Pittsburgh students protest racist attacks
(Young Socialists Around the World column)
The Young Socialists is an international organization of young workers, students, and other youth fighting for socialism. For more information write to the Young Socialists, P.O. Box 33, Times Square Post Office, New York, NY 10108, or call (212) 695-1809, or send an e-mail to: young_socialists@hotmail.com
BY ANGELA ABERNATHY
PITTSBURGH--On September 17 students at Chatham College here awoke to find that they were the targets of racist and sexist vandalism. Students found their doors and bulletin boards violated with scrawlings about the Ku Klux Klan and attacks on gays and women.
Their personal property was also stolen, defaced, and destroyed. This included a Socialist Workers campaign brochure in which the picture of presidential candidate James Harris was defaced.
Within 12 hours, students at the dorm organized a meeting at which various ideas were brought up on how to fight these attacks. Some suggested that more security was needed, that the cops should guard the dorm 24 hours a day, and that surveillance cameras should be installed. Others noted that the cops were not going to "protect" them. Then students began to discuss the fact that making their voices heard and demanding that these attacks stop was the way to fight back, and out of these discussions came the idea to organize a protest for September 21.
Some students argued that a rally should not be called because those responsible for the attacks were just playing a prank, supposedly because they were drunk. Most students rejected the idea that alcohol makes someone a racist.
On September 21 about 250 students turned out for the rally. One student after another--Black, white, Asian, Chicano, Palestinian, Puerto Rican, and others--got up in front of the crowd gathered outside the school's library and spoke out against the attack. Some faculty members stated that this sort of incident was not supposed to happen at Chatham because it is a small, liberal, all-women's college. Many students, however, noted that these kind of attacks can and do happen anywhere.
A statement by the Young Socialists and the Socialist Workers Party was passed out at the event and was well received. The attacks and protest received local media coverage.
On September 28 the Socialist Workers vice-presidential candidate, Margaret Trowe, spoke at two meetings at Chatham College. A number of students as well as faculty members attended. The topic of the racist and sexist attack was brought up and several of those in attendance spoke to the fact that the school's administration has been trying to brush the incident under the rug.
Students at the meeting discussed a number of other topics, such as a woman's right to abortion. Many students were drawn to the socialist campaign's stance on women's rights, especially a woman's right to choose, and how these rights can be won and safeguarded.
Angela Abernathy is a student at Chatham College and a member of the YS.
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