A female student attending the University of Virginia recently announced her discomfort at the prevalence of white people on campus, demanding segregation from students of other races during class hours. The unknown student claims to want a “safe space” from white students in addition to a physical building on campus that can serve as such a location. The student made her demands known in an email sent to the entire University of Virginia population, but it was released by the blog bwog and reported by HeatSt. The student begins her message with why she feels uncomfortable around white people, saying they make up 80 percent of the school’s population and expecting non-white students to cater to their every whim:
Every time I enter the Science Center I have to dodge old white men that smell like rotten gym shoes and this is at 8 am when the class hasn’t even started yet. Every single day. This is what it is like to be a student of color at the University of Virginia. Where are we supposed to turn? The administration clearly doesn’t care about our safety and inclusion, so where do we go from here?
Although segregation means separation, it is understandable why this unknown student now feels that this outdated policy may be needed. It is unfortunate that in this day in age, students of color feel unwelcome on college campuses and that the white community is responsible for this unwelcoming atmosphere. It is not surprising how the University of Virginia has an 80 percent white population as the South is a region with a rich history of racial discrimination.
