The recent DTH Editorial Board’s piece on the TA strike was littered with inaccuracies and is representative of how misinformation is used to maintain the status quo and uphold white supremacy on our campus. Administrators and students have for too long operated as the white moderates that Dr. King spoke of, who are “more devoted to 'order' than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.”
The TAs brave decision to strike was in response to the University’s decision to re-erect a monument to white supremacy next to a synagogue, Jewish preschool and student housing that is typically occupied by Black students. The individuals who chose to engage in this action jeopardized not only their “paychecks,” but also their reputation, academic standing and future at the University. They put all of this on the line to demand that the University make just decisions. The TAs who participated stood up for students while administrators and many UNC institutions, like the DTH, have repeatedly failed to do.
If students feel victimized by these anti-racist actions, they should reflect on who actually has power to create change. They will realize that the University has had the option to prioritize the lives, safety and academic performance of marginalized students at every turn and has repeatedly ignored this responsibility. If students feel “taken advantage” of by anti-racist work, they should ask themselves what their own interest in upholding white supremacy is.
Alli Whitenack and Jessica Bolin
Campus Y Co-presidents
