Faculty, students pen open letter on Threlkeld

One week after racial tension in Threlkeld Hall became public, 41 professors, three staff members and 15 students sent an open letter to U of L officials expressing disapproval over how the situation was handled.

The letter was addressed to four U of L officials: President James Ramsey, Interim Provost Neville Pinto, Vice Provost for Diversity Mordean Taylor-Archer and Dean of Students Michael Mardis.

“We think a healthy racial climate, meaning one that is inclusive and equitable for all, is essential to U of L’s educational mission and must be actively cultivated,” the letter said. “A situation where students are marginalized, stereotyped and stigmatized is emphatically not a healthy racial climate and undeniably at cross-purposes to our mission. Dismissing the problems as affecting only a few students or as isolated is wholly inadequate. The campus community must respond forcefully to any attempts to weaken, undermine, or otherwise derail a healthy racial climate at U of L.”

The group, referring to themselves as “staff, faculty and students for a just campus climate,” asked for individuals involved in the racially-based incidents in Threlkeld be held accountable. Derogatory comments in a resident GroupMe and drawings on a common area whiteboard were two of the incidents that led to a viral social media post about the months-long situation, and then to media attention.

“These incidents also reflect a troubling racial climate that is, in fact, not isolated to only part of the campus,” the letter continued. “While it is encouraging that ‘more and better diversity training’ will be built into student programming, we note that this must include substantive, effective and on-going education regarding the nature and persistence of racial oppression and privilege. We call for a systematic curriculum on racial oppression and privilege to be provided for all students.”

A Feb. 17 email to Threlkeld residents from Taylor-Archer and Mardis outlined the steps U of L had taken to remedy the situation. Additional RA training, meetings with residents and informing students of their options in terms of bringing allegations and switching residence halls were on the list. A Feb. 20 campus-wide email from Pinto reiterated those options.

“We will learn from this and other incidents, and we will use our learning to continue to build a community where someday such instances simply won’t happen,” Pinto said in the email.

“U of L should take bold action, not merely counter in a reactionary manner, to the problem of racial equality in general,” the letter concluded.