Opinion | Yes, there really is a problem at Chapman

Lucile Henderson

Junior communication studies major

Natalia Ventura

Junior peace studies major

Where can we begin in talking about the systemic problems at Chapman University?

Our experiences at Chapman are evidence for claiming – not overestimating – that the case of Dayton Kingery is not an isolated incident. It is a testament to how Chapman is indeed institutionally flawed. Inequity is rampant at Chapman. It may be hard to see it if you’re white, wealthy, straight, cisgender and able-bodied, but if you pay attention, you will see it. We encourage everyone to attend an event at the Cross-Cultural Center or an identity-related club meeting and just listen. You will most certainly find evidence to prove that Chapman is an institution that does not do enough to support its students of marginalized backgrounds. Let us be clear – making this claim does not come with any political labels. Nor does it mean you hate your school. Calling out where Chapman is flawed means that you love your school enough to want to improve it.

We who stand on the side of the oppressed are not generalizing when we say that Chapman is racist because of what happened with Kingery. We do not need to get hypothetical to talk about racism at Chapman. We have evidence.

We have been saying Chapman is racist since the first time we went to a party and heard a white person sing the n-word. We said Chapman was racist because it took years of student activism to open the Cross-Cultural Center, after being told that it would “ghettoize” our campus. We said Chapman was racist when we protested the presence of a “The Birth of a Nation” poster and flier at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, after asking for years for it to be taken down. We said Chapman was racist when Patriot Front vandalized posters for the La Frontera conference and our administration took no actions to protect the Latinx community. We say Chapman is racist every time one of our peers of color leaves the school because they feel silenced, burnt-out and unsupported. We say Chapman is racist because Kingery felt confident enough to show up drunk to class and say he “f*cking hates n*****s and f*cking hate f*****s too.”

Yes, there really is a systemic problem on our campus and if you deny this, then you are part of the problem. And if you just don’t see it, then you are benefitting from it. As two women of color and fellow Chapman students, we ask our white peers for more than just amicable interactions. We need allyship, solidarity and action. We need you to speak up when you hear a homophobic slur. We need you to say something when your professor delegitimizes racial inequality. We need you to use your privilege to ensure that your peers of color can have a Chapman experience as positive as yours.

And to our fellow students of color – we hear you. We deserve to feel proud to go to Chapman and we will not stop fighting until we do.