September 29, 2009
Chancellor Herman,
As you are aware, on October 2nd the 'Students for Chief Illiniwek' plan to
hold the second of their annual tributes to the former mascot titled:
'The Next Dance.' As you are probably also aware, various student
groups are planning to protest this event.
Last year’s protest was a highly charged situation fraught with tension and
threats of violence. One of our camera persons was shoved, intimidating
gestures and racial epithets were common in amongst a whole barrage of taunts
and verbal abuse. At one point, a small group of protestors were forced
off the sidewalk and into traffic by a very aggressive crowd; they ultimately
had to retreat back to the larger group for their own safety.
Police at the scene however, were few and far between. Those who were
there did little but stand around and joke with the fans coming out of the
building.
Why, you might ask, would
anyone knowingly put themselves in a situation where such a possibility of
violence exists?
The answer is simple: We’re there, because you aren't.
Students, faculty and local community members will protest to call attention to
what can only be described as an arrogant display of privilege and bigotry
because you, as the voice and face of the University administration, have
failed to do so.
When 'the chief' was
retired in 2007, you had the opportunity to completely end that racist
practice. The 'chief' is a remnant of a period when Native peoples of this
country couldn't even legally perform their own dances -- dances which are an
integral part of their fundamental spiritual expression -- and yet some
blond-haired kid in Illinois could fire up the fans at a football game doing
his own exaggerated parody thereof, and the University thought that was
perfectly acceptable.
Anyone with even a moderately good education and grasp of history knows this
and can see the racism inherent in this so-called 'tradition', yet because a
lot of powerful, influential and wealthy interests like to indulge in the sort
of imperialist nostalgia 'the chief' represents, you apparently accept their
spin on things and fall right in line using as justification their woefully
transparent excuses about its 'tradition' and 'honor.’
Your bogus references to 'free speech’ may satisfy the NCAA and avoid
sanctions, but they do nothing to disrupt the long and troubled history of
racism on this campus and you know it.
You had a chance to end this thing once and for all, and in the time you have
left as chancellor you can still do that, but instead you tinker around the
edges, trying to 'manage' the situation. In so doing, you force students
on this campus to fend for themselves and take whatever moral lessons they can
from your lack of leadership.
Chancellor Herman, is this the legacy you want to leave behind? In the final
analysis your name will be attached to this issue and what you do or don't do
about the 'chief' is how you will be remembered.
Be a bold leader and take a definitive stand, or be remembered as the
Chancellor who balked at moral obligation and let influential outside interests
dictate his every move.
Sincerely,
The IRESIST Coalition.
download as a pdf file
| |
|
