the hateful events that occurred last week. Do not allow it to make you shrink. If anything, let it push you to take up even more space,” said student Amouria Maufas, one of the speakers. “There is power in presence. Keep going to class, keep turning in your work. Do not leave this campus without the degree you worked for. And never stop advocating for yourselves, keep speaking your truths.”
Speakers emphasized that they wanted A-State to be a safe place for future students and where they could feel welcome.
Dr. Lucy Barnhouse, assistant professor of history, spoke during the demonstration. She said she wanted to show students in attendance that they weren’t alone.
“I don’t want to take away from the time that you are honorably and courageously doing here. I did want you to hear the voice of a faculty member to say that you are not standing alone,” Barnhouse said. “I am proud to have all of you in my classroom.”
Denisha Jackson, who said she was a member of a Greek organization, said she was speaking out for every student who had ever felt unseen or unsafe on campus.
“We are here because racism is not a rumor. It is not a misunderstanding. It is not being too sensitive. Racism is real, and it exists here,” Jackson said. “To the administration, faculty, and leadership of Arkansas State University, we are not asking for empty statements. We are not asking for temporary sympathy. We are asking for action. We want accountability for the racist behavior. Clearer consequences, not quiet coverups. Safe reporting systems students can trust, education that goes beyond a one-time workshop. Leadership that listens to students instead of minimizing them.”
Thompson told JRN he “hopes to God” a demonstration does not have to be done again but said if students’ demands were not taken seriously or responded to appropriately, then students would continue to take peaceful action.
“We are future doctors, future lawyers, future teachers. We have a career ahead of us,” Thompson said. “But right now, we’re in the moment, and so is the university, and everybody is watching.”
Watch the full demonstration here.
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