I do think it matters that there's like, a negative percentage of brown people in that cold-ass state, as hamburgerhotdog mentioned up above; just for the simple fact that "diversity" is going to mean something very different there versus NYC. And that's something to think about when you decide to go there, people of color. Unless you're dying to be the singular minority revolutionary voice by default, which is such an awesome experience. I have no idea if there's racism at UMinn, and I think the papering is (if interpreted as artistic, rather than political, expression) kind of interesting. But the "statements" are unbearable in their assumptions, and it's clear that the students are completely confused about (many of) their white counterparts.

I am quite sure that the white students (at least the ones that are all being grouped together as "privileged") have never once confronted their supposed privilege, much less felt guilt because of it. The great thing about privilege is that it's just bestowed on you, regardless of who and what you are, so why would anyone second-guess their circumstances on account of someone else possibly not being so lucky. People like to believe they are where they are because of their accomplishments, even if they know that's not wholly the case. Besides, no one's going to feel all that bad for a bunch of minorities who make it into a dance program. Like, boo fucking hoo. Some folks will never make it out of the hood.

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Then end to nebulous, hard to define but we know it when we see it assaults on students of color by the White faculty and students and the end to some sort of institutional stamp of power on the bodies of faculty of Color!

When do we want it?

Before the next auditions for the Big Stone Lake Dinner Theatre's spring production of CATS!

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From February 23: "We also realized we had made a mistake: we credited Eriq LaSalle instead of Mekhi Phifer underneath his photo from 'ER'. We fixed it."

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"To the faculty of Color, we say:

We recognize the difficulties you face in negotiating the power you have as faculty with the challenges you face as people of Color. We respect the battles you have fought and the work you do, even as we include you in our criticism. We are angered by the attempts to use your identities as weapons against our dissatisfaction, and resent the implications that your bodies are part of the "solution" to the "diversity problem", because we learn from you and respect you not because of your race, but because of the quality of your knowledge and teaching. We agree that the burden of educating your White colleagues and superiors should not have to fall on you, but we must point out that your failure to do so has led to their continual assault on us. We are grateful when you help fight injustice on our behalf, but we want to remind you that you cannot speak for us, because your bodies of Color are marked with an institutional power and privilege that we do not have."

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