LTE: Statement from the Milbourne.Davis Administration
March 2, 2020
March 2nd, 2020
To the Appalachian Community,
Over the course of the last two weeks, we have taken the time to meet with different parties within University Administration to express our concerns regarding the deliberate and racist acts of Dr. Kristina Groover. This time has given us the opportunity to present what students consider equitable outcomes moving forward from the situation. We have gone into these meetings optimistic, believing that our University would not only hear our voices, but swiftly address our concerns, as well as, share a statement reaffirming the values Appalachian State University says that it stands for. Having worked consistently and productively with University Administration throughout the academic year, we assumed that this would be a feasible task.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Our conversations with University Administration have only continued the assault on black and brown students that we experience on a daily basis. Every conversation has the same formula; It begins with a seemingly empathetic understanding for the situation and a serious tone about how this is NOT okay. They then proceed to apologize on behalf of the University and ask us, “What would you like to see done?” We then take advantage of that opportunity and address the change that we wanted to see. Though we have given extremely reasonable requests, such as paid leave during the process of the investigation, a statement from the University expressing support for black and brown students, and policy change, the University has consistently provided little to nothing in terms of support and action. From defending the professor and blatantly providing excuses for her actions to attempting to redirect our demands, the University has shown that their black and brown students are being put on the back burner. This was further reinforced by the statement that the English Department published as a response to the situation. This statement defended Dr. Kristina Groover and attempted to convince the public that her actions were not racist by bringing up her contributions to the English Department’s hypocritical diversity statement.
As if feeling disrespected by University Administration’s response to this issue was not enough, we have also been receiving comments from Appalachian State professors defending the actions of Dr. Kristina Groover and condemning the student for reporting her. These professors continue to defend their “right” to say the n-word as much as they want, as long as it’s in the name of academic freedom. The further we urge the University to take action, the deeper our understanding of the institutional racism that the school protects.
We want to be as transparent as possible throughout this process and allow for the public to see what is happening at our institution of higher learning. Numerous students have publicly presented very similar complaints about this situation (past and present) and have regularly been asking for updates as we engage with University Administration. We will be sure to remain consistent with updates throughout our further engagements with University Administration. We have been continuously told that we must engage in dialogue on the terms of Dr. Kristina Groover and the English Department, but we do not feel that those giving this advice truly recognize the inherent flaws of that logic. We fully understand that we will be painted with an unpleasant narrative, but let us be clear that our goal is to convince some entity at Appalachian State University, whether it be University Administration, Faculty Senate, or anyone with the appropriate authority, to be a champion on behalf of students. We are aware of things like academic freedom, due process, and the importance of dialogue. However, we are not asking to circumvent those processes, but simply asking that our University do what is within its power to support black and brown students at Appalachian. We truly hope that the University does not attempt to sweep this issue under the rug and only encourage us to be “patient”……until we eventually give up. Students at Appalachian State University are not giving up and we are doing everything that we can to amplify our voice and shed light on their actions.
Sincerely,
Milbourne.Davis
Fresh Alumni • Mar 2, 2020 at 1:24 pm
Content Warning – Racism, Verbal Violence.
Written quotes included and marked with # signs.
Links included in numbered list at end of comment. (0)
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Let’s start by saying that the faculty of Appalachian State’s English-department for African American studies (1) does not seem to have a single Black professor, as Bruce Dick, Carl Eby, and Kristina Groover are all non-black, and Grace McEntee has no images hosted by App.
Let’s start by admitting that Black students on Appalachian’s campus are no strangers to overt displays of racism and judgement, from chalking of vitriolic hate-speech (2); the hanging of a white nationalist flag on our campus (3); to the willingness of the Appalachian itself to run side-by-side articles of this issue (4) with comments allowed on its website such as –
#”[Jay Edwards] needs to take a gap year and grow up. This isn’t kindergarten. Don’t take an African American Literature class if you don’t want to hear what the African American authors had to say/write. And seriously, if (Jay Edwards) really thinks that a black professor can teach material that can’t be taught by a white professor cannot, he doesn’t belong on campus. If he really thinks that context doesn’t matter, he is too simplistic to handle college level material…. (Jay Edwards) can come back when he grows up and wants to learn from college-level material and can handle debates without trying to burn the house down. What a joke.” – TJ Smith.
Let’s not forget a key part of the original article posted to the Appalachian here (5), written by Jay Edwards:
#”Not only did she unapologetically say this hateful and disparaging word, but she encouraged her white students to say it as well. She invited her overwhelmingly white class, at this predominantly white institution, to say a word that every person in that classroom, including her, knew was not acceptable for a white person to say.”
For Jay Edwards, avoiding a CLASSROOM full of White folks saying the N-Word is not about skirting education, it’s about his safety, a feature of “diversity and inclusion” that Appalachian State Administrators seem to forget time and time again. In his original article, Jay Edwards wrote that this event was violent to him (5):
#”This not only was an extremely racist act of aggression, but I thoroughly consider this an act of violence. Violence, not in the physical sense, but in the way that negatively affects my mental health and my educational experience.”
And yet, the public gas-lighting of Jay Edward’s emotional experiences as infantile and anti-educational continue to use the Appalachian website’s public comment feature to facilitate disparaging rhetoric as “free-speech” and worth including in the investigative process.
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This situation stands in stark contrast to another administrative decision that occurred 8 years ago, where a tenured Professor of Sociology at Appalachian State, Jammie Price was placed on leave after she used an educational, sexually explicit documentary, “The Price of Pleasure” (6) in class. The article notes that Jammie Price obtained the documentary from BELK LIBRARY.
The article continues to read:
#[According to a letter Ms. Price received last month from Anthony Gene Carey, vice provost for faculty affairs, Ms. Price failed to warn students that the material may be “objectionable or upsetting,” and at least three students complained to administrators that the content was “really inappropriate,” Mr. Carey wrote.]
Of EXTREME importance to note is that Anthoney Gene Carey (7) who used to serve as VICE-PROVOST of Appalachian until a vote of no confidence (8) by the ASU faculty removed him is also a member of ASU’s faculty who claims his area of expertise in “African American and Africana Studies, United States History”.
Note the language of “at least 3 students” used by Mr. Carey, and how this was enough to make a decision stern enough to keep Jammie Price without pay. I would not believe that the same ASU students, such as TJ Smith, would make the same argument about the “infantile concerns” of students who complained to Mr. Carey over this documentary.
I ask readers of this article and its prior to consider the implications of Administrative behavior both now, and in the past. I also ask readers of this article who may be White to have conversations with their peers about the role of race in their own education.
~ Live fast, die young, bad girls do it well.
Resources –
1: https://english.appstate.edu/faculty-staff/field
2: https://www.freshu.io/mia-renee-cole/appalachian-state-students-of-color-target-of-harassment-after-chalkings
3: https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/white-supremacist-banner-briefly-displayed-on-campus/article_044fddaf-cf43-52cf-9bff-195128126e7b.html
4: https://theappalachianonline.com/english-department-responds-to-use-of-n-word-in-class/
5: https://theappalachianonline.com/letter-to-the-editor-3/
6: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Tenured-Professor-Is-Placed-on/131607
7: https://history.appstate.edu/faculty-staff/anthony-carey
8:https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/update-vote-on-provost-divides-asu-faculty/article_4d7558a1-db9f-535e-8554-3fda5eda3234.html