Responding to recent incidents of alleged discrimination targeting University students, the Sikh Student Association, in conjunction with 11 other student organizations, organized a “Unite Against Discrimination” rally, scheduled to kick off this afternoon.
The rally’s aim is to “show a unified force against these actions,” of discrimination, outgoing Black Student Alliance President Lauren McGlory said.
Seth Kaye, president of Queer and Allied Activism, added that the rally’s purpose also is “to show we will not tolerate discrimination.”
The rally will feature a banner reading “United Against Discrimination,” which people will be able to sign and which will later be hung in the Amphitheater. T-shirts and wristbands, also bearing the “United Against Discrimination” logo, will be distributed, Sikh Student Association President Justin Chhabra said.
“We’re also going to [have] scraps of paper where people can write down any acts of discrimination they’ve experienced or witnessed,” Chhabra added.
Students planned the rally in light of recent incidents of alleged discrimination against University students. The first occurred March 27, when a Sikh student was denied entry to the X-Lounge — at which the Indian Student Association was holding a party — because he was wearing a turban as required by his faith. The Sikh Student Association condemned the incident as a “woeful display of ignorance and discrimination,” in a recent e-mail statement. X-Lounge management, which said the lounge has a “no head covering” policy, later issued an e-mail of apology to the ISA. Sikh Student Association representatives have since met with X-Lounge staff.
“They assured us that it won’t happen again,” Chhabra said. He also noted that the SSA is planning to meet with them again “to educate them about the religion and the various different head coverings that Sikhs wear.”
More recently, a discriminatory act was committed against a gay University student April 4, during which he and his guest were assaulted by five males who uttered several homophobic slurs and broke the student’s phone when he attempted to dial 911.
Also this past weekend, BSA members reported alleged verbal and physical incidents. McGlory said someone drove past Cohn’s on the Corner at about 11 p.m. and shouted a racial slur at a black student.
McGlory and Kaye both said they believe discrimination is an ongoing problem at the University that needs to be addressed.
“There’s systematic discrimination,” Kaye said. “[Though] no one will say anything [discriminatory] to your face.”
Kaye said he believed that recent events show “exacerbated” discriminatory feelings.
“Maybe there were more incidents that went unreported,” he said.
McGlory said she believes it is important for all students, not just the groups that have recently been discriminated against, to show unity by attending the rally today. The SSA echoed this message in its e-mail statement.
“We hope these incidents can catalyze increased team-work and strengthen ties between all communities facing similar struggles,” the e-mail stated.
In response to the organized rally, Dean of Students Allen Groves stated in an e-mail that he sees the goals of the rally as positive and beneficial for the University community.
“As I understand it, the students want to draw attention to discrimination in light of the X-Lounge incident and show solidarity in standing against it, which I see as worthy goals,” Groves stated.
Groves added that on the whole, however, he believes discrimination is not widespread at the University.
“Discrimination refers to people being treated differently or denied equal opportunities based on their race, gender, religion and the like,” he stated. “I do not think that discrimination, properly understood, is a pervasive issue at U.Va., as I believe all students have equal access to relevant opportunities provided by the University. What we have seen recently are sporadic and isolated instances of intolerance, which must be addressed as a community. However, I am not aware of an instance in which a student has been denied equal opportunity or access at the University by a person in a position of authority, which is how discrimination is defined.”
The “Unite Against Hatred” rally will take place in the Amphitheater from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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