Rocco Salamone

Professor Beckelhimer

English 2089

10 October 2017

Discourse Analysis

Slavery is considered by many to be the original sin of the United States of America.

Because of this sin, racism has been widespread throughout our country. Today, we are facing a

very similar reality. Ever since the rise of social media, images and videos of police brutality

have made race relations much more tense throughout the country. Along with this, the 2016

presidential election has only increased the polarization of the country. The countrys issue with

racism is a macrocosm of what it is like on college campuses nowadays. There are many

incidents and protests occurring each year. Colleges and universities are striving to create a

more diverse and inclusive space; however, the same biases and stereotypes are pulling us all

down. The point of this discourse is to make sure that each and every person is receiving basic

rights and is being treated equally on college campuses. The fight for the activists and

universities puts them against people that hold hateful values and dont understand basic

principles that this country was founded upon.

The discourse communities that take part in these discussions include activist groups such

as Black Lives Matter, The University of Cincinnati (UC), the KKK, the Alt-Right, and most

importantly, individuals. Each of these entities has its own tactics on how to communicate its

opinions. UC has a few ways of expressing these opinions. On UCs webpage for Equity &

Inclusion, the University clearly states, It is a fundamental policy of the University of

Cincinnati that discrimination on the basis of race shall not be practiced in any of its activities
(University of Cincinnati Office of Equity and Inclusion). This excerpt illustrates the UCs

official stance on discrimination on campus and it is used many times throughout the discourse.

Another way in which UC tries combat discrimination on college campuses occurs when they

hold speakers to inform students about racism, how to help put an end to racism, etc. I,

personally, attended one speaker on campus about how Greek life is inherently racist. Even

though I didnt 100% agree with everything that was said, I was able to start to form an

understanding of what it would feel like to be on the other side of the aisle. The Universitys

discourse is almost always civil and constructive in nature. However, there are other groups

whose are not.

The next groups who partake in this discourse are the activist groups. The activist group on the

side fighting for more rights is Black Lives Matter. They recently held a protest this past summer

on our own campus protesting the Ray Tensing murder trial. At the midpoint of the protest, Jeff

Berding (F.C. Cincinnatis GM) was quoted on saying, We respect their constitutional right to

have their voice heard, it's an important voice. We appreciate the assurances that it's going to be

a peaceful rally. (Staff) It ended up being a very peaceful protest in which the partys voices

were heard. Most (except the Ferguson riots and a few others) of these protests are peaceful and

civil. They hold many of these types of rallies all over the country to protest the injustices that

they see every day. The groups actions transcend just police brutality and help to start a

conversation about racial injustice going on everywhere, including on college campuses. On the

other side, there is KKK and the Alt-Right who essentially perform the same rallies and protest

except for the other side. One of these protests a few months ago turned into an all-out brawl

when a few members from the Alt-Right movement attacked a counter protest group. There were

many injuries involved. This is the type of discourse that is harmful along with the riots by the
BLM group in Ferguson. When violence takes place, it only seems to separate the sides further

and is harmful to the overall goal. This can also be the case when individuals take matters into

their own hands.

That group is the individuals who align themselves with either side but take actions into

their own hands. Sometimes, these individuals make their thoughts heard in a constructive light

such as attending a campus conference where each side can speak and voice their opinions in a

civil manner. However, there have been cases recently where they have performed sinister

actions without showing their faces. Inside Higher Ed posted an article illustrating this point. It

said, At Eastern Michigan University, the letters KKK and racial slurs were found on several

buildings last week, prompting protests and condemnations by university officials. (Jaschik)

There were many other instances posted in the article all within the past year. This illustrates

what happens when people do not civilly discuss this issue. It only causes more issues and

separation between the two parties.

According to a recent survey found on a Newsweek webpage, last year, a new record was

set for the amount of civil rights complaints on college campuses at 10,392 (Kutner). 146 of

these complaints were racial harassment complaints. This number is three times the amount of

complaints in 2005. As we progress further, the number should be going down. It is going to be a

group effort from each of these entities such as individuals who take a side, activist groups, and

universities to come together and civilly put these issues to bed. College has always been a place

where you go to open your mind and celebrate different culture. Now, the issue has become

whether or not there will be more racial tension on campuses rather than harmony.
 Works Cited

1. Harassment. University of Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati,

www.uc.edu/inclusion/oeoa/OEOAHarassment.html.
2. Kutner, Max. Civil Rights Complaints by Students Hit an All-Time High Last
Year. Newsweek, Newsweek, 10 June 2016, www.newsweek.com/department-
education-office-civil-rights-report-455752.
3. Jaschik, Scott. Epidemic of Racist Incidents. Campuses See Flurry of Racist Incidents
and Protests against Racism, Inside Higher Ed, 26 Sept. 2016,
www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/09/26/campuses-see-flurry-racist-incidents-and-
protests-against-racism.
4. Staff, WLWT Digital. Dozens Protest Tensing Mistrial Outside FC Cincinnati
Game. WLWT, WLWT, 18 July 2017, www.wlwt.com/article/dozens-protest-tensing-
mistrial-outside-fc-cincinnati-game/10236884.