This statement specifically mentions the students at the University of Missouri and Yale University.
Students at both universities made national news last week for protests on their campuses against the treatment of students of color, most specifically, black students.
IUSA President Anne Tinder said she and several other executive staff members all felt it was time to voice IUSA’s stance on the issue.
“Any time that there are threats being made to student safety or feelings of discomfort among students, it’s our job to do something about it and say, ‘we’re here for you,’” Tinder said. “That’s literally our job, is to be a resource of students in situations like this.”
The statement read civil rights are “not a divisive issue, but rather a universal commitment we can agree to honor.”
It also stated that systematic oppression and institutionalized racism are facets of our world corroborated by academic works, news reports and the experiences of people of color.
The statement said, even if there are disagreements about how to protest, people should share the hope protesters have for “where the worth and safety of those with non-majority identities never comes into question.”
Robert Sherrell is the chief of diversity and inclusion for IUSA.
Sherrell, who was consulted during the statement’s production, said he felt it was good to release the statement because some people might have questions about how IU students feel about the issues arising on campuses across the country.
“I feel, not only as diversity and inclusion chief for IUSA, but also as a person of color, we should be very supportive of the strides going on nationwide to make college campuses and higher education in general inclusive to all,” Sherrell said.
Myles Markey is an intern to the IUSA chief of staff.
Markey said it is important for IUSA to show support on this issue because he said he feels not saying anything on the issue is nearly the same as taking the side of those opposed to the students fighting for their rights.
This sentiment is echoed in the quote which closes the statement.
Markey also said showing support ties into the function of IUSA.
“It’s important for us to show our support for them, so students on campus know we support them and their rights ... and that they have someone they know will fight for them,” Markey said.
Another purpose of the statement was to raise awareness about how to report incidents on campus, Tinder said.
The release included a link to the incident reporting site for IU.
Tinder also said although the statement specifically discusses issues facing minority racial groups, the sentiment of the release can be extended to all different kinds of students who might feel marginalized.
She said she specifically wanted to express IUSA’s support for students facing religion-based violence, given the former IU student’s recent attack on a Muslim business owner in Bloomington.
“That statement was meant to be as inclusive as possible,” Tinder said. “We just really stand with any student who is feeling unsafe or unwelcome on this campus and just want to do anything we can as a student government to rectify that.”
