When Your Local University Makes National News... For All the Wrong Reasons

We Stand With Marginalized Communities

by KiloMarie Granda, Executive Director & Desmond Homann, Social Justice Troupe Co-Director on behalf of Unspoken Voices

Dear Community Members, UMM staff/students, survivors, queer folx, people of color, and others reading this,

I think we need to take a moment to acknowledge what is happening in this small town in rural Minnesota. Although we are a small community, we are known for our local university and it's accepting and diverse atmosphere. Recently, many of us on campus and in the larger community were reminded of the fact that hate based attacks are so common in our culture that most individuals do not see events such as these to be disturbing or worrisome. If you haven't heard of what's happening here in our community, I invite you to check out this Newsweek link to find out more.

https://www.newsweek.com/university-minnesota-morris-poster-rape-feminism-umm-college-republicans-1464895

Now that you're caught up to speed, I would like to point out that these messages have been targeting individual's in marginalized communities, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, and most recently survivors of sexual assault. Posters like this can be damaging and triggering to many students and staff on the UMM campus as well as the larger community of Morris, especially survivors of power-based violence.

As students and community members, it can often feel like there is only so much we can do in the face of violence. That being said, each of us has the power to stand up, step in, and speak out. We invite individuals to use this opportunity to speak out against hate speech and bias.

Further, Unspoken Voices hopes to use this event as a catalyst for much needed honest discourse around our culture both on and off the UMM campus. We have started to try to combat some of the negative messaging by creating posters that we will be posting throughout our social media, on the UMM Campus, and within the larger community of Morris.

We hope to share solidarity and to show that survivors, individuals within marginalized communities, and their allies are the target of discrimination, bias, oppression, and hate. These posters and this "propaganda" that calls itself a newspaper only reaffirm what those of us from marginalized communities already feel: that we are powerless and our voices aren't being heard. Our culture is accepting of hate based violence, gender based discrimination, and racially based profiling.

This is very clearly seen in this situation. Rape culture is more pervasive now than ever. For those unsure of what that means, it means that our society and culture have become accepting of sexual assault and even, in some ways, normalize or encourage it.

This should concern every single one of us. Not only because of the messages themselves but because this is an indicator that there is a much larger and pervasive problem...When specific marginalized communities are being targeted, when these voices are being silenced, it makes one ask the question, "How many other marginalized communities and individuals are also being silenced?”

We can provide an answer to that. When pervasive hate and lack of acceptance are ignored or allowed to run unchecked, there is a pretty good chance that your community, as a whole, needs to work on becoming more culturally competent.

We have an opportunity to act and provide support for one another. To have open conversations and to start this journey with honest discourse and acceptance of what we don't know. Community should be what brings all of us together, encourages us, and accepts us for who we are rather than attacking itself.

To those reading this, let's show the UMM campus, the Morris community, and society, that we believe survivors and stand with marginalized communities. Nobody should feel silenced by hate or jokes about violence.

Finally, and most importantly. If you are a survivor, we believe you.

If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community, we see you. If you are part of a community that is experiencing this continual marginalization, we are hurting with you and for you. Please take care of yourself and each other during this time and remember that you are not alone.

KiloMarie Granda; E.D. & Desmond Homann; Social Justice Troupe Co-Director

On behalf of Unspoken Voices

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