Free Speech vs. Racial Equality: Why Safe Spaces Are Not Jeopardizing Your Constitutional Rights
To all of my white Facebook friends (or anyone really) who are mad and/or critical about the potential implementation of safe spaces for students of color at the University of Alabama and at other college campuses, saying that it is a violation of free speech and discriminatory against white people, please listen to me, and listen well.
Recently, an article titled “Thoughts from a UA student: There are no ‘safe zones’ in real life” appeared on my Facebook feed. This article makes claims about the legality, necessity (or lack thereof), and purpose of “safe zones” for students of color on campus. To say that I was disappointed in some of the claims that were made describes my sentiments towards this article lightly; therefore, I found a need to rebut these assertions.
First, if you think safe spaces are a problem, let me ask you the following: do you know what the real problem is? The real problem is walking down the strip and being called a “nigger” and a “fag”; having a person of color outside the very dorm you live in be physically assaulted by white men; skipping class because you are afraid of threats being made on Yik Yak; being repeatedly told that you’re not good enough or attractive because you are spice, rice, a wetback, curry, or a gorilla; jumping hurdles that are in place to prevent you from joining on-campus organizations or running for officer positions; attending a university whose administration has done almost nothing to address the deeply-rooted institutional and cultural racism that has been fostered and perpetuated on this campus for over 100 years; being afraid to walk around at night or around certain parts of campus; feeling too unsafe to leave your room because your roommates bring in their frat daddies and start screaming “nigger” and “faggot”; being silenced because your struggles are not “bad enough” and are something you need to “get over” because of what the real world is like even though the whole campus FINALLY acknowledges police brutality when a white boy has been tasered and starts a protest because the violation of white people is “bad enough.”
Let me tell you something. It is about time for you to stop telling me to simply “get over” what has put me through intense counseling, put me on medication, and has deeply perturbed me and to get over your willfully ignorant, calloused opinions and mindset.
“There are no ‘safe zones’ in real life.”
Apparently safe spaces don’t exist in the real world, so we do not need them here at UA. Do you know what else does not exist in the real world? Fraternities and sororities (which are essentially safe spaces for white people — and if you bring up black fraternities and sororities as a response to this, I can address that concern to you personally); parentally-funded meal plans and housing; the ability to sexually, physically, and emotionally assault people and have a much better chance of it being unknown or absolved or of its effects being mitigated because of your involvement in Greek life and your daddy’s money; and the ability to write hate speech, draw swastikas, and hang nooses up on public property because you want to hurt people with more melanin in their skin.
“The First Amendment prevents government from punishing speech because it disapproves of the ideas being expressed. We cannot extend the freedom of expression only to those with whom we agree. That is a very, very dangerous determination to make.”
“So called “safe zones” that one particular group on campus is calling for now are clearly unconstitutional. Excluding individuals of a certain race from an area inside a publicly-owned facility directly contradicts the 14th Amendment’s famous equal protection clause.”
These proposed safe spaces are not designed to keep white people out, inhibit their free speech, and discriminate against them; although, I do not know why white people who do not want people of color to be safe (because we are not safe on campus) would want to go to that space anyway other than to make it unsafe. These spaces are designed to heal, build community, and learn from those who lost the genetic lottery and need a support system in their lives. It is ALSO for white people who desire to better understand and listen to those whose voices are not heard and are suppressed. How is that restricting your free speech or your equal protection under the 14th Amendment? And why are you talking about free speech when you silence people of color by ignoring, dismissing, policing, and hurting them?
“Safe zones are also counterproductive to any type of constructive dialogue on any critical issue. Yes, racism is a problem: always has been, always will be.” And yes, we need to be reasonably proactive and not just tolerate unacceptable behavior as “part of the human condition.” But we need to raise our standards without betraying our values.”
No, not acknowledging and confronting the struggles of people of color is counterproductive to any type of constructive dialogue on this critical issue of racism, and by no means is a complacent and defeated attitude about the reality of racism and defensiveness about the value of your free speech and equality that is not even in jeopardy going to bring about change or progress.
Also, to all of the queer white people and white women out there who are against these safe spaces as a result of your agreement with the quote above, surely we can take away Spectrum, Safe Zone (LGBTQ+ resource center), Capstone Alliance, the Women and Gender Resource Center, the Alabama Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Justice, the Feminist Caucus, and all of the spaces and people who have made this university safer for you and have helped to put your identities in the university’s non-discrimination clause.
Moreover, if you have been reading this article and have thought to yourself, “Why is he calling us ‘white people’!? That’s offensive,” “Well, I’m white, and I go through things too! I never asked for a safe space!” or “I know people of color who are against this or have no need for it, so why should I listen to you?” then you are absolutely missing the point and are part of the problem. Concerning the first statement, if you can call someone a “black person,” “a black,” or a “nigger,” you can handle being called a white person.
Concerning the second response, I will say this. I am a gay/queer-identified person of color. I have experienced times of significant tribulation because of these identities. If I were to join a discussion concerning a criticism of, say, cisgender male privilege, why in the world would I say, “Oh, well, you don’t know what I’ve gone through as a gay person of color, so why are you criticizing my male privilege without knowing my experiences?” Someone who is a straight person of color could also say in a discussion about straight privilege, “You don’t know what I’ve gone through as a person of color, so why are you allowing for criticism of me and my privilege for my being straight when I have gone through so much that a white gay person has not gone through?” Well, I will tell you why. Because even though I’m gay and a person of color, I will never experience systemic and internalized prejudice and discrimination because of my gender. I will never make less money because of my gender. I will never be at such a high risk of being stalked and of being a victim of sexual assault as a woman is (especially a trans woman of color). Similarly, a straight person of color will never understand what it is like to not have equal rights because of whom they love. They will never be told that who they are is inherently sinful and deserving of eternal damnation. They will never understand what it is like to not have their family accept them because of who they have crushes on. Likewise, a white person will never know what it is like to be specifically targeted in the war on drugs, school-to-prison pipelines, police brutality, gentrification, and widespread and inordinate socioeconomic and educational disadvantages.
These discussions about privilege are not had to invalidate one’s experience as a person who may have intersecting identities of privilege and non-privilege; they are had to explicate and highlight the disadvantages and disenfranchisement of particular groups of people. If I talk about white privilege, I am not telling you that you have not experienced significant challenges and discrimination in your life. I am saying that as a white person, you will never understand the unique challenges that a person of color faces. As such, these discussions need to take place to undermine and subvert the well-established systems of racism and discrimination in our society. Stop making this a competition about your supposedly being more oppressed than others whose experiences you do not share. Stop trying to make it all about yourself and divert attention away from your privilege because of how discussions about race make you uncomfortable. This is not about you. It is about those who are at a disadvantage for being who they are, for being born into this world. I do not care about how uncomfortable it makes you because your discomfort is irrelevant when it comes down to pointing out the real struggles of those who face severe discrimination due to the color of their skin.
Concerning the third point I made three paragraphs above, regardless of what some people of color say in terms of their lack of experience with racism and/or their lack of a need for a safe space, the fact remains that people of color are disproportionately affected by the issues that I have already mentioned. Not all people of marginalized groups have been greatly affected by discrimination, but all of them are susceptible to it, and many have encountered it and are constantly subject to it. The experiences of some do not negate the experiences of many.
So to all of the white people who do not care or even wish to care about those who have a much harder time in life because of the system that benefits you (and if you want proof of your privilege, ask this master’s student in statistics, and I will gladly show you both a myriad of statistics proving my point as well as the narratives of people of color), just know that I will fight for my equality, freedom, and humanity for as long as I live, and no, to be honest, I absolutely do not care about your feelings regarding this topic because your feelings getting hurt does not compare to my people’s bodies being broken, souls being destroyed, and opportunities being taken away. You don’t want us to have a safe space? Fine, then we will fight and fight and fight even more until we attend a university that serves and protects us like it serves and protects you.