Some things don’t go away. If someone is hurt and humiliated and their feelings not sufficiently acknowleged, they either turn away in anger – leave the course – or fight so something similar doesn’t happen again to another student.
This is what happened with the artist’s comment I discussed in my 9th posting.
Our fellow black student felt shocked by her outrageous comment, but our laughter was humiliating for him. Humiliation is a horrible feeling. I feel ashamed now that I laughed. Jokes are often cruel, this joke was and has certainly had far reaching consequences.
Sometimes when people are hurt, they need their feelings to be acknowledged. Remember all those people who have had some medical malpractice and end up fighting the NHS through the courts? Often they say that at the time an acknowledgement or apology would have stopped their battle – but the Institution closed ranks. Our colleague felt that all his attempts for recognition were blocked and few people understood his shock and hurt.
.
Rather than leaving the course he is fighting so other students never have to experience this. The problem is threefold: the comment, the laughter and the lack of redress. He is being very brave: sticking his head above the parapet, challenging the comment, us and the University.
And I now see he is right.
I am part of that institution of old fashioned education – although I have tried to rebel against it most of my life. I imagine a lot of us argued against the comment being racist as our laughter therefore made us implicit. No one wants to be thought of as racist.
However we need to examin the remarks and ask these questions:
Would the comments have been made to an audience that was more ethnicly diverse?
I think not.
Would these remarks have been made if Michele and Barack Obama were in the audience?
I think not.
So there was definitely an element of casual racism.
A lot of us, myself included, didn’t really listen to him after the event. He did complain, he did try and get acknowlegement, but to no avail.
He believes that his feelings were sacrificed because this artist donates a picture once a year to the Fine Art Auction, and is famous.
He certainly has a point. I too was worried that, should she hear about this, she wouldn’t help out again, and might even ask for this year’s donated picture back.
And so what?
What about our fellow student’s feelings? Why is her painting more important then a student who has been on the course for three years and whom we do know well? And know to be a kind, generous, talented person for whom communication and harmony are important?
I am aware too that if people are benefactors they often go unchallenged, especially if they are lauded and recognised by society. These were the circumstances that protected Saville for so long. (I am not saying that there are any more parallels other than the lack of challenge)
Perhaps this artist should have been contacted and informed of the situation. She would have had some opportunity for redress.
With nothing done by the university to acknowlege his experience, the student posted a film using the recording of the remark and the laughter onto his Facebook page.
Copyright can be a problem. He was asked to take down the film. There is another one now, however I don’t think he would be sued. And he doesn’t care if he were, because this would only give a greater platform to his argument – and he has no assets to lose.
At the time I argued with him that her comment wasn’t racist – but tasteless and gross. I was missing the complexities of the situation.
I listened but I didn’t hear.
I agree with him that commodity should not be put over student welfare.
I agree with him that our degree show should not use the £650 her painting raisedand that sum should be given to charity.
Casual racism is insidious.
I think this is one of my most significant learning experiences at university.
