I was in my first year of college the first time I attended a demonstration to decry injustice. A year prior, there was a physical altercation on campus stemming from the use of racial epithets and threats of violence. Before then, I had been conditioned to endure micro-aggressions and other encounters of episodic racism, but never had I experienced anything threatening or violent. This was the first time I had to think about with the potential threat posed against me because of my identities.
As we gear up for what is likely to be the most challenging, start of the academic year we’ve ever seen, we must be vigilant and equipped to respond to incidents involving hate and/or explicit bias. With the persistence of our country’s sociopolitical unrest, coupled with a looming presidential election poised to cause greater dissidence, we should expect the tension to continue on our campuses.
Navigating hate crimes and instances of bias has been a common occurrence throughout my career. I have worked through cases of identity-based hostility directed toward individual(s) because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, and political beliefs. Not surprisingly, some of these cases have involved threatening and sometimes violent behavior. I have presented on this topic at national conferences, and frequently network with colleagues on effective strategies.
Yet I am still baffled and disappointed by reports and stories of widespread institutional failure to adequately manage these situations.
The practices outlined below come from years of varied experiences having confronted hate crimes and explicit bias from my perspective as a course instructor, student support administrator, investigator, adjudicator, and victim. These strategies are meant to help institutions implement a coordinated community response to address acts of hate and explicit bias.
President/Chancellor/Senior Staff
As the leader(s) on campus it is crucial that your voices and actions set the tone for the campus response. Sending a communication acknowledging and condemning the incident(s) is the first order of business. This communication should be swift and addressed to the entire campus community. Timing is critical. As my colleague once put it, “wait too long, and you’ve lost the campus.” Automated messages delivered to the campus should be suspended and/or amended to address the incident. Further official communications should be developed in accordance with the response team. As key developments emerge, messages should reflect transparency and instill confidence in the reader. The campus should feel assured the administration is actively addressing the matter, and seeking accountability.
