Normally, the Intersection Multicultural Lounge is a quiet place where students can come to relax and let stress melt away in between classes. Thursday night, however, it was the center for discussions on hate speech, particularly the kind displayed on college campuses. Their diversity dialogue ‘A Campus Divided: Free Speech vs. Hate Speech,' is the first of a two-part dialogue series for Black History Month.
Talks started with a quick snapshot of campaigns that have happened over the past year. Citing incidents ranging from the “It’s OK to be white” posters to Richard Spencer’s college campus rallies, Shay Malone, Director of Multicultural Student Affairs, posed questions such as “What is a hate crime?” to provoke students into sharing what they believe is the difference between freedom of speech and what is, metaphorically, stirring the pot.
Students at the dialogue voiced that all manner of speech should not be censored, however, something ought to be done when that speech incites violence or is violent itself.
Furthering the discussion, Malone wanted students to share what they believed to be appropriate responses when confronted with something that goes against their morale code. An image of students, fists in the air, protesting loudly against a Richard Spencer rally was on the screen and Malone asked the group “Do you think this is helpful?” and once again the answers were cohesive.
Commentators concluded that protests must be made or there is the risk that ideas such as racial supremacy will be thought of as acceptable.
So it went throughout the night, Malone proposing tough questions to the student body and the students in return working out what they believed to be the best response to a difficult situation.
The next diversity dialogue, ‘Corridor of Shame’, is scheduled for Feb. 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. in The Intersection Multicultural Lounge.