http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/upimage/VF_I18G_036.pdf

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Part of Letter to the Editor, September 25, 2015

Text

LETTER
Greetings President
Satish
Tripathi and University at Buffalo
Administration,
Attention: Charles F. Zukoski,
Dennis R. -Black, and Chair to the
Department of Art
From its inception in 1967, The
Black Student Union has carried
the goal of preserving and perpet­
uating African American culture,
dignity andself-awareness. As the
first minority organization on the
University at Buffalo's campus, we
seek advancements in affiliating
and uplifting individuals through
means of education and commu­
nity involvement. To align with the
execution of these goal, the Black
Student Union submits this letter
to you on September 25, 2015.
The Black Student Union would
like to thank you for extending the
invitation to gather student lead­
ers to discuss last week's events at
length.
On Wednesday, September 17th
2015, The Black Student Union
convened for its weekly gener­
al body meeting where students
addressed the ''White Only" and
''Black Only" signs displayed on
campus. At this general body
meeting, students expressed feel­
ings of, shock, grief, and trepidation.
As students shared their responses to the signs, it was evi­
dent that these discoveries took an
emotional and psychological toll
on the student body of this cam­
pus. One student professed to
feeling threatened by the signs and
fearing for her life. Another stu­
dent proclaimed that her friends,

TO

THE EDITOR

who are
UB students,did not ·
know where to sit at. a restaurant
at the UB commons after seeing a
''WHITE ONLY" sign in the vicinity.
There has always been an interply between artistic expression and
crime, and-this case is no different.
While graffiti is considered a style
of art that has dated back as far
as ancient Rome, it has also been
seen as an illegal action. These
signs ·evoked such a mass of negative emotions from students, and
regardless of the intentions, people still suffered.
The -Black Student Union stands
by its position that this is not art.
This ·project is likened to human
subject experimentation in which
all of the general population of
our university was involuntarily exposed to these discriminatory signs.
Ashley Powell voluntarily admitted [in the Black Student Union's
general body meeting Wednesday,
September 17th, 2015] that she is
solely responsible for displaying
the signs for the UB art course, Installations in Urban Spaces. The
Black Student Union believes the
student body's right to move freely about the campus appeared to
have been impeded on by the very
plain discriminatory message on
the signs.
In no way did Powell's presence
in Wednesday's general body meeting inflate or increase the meeting's
attendance. The Black Student
Union's general body has been historically supportive and regularly active in all BSU programs and
events. In fact, many other Stu-

dent Association organizations
were represented in Wednesday's
general body meeting. As the premier student organization for minority individuals at the Universi. ty at Buffalo, it is not uncommon
-for weekly general body meetings to be widely supported and
well-attended. The attendance to
Wednesday's meeting will not be
reduced to Powell's veiled attempt
to incite racial tension. The minority community at the University at
Buffalo stands in solidarity with
the Black Student Union.
After Powell's confession • and
self identification as a graduate
student, the general body memhers and other students present
in the meeting immediately questioned how said "art project" was
approved and how it could in any
way fulfill a legitimate academic
purpose.
While others have dismissed the
displays offensiveness because it
was supported by a sociocultural theory, the Black Student Union
does not excuse the insensitivity of this display. Moreover, the
nationality or ethnicity of Powell
does not impact the Black Student
Union's stance against her work.
However, Powell is not the only
person responsible for these displays. The Black Student Union
believes adjunct professor, Warren K. Quigley is also at fault. As
students, we expect for faculty to
be knowledgeable on the current
academic standards set forth by
the university for the array of respective schools and programs.
As students, we also expect faculty's guidance and sound judgment

as it relates to achieving academ­
ic goals. Many students begged the
question," Did anyone consider
the implications that this 'art proj­
ect' would have on the people at
the University at Buffalo?" Profes­
sor Quigley failed to provide the
appropriate guidance in this mat­
ter. As a result, the project was
carried out and people of all races
and creeds remain profoundly dis­
tressed.
If this project is in fact in accor­
dance with any university standard
for academic work, a complete
overhaul of these standards must
be performed immediately. Fail­
ure to reexamine University pol­
icies and procedures that protect
the freedoms of students' academ­
ic prowess and foster a healthy liv­
ing-learning environment sends a
single substandard message... that
the University at Buffalo does not
value its rninor;ity students, faculty,
staff, alumni, donors, and affiliates.
Although Ashley Powell and ad­
junct professor Warren K. Quig­
ley are the cause of this heinous
act, The Black Student Union also
finds the University at Buffalo's
Police Department at fault.
The Black Student Union ex­
ecutive board noted a common
theme in students' expressions at
Wednesday's general body meeting. Students felt: angry, traumatized, unwelcomed, divided, dis­
criminated against, belittled, de­
humanized, fearful, unsure, and
unsafe.
Multiple students contacted the
University Police Department to
report the findings. Later at the
general body meeting Wednesday,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

students described their interaction with
University Police as disheartening. Students
expected for the officers to inquire about
other display sightings, possible sightings
of individuals posting the displays, and references to UB Counseling services. How­
ever,1University Police officers merely dis­
posed of the ''White Only" and "Black
Only" signs in trash receptacles. Universi­
ty Police dispatchers responding via tele­
phone .dismissed the students' feelings of
fear by making insensitive statements like:
''Why are you so upset over a sign?" Which
does not reflect UB's official statement:
''UB . is a safe place that values diversity.
Review is under way." (Twitter, @UBnow
Thursday September 17, 2015; 4:24pm)
Not only were responses such as this gross­
ly inappropriate •coming ·from public officials who are sworn to protect and serve
the student body, their passivity to the historical context of these signs is equally disheartening and disturbing.
The Black Student Union and the minority community fully expect that the admin­
istration ·of the University at Buffalo ad-

dress eath of the following questions pub­
lically, candidly, and with urgency:
• What is art at UB?
• What is academic freedom?
• Does academic freedom justify or cre­
ate room for racially charged art forms?
• Does academic freedom endorse un­
conscionable recreations of historically di­
visive work?
• Is our welcome, as people of color, at
UB only as extensive as the next art project?
•
• · Where does the University draw the
line between freedom of expression and
overt demonstrations of cultural trauma?
In conclusion, the Black Student Union
fully expects that:
• President Satish K. Tripathi immediately address the aforementioned five ques­
tions and insist that this work is not art.
• President Satish K. Tripathi articulate University at Buffalo's vision for in­
clusion that encompasses matters like this
during his Annual State of the University
Address.
The Chair of the Art Department

actively re-evaluate policies and procedures
currently in place concerning art installa­
tions. ,
• University administration review, revise and train the University Police officers
and dispatchers to respond to harmful acts
more sufficiently
• Address why University Police officers merely disposed of displays in trash
receptacles as opposed to inquiring about
other display sightings, possible sightings
of individuals posting the displays, and ref­
erences to UB counseling services.
• Address University Police dispatchers insensitive responses to concerned students
The Black Student Union will not stand
idly by as new developments of racial­
ly charged interactions continuously take
place in the UB community. The Black Stu­
dent Union will not be silent and will re­
main steadfast in upholding the principles
our organization was established upon in
1967.
This letter serves as a means to convey
the message that the student body's con-

cerns will not be minimized. The Black
Student Union will not rest until the above
expectations are actively and effectively
pursued.
In solidarity,
Black Student Union Executive Board
Micah Oliver, President
Deidree Golbourne, Vice President
Jalyssa Gordon, Treasurer
Tiffany Vera, Secretary
Samirra Felix, Activities Coordinator
Leslie Veloz, Activities Coordinator
Rashaad Holley, Publicity Coordinator
Jason Hamlet, Publicity Coordinator
Kevin Appiah Kubi, Historian
Vittoria Kehinde, '.Black Women United
Co-Chair
Alex Louigarde, Black Women United
Co-Chair
James Battle, Black Men United Co­
Chair
Randy Ollivierre, Black Men United Co­
Chair
Terem Adi, Community Service Chair