The Black Student Union held a panel to discuss racially-charged issues that have come to new light since Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The panel was held on Monday, Feb. 13 and included Vice President for Student Affairs Bobby Woodard, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Outreach Johnny Greene, Assistant Provost Taffye Benson Clayton, City Councilman Ron Anders and Police Chief Paul Register.
Some of the topics discussed included racial profiling by police officers as well as microaggressions, a term defined by one student as “an insult that is not verbally said as an insult."
BSU members discussed the reactionary “counter-protests” that emerged during last week’s peaceful anti-Trump protest.
BSU Assistant Director of Public Relations Brian Young said while BSU members may not agree with the counter-protesters, he respects their right to protest peacefully.
“It’s never progressive when you have something that you’re against or something, and you have everyone up in there and everyone is against it," Young said. "No, you wanna bring it to the people that are for whatever you have. I think it’s more progressive to see true colors.”
Woodard addressed complaints of physical aggression by counter-protesters including spitting on students.
“We don’t say yes or no to a protest, we ask you to know about it so we can make it safe,” Woodard said. “We didn’t see anyone attempt to spit on anybody, but if we would have, we would have taken them through conduct.”
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