As Black student protesters were dehumanized, Harvard remained silent

I want to process an event that just happened. I'm processing it like this - publicly and in long-form - because I still can't believe it happened, and especially because I can't believe it happened at a place like Harvard.

I have been calling out silence and neutrality for a long time. I know taking a position on these issues, and becoming a part of this movement for people who are not black can take a lot of reflection, because calling out the structurally violent and racist system we are all a part of means calling out our own privilege. It means recognizing that your safety, and even your success, is due to privileges that are not of your own making. Confronting privilege takes times, and I think is a necessary step to not only become a true participant in this movement, but also for real societal change. 

As an organizer in the movement at the law school, I have seen the difficulty of engaging with people who are not themselves affected by the violence and inequalities of our system. I have seen how unaffected students can be blind, and also have the ability to continue to be wilfully blind to these inequalities.  

Tonight, the undergrads at Harvard decided to do a disruptive action the school's pre-exam tradition involving a naked run around campus. Students knew it was a controversial strategy - they were criticized for it not being the right time for a protest especially as it would fail to create a space for constructive dialogue. 

Nevertheless, tonight I went to stand in support and took my direction from the black student organizers. They explained that a Dean would ask all students at the run for a 4.5 minute of silence before the run started in order for all students to acknowledge the gravity of the crisis many of their peers and many communities in this country are facing. They explained how we would then march as a group away from the run. 

We stood as a group of 40 mostly black students as more and more, mostly white, students surrounded the group getting ready for their run. The Dean asked for silence and was ignored. We asked for silence and heard a chant roar up of "USA, USA". We, our message of injustice, as well as the pain expressed by group, were not only ignored but actively dismissed by the group of student runners. Only a couple of students - in a group of hundreds - crossed the line to show their disgust with their peers' show of hatred and lack of respect. As we continued to stand silently, the group around us started their run, undeterred. The organizers quickly pivoted and decided to stand at the finish line, forcing runners to again confront their message. 

Many runners just ran past - not engaging. But the outright violent racism I witnessed in that moment amongst some Harvard students is beyond me. White students ran towards the group and gave us the finger. A few students tried to violently run through our group. As people yelled racial slurs and physically violated my body and those of my peers who were protesting, I also witnessed the silence of hundreds of other students who could see these events unfold. Hundreds of Harvard students watched as a group of mostly black students were yelled at, were physically harassed, and were ultimately dehumanized. And they remained silent. This is how silence is violence.  

On a day when I was so moved and inspired by some of my peers and mentors at the law school, I am struggling to process this all. The racism in this country is so real and violent but kept right under the surface for those of us who are not forced to confront it due to the color of our skin or our status in society. Tonight I felt a little bit of that hatred and dehumanization, standing arm in arm with my black peers. Please know that I will keep standing with you, keep fighting with you, keep speaking out, and keep working to grow this movement. 

With all my love and solidarity, goodnight.