Email to Todd Diacon (president@kent.edu)

(please DM on ig or reach out to @miajdeno, @esth9r, @largetaroboba if you have any edits!)

Dear Todd Diacon,

        My name is _______ and I’m a student at _______ (If you do not attend Kent State, please say where you are from). I’ve been made aware of recent events on Kent State University’s campus concerning the rock on the Kent campus being painted over four times with hate speech including “White Lives Matter” and “Blacks have no home here.” I am extremely disappointed in how you and Kent State have handled and addressed the racism towards Black students on campus. Students of color deserve to feel safe and to be able to succeed on campus in every aspect of life. An email was sent out and a task force was assembled, but not enough is being actively done. We demand transparency as to how the task force is combatting racism at Kent State University and all of its campuses. Hate has no home here.

We saw the statement about the most recent vandalization that mentioned fencing off or removing the rock. This isn’t a real solution to the problem. Removing the rock doesn’t remove hatred on campus, it just removes an avenue to express their hate. Instead of getting rid of the rock and removing a platform for underrepresented voices to be heard on campus, hold the people who did this accountable. Hate speech is not free speech. It is also not a political statement, it’s hate. By taking away the rock, you would be removing a platform not only for people of color and Black students but for other marginalized groups. There aren’t enough opportunities available for students of color to be heard at Kent State University. We demand that you provide more platforms for students of color and of marginalized groups to be heard.

We demand mandatory education on the culture, history, and systemic oppression of people of color in America. Racism comes from a lack of education, conversation, and empathy. DKS (Destination Kent State) is a first year college course at Kent State University. This course is already used to educate first year students on the May 4th shooting. It should also be used as an opportunity to educate students on the abuse of power, the systemic oppression, and the violence towards the Black community that still continues today. Black History Month was first proposed by Black educators and the Black United Students in February 1969 at Kent State and the first Black History Month celebration occurred here a year later. Yet, students who have spent 4 years here have no idea of the role that Kent State students had in black history. We also need a class to educate our peers on how systemic oppression has affected the lives and history of people of color. Nearly 1/10th of your student population is Black, yet they are severely underrepresented in terms of curriculum, staff, and education. We demand that not only the students receive education, but also the staff and the educators.

(If you feel comfortable, please include a personal statement/story or whatever you feel needs to be added here. Please make sure to voice support for the Black United Student’s list of demands: https://www.instagram.com/p/CE4QLnrAl5k/?igshid=1nol7t0tfneub )

Racism does not just occur on the Kent campus. It occurs on campuses and other public and private spaces all over America and the world. White supremacy and racism exists everywhere but it has no home here. It is the responsibility of Kent State University to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their Black students as well as that of their students of color and of marginalized communities.

We demand transparency. We demand platforms. We demand education.

I expect to see change at Kent State University.

(Your Name)