The Associated Students of the University of Idaho senate introduced a bill acknowledging the harassment of a group of Washington State University students inside of the Palouse Place Mall, during their Wednesday, Sept. 23 senate meeting.
During the initial incident, a group of WSU students, members of the WSU black student union, were walking inside the main hall of the Palouse Place mall, where a group of three Caucasian men used racial slurs and derogatory statements towards the students, while walking away. One of the men was identified as a University of Idaho student.
During the senate meeting, one of the authors of resolution F26-R03, as well as the current Black Student Union President, Senator Envee Carter, stated, “And I’m angry, I’m angry because it is not just a word. It is a racial slur that has been use to degrade, dehumanize, intimidate, and discriminate against black people … When someone uses that word against a black student today, we cannot pretend it doesn’t exist in a historical vacuum. You can not tell black people that it is just a word, when that word has meanings from generations before to tell us that we are less than.”
The writing of the bill highlights the loss of sense of security, the importance of minority groups, and the illegality of racial discrimination, in both UI student conduct, as well as Idaho State law.
After senators discussed the resolution, Senator Carter said, “We are here for them. It’s sad to hear that they feel as if they cannot return to Moscow, because of what happened to them. I do not want them to feel like that, because a lot of the things I do for my club (BSU), are for everyone … When I host events, I want to keep that the same and not let any racist white men remove that from us, because that isn’t going to happen on my watch.”
This bill was sent to the ways and means committee for review.
Carter Durst, Benson Wyke, Xitlali Ortiz, Will Dominguez and Gabriela Vera Alarcon, were sworn into ASUI senate during the meeting, creating a full ASUI senate. These senators were selected through a senate voting and panel process and will be on ASUI senate until the next formal senate election.
Bills and resolutions introduced last week, including F26-R01, acknowledging the students and families impacted by the flash floods and avalanches in Nepal, and F24-R02, in appreciation for construction workers were passed by the senate.
F26-B03 was also introduced, to allocate funding for tabling supplies for ASUI promotions.
Josie Adjanohoun can be reached at [email protected]