Testimonials of racism on campus: It affects us all

In light of the recent racist incident in a Rootes hall of residence, we collected testimonials of other experiences of racism on campus. Here is what Warwick students had to say.

Like many black undergraduates living in student accommodation at Warwick, I’m the only black person in my flat. One evening I decided to have a few friends over to chill and listen to music. They all happened to be black.

But after my flatmates – who were doing the exact same thing – turned in for the night, security just so happened to arrive to tell us to turn the music down, and be quieter. The security office just so happened to receive a noise complaint barely two minutes after my flatmates ceased making their noise.

I was quickly reassured, that it was indeed our blackness that caused the actions

Also, my flatmates had just so happened to hide the kitchen speaker once they went to sleep. Why were they hiding stuff when my friends came over? Why was our fun deemed unacceptable, unnecessary and unwelcome?

I felt ashamed for both myself and my friends, and upset that they acted in such a way. I challenged one housemate the following day, asking why they had acted in that way. Was it really because my friends and I were black? I was quickly reassured, that it was indeed our blackness that caused the actions. Because of course: “it’s always racism with you and your people!”

Jere Agbaje, Law and Sociology student

I’ve felt the university cares little for the wellbeing of minorities on campus. In my first year, I was called a n****r for two terms by a flatmate, another flatmate labelled a terrorist and called a “dirty, brown, Tamil girl”. I had someone tell me they didn’t think I was intelligent because I was black.

I had flatmates tell me they’d never date black women, employing derogatory terms and using to racist stereotypes to justify their disgusting attitudes. Reporting it was futile because there were no dire consequences for the perpetrators and the residence tutor would say there was “no evidence” so they “couldn’t intervene”.

I had flatmates tell me they’d never date black women

When the racist Warwick Snapchat incident happened during first year, I remember attending a meeting alongside another student with the welfare officer at that time, in order to resolve the issue and make sure there’d be no repeat and the campus would be safe for minority students.

Instead, we were met with subpar solutions and the incident not properly addressed, in short “there was nothing they could do”. It wasn’t till the election of an Maahwish that the SU put laws in place directly prohibiting racist practices within the sports teams and societies on campus. It was the first time I knew of any rules which actually protected me from racial abuse of any kind.

We were met with subpar solutions and the incident not properly addressed

These situations greatly contributed to the deterioration of my mental health in first and second year, and I can’t imagine what it’s doing to other students who are experiencing the same.

Anonymous

As an international student in Warwick, I have heard my fair share of racially charged comments. On nights out, I’ve heard “the last girl I slept with was Chinese, so I know a lot about your culture”; somehow that doesn’t encourage me to jump into bed with them.

Comments like these, are more based in ignorance than actual aggression, so I have never responded with anything more than a sarcastic comment if I do at all. As someone with an ethnic name, I have had it mispronounced most of my time at uni, which is understandable as it’s not a common name. But as my friends called my name on the Uni express, the only two other passengers on the bus kept chanting it like a war cry.

As someone with an ethnic name, I have had it mispronounced most of my time at uni

Twice I turned around and told them to stop politely as that was my name. Her response was: “Are you kidding, that’s not your name. What kind of stupid parents would name their child that, are you a joke? That’s a fucking stupid name.”

She then moved on to making fun of my accent and did the overdone, uncreative move of pulling her eyes back so they looked like slits. Every time she did not have a smart response to being called out on her racism, which was often, she would shout nonsensical Chinese sounding words like Ching Chong etc. This was quite a good indicator that we weren’t dealing with the best and brightest of Warwick.

Pulling her eyes back so they looked like slits

If I were alone, her actions, coupled with throwing chips on an empty bus at 3am, shouting aggressively, where I would have to walk home by myself, I would have felt unsafe. I am lucky to have been with amazing friends who stuck up for me, but hearing that she has done similar things before makes me angry.

Most of the racist comments I’ve been on the receiving end of have been from drunk people. Being drunk is not a get-out-of-jail free card. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they do not believe what they are saying. There is an underlying fundamental racist mind-set which needs to be eradicated. This is not only disrespectful to people of colour, but to everyone who has stood up against discrimination.

Anonymous

The microaggressions I’ve experienced as a black student living in halls have ranged from small comments to flat out offensive language and behaviour over the course of the academic year. This has not just been aimed at myself but some of my fellow Afro-Caribbean flatmates.

One of the first incidents I can recall this year wasn’t too far back. I was in the kitchen in the evening following WARSoc’s “Decolonising Our University” conference on 5 March. One of my flatmate’s friends was visiting our accommodation, and was quite obviously drunk.

This has not just been aimed at myself but some of my fellow Afro-Caribbean flatmates

He proceeded to ask me questions about the conference. Whilst I debated with him in a civilised manner, he asked me a range of questions rather ignorantly: “What does decolonising our curriculum mean?” He then proceeded to invade my personal space attempting to stuff a carrot into my face, moaning “please decolonise me”.

I’m all for debate, but I have zero tolerance for racism. Following the incident I came away feeling harassed and frustrated. Furthermore, in the flat above me there have been a number of incidents of a similar nature directed towards my contemporaries.

Following the incident I came away feeling harassed and frustrated

Banter with residents in the flat in question often descended into jokes surrounding “the ghetto”. We’re supposed to have come from playing into shallow stereotypes time and time again with little respite. There was also an occurrence of blatant racism that took place this February.

Whilst spending time with a friend of mine who resides on the floor above my own, his flatmates asked rather innocently if I wanted to see what they had done with the fridge magnets “to make some sentences”. The re-arranged letters read: “I want thousands of black men’s bananas”. The explanation was as horrifyingly ignorant as the action: “Someone was drunk and they just did it.”

Chenelle Shury, Law and Sociology student