Dr. Kadie Otto, Chair of the Faculty Senate
August 24, 2020
As many of you are aware, students from WCU posted videos on Twitter this weekend which, disturbingly, revealed their ignorance, immaturity, and narrow-mindedness.
Words have power. Words have ripple effects. Unfortunately, the ripple effect of the words these students chose to speak not only exposed their lack of character, but also resulted in hurting and disrespecting many people from our Black community. This was their ripple effect.
As the Chair of the Faculty Senate, I would ask these students: Who are you? What can be said of your integrity? Who do you want to become? How can we assist you in developing character?
And, to those of you who witnessed this, those who are rightly concerned about the words spoken by these students, and especially, especially, those of you in our Black community who were hurt, disrespected, and felt unsafe because of the words of these students, I would say this: You may not be in control of the events that happen to you; indeed, we’re not. We’re in the midst of COVID. We can’t control that, right? “We cannot control everything that happens to us, but we can decide not to be reduced by them.” But, these are not my words. These are the words of a great, great woman. A Black woman. A Civil Rights Activist, Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou, who went through hell and back, and she was not reduced.
As faculty, we stand with you. United. One voice. We stand with our Black students. Period. We stand for respect. Dignity. And, we will not be reduced.
This will be our ripple effect.
(A minor grammar change was made on 8/28/2020)
Video of the statement in this link.
Addendum. Resolution in Support of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at WCU, 2018, paragraph 7
The Faculty Senate affirms and commits to our students that WCU strives to be a place where students are able to learn and thrive in a safe and supportive environment, free from hate and intolerance. It is a place where faculty and staff can work in an environment that promotes inclusion and diversity as foundational to a high-quality education. The Faculty Senate condemns in the strongest possible terms acts of bigotry and racism to intimidate members of our campus community. To ensure that our campus is the welcoming and inclusive place to which we aspire, the Faculty Senate encourages all members of our community to be active and positive participants in advancing and promoting a campus climate where diversity and open-mindedness are expected and valued. We are all, no matter our differences, proud members of the WCU community. We treat all members of our community with respect and civility.
Thank you for great statement
I am so sorry for their behavior. Rise up WCU, this is not who we are. Generations from my family graduated from WCU. So many families in past generations worked 3 or 4 jobs to send their child to WCU and watch them graduate. Sacrifices were made by so many parents sending their child to WCU presently. I really am trying not to get mad about the racism shown in this video. Shame on all of you involved. I graduated from WCU 35 years ago. My life is so much better from attending there. I have thought about this video all day and the harm you all brought to “My” college. The individuals involved need to apologize and leave WCU in my opinion. They have brought enough harm to a place that brought honor to generations of families and graduates. Many families were able to get out of poverty due to WCU. The behavior shown in this video does not and will not represent WCU.
Well stated, Dr. Otto. Thank you.
Thank you for your statement and for the University’s appropriate actions to denounce the behavior of a few who do not represent the values of WCU. No one should feel disparaged or threatened because of actions of another. Thank you WCU leadership for your openness and quick response to this occurrence. Hopefully it will be a lesson learned for anyone who would be disrespectful to others.
Thank you Dr. Otto for those strong words. We as a Black Community thank you. I, for one, do not condone this behavior. I have never called another person out of their name and I will never will. I just want everyone to get along and embrace eachother during this time of need. We all need love. No one more than the other. The individuals has brought shame and embarassment to this University that I am attending for the first time. When will it ever end?