Closing Black History Month events at Salt Lake Community College, the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted a panel on Feb. 23 that discussed racism and freedom of speech.
BSU member Sharifa Harrigan and Ulysses Tonga’onevai, director for the college’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, moderated the event. Panelists included Salt Lake-area leaders and SLCC officials, such as Dean of Students Candida Mumford and Associate Vice President of Public Safety Shane Crabtree.
Harrigan opened the discussion bluntly, asking panelists about their thoughts on racism and how recent movements have influenced them, to which Taylorsville police Sgt. Jake Hill said he believes law enforcement has inflicted unjust power on the Black community.
“We all realize there have been some bad actions by law enforcement over the years,” he said. “Nobody hates a bad cop more than a cop, they destroy our profession and nobody wants to get rid of them more so than us.”
Seeing police violence against the Black community developed personal fear, expressed BSU Communications Chair Beringo Wa Masumbe Netongo, a feeling she said has lessened “only in recent years” after actively trying to work with campus police.
NAACP Salt Lake President Jeanetta Williams added that her organization wants to be at the forefront of racism, addressing all forms of discrimination, especially between citizens and law enforcement.
“We know [police officers] have families as well and want to go home to their families safe,” she said. “We want our brothers and sisters to also be able to go home and be safe.”
The panel also touched on the extent of speech. To Dean Mumford and NAACP Ogden President Betty Sawyer, Tonga’onevai asked where the line is drawn between freedom of expression and student safety.
Sawyer, who previously held a directorial position at Weber State University, said safety and student well-being takes priority, and thus, speech or writing expressing prejudice is not tolerated.
“We can’t hide behind freedom of speech because hate speech is different, it’s harmful,” she said. “As a campus, we have to make sure we are addressing [hate speech] and are serious about it so everyone knows it’s not to be accepted or tolerated.”
Mumford pointed to an example of when a SLCC student pulled another’s hijab.
“When the student actually pulled on the hijab, it moved from speech to action,” she said. “It’s easier to hold someone accountable based on some of that [because] it’s not protected [under free speech].”
However, Mumford explained that they’re not, for example, able to remove a Thin Blue Line flag from a faculty member’s door because its display falls under free speech.
Crabtree, who oversees campus security, then answered what ongoing work with Black students and communities looks like. Having meaningful conversations, he said, improves relationships and bridges gaps.
“I don’t want your worst day to be the first time you … have an interaction with a police officer,” he said. “I encourage our officers to go to clubs, be engaged, [and] get to know students and staff on a name-to-name basis.”
Closing the panel, one audience question asked what can be done to remove the barrier to racial harmony, to which Netongo said she believes that acknowledging racial injustice, biases and white privilege remains an important starting point.
“Let’s acknowledge that we don’t know what we are doing and we do not have a concise plan. We are trying but this is not our best,” she said. “It’s okay to [say], ‘My friend was being a little racist,’ or, ‘I have much more to learn.’”
