Local & Bistate
Event at Indiana State tears down the walls of hate
Diversity Committee rolls out something new for program's inaugural year
TERRE HAUTE — With explosive energy Monday, about 20 Indiana State University students destroyed a “Wall of Hate” covered with offensive terms and derogatory names.
The students kicked and beat the wall down in a matter of seconds, which wasn’t too hard considering it was made of foam boards covered with brown paper.
The event tied in with the International Day of Tolerance. Between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., students had an opportunity to write hateful words on the wall, which measured 24 feet wide and 4 feet high, in Dede 1 of Hulman Memorial Student Union.
Some of the words and phrases written included: “People with AIDS should die,” “Go back to where you came from, Negro,” “Stop being so emo,” “That’s retarded,” “slut” and “fruitcake.”
At 5 p.m., those attending took a stand against intolerance by helping to destroy the wall.
Kaelynn Hayes, an ISU student and chairwoman of the Union Board Diversity Committee, searched online and saw that a “Wall of Hate” was something a lot of campuses have done, although some constructed outdoor brick walls.
The Diversity Committee opted for something a little easier to construct in the inaugural year for the event.
“This gives students a way to actually face the ugliness of intolerance” by writing down something they’ve seen, heard or experienced, Hayes said. “Hopefully at the end, they can feel empowered by being able to destroy this wall of ugliness.”
Hayes wrote “Muslims hate America” on the wall, a phrase she finds objectionable. She took a class on the history of Islam. “I’m very tired of all the ignorance about Muslims and the Islam faith and the hatred expressed toward them,” she said.
She’s seen that hatred expressed primarily at the national level, although she’s occasionally heard some negative comments on campus.
Tasia Robinson, a sophomore from Indianapolis, also wrote on the wall and later helped tear it down. She participated “to take a stand against hatred,” she said.
Sasha Edwards, a senior from South Bend and vice president of ISU’s NAACP student chapter, also wrote words on the wall that she finds offensive. “I’ve heard them used toward me,” she said.
Writing them down on a wall and then symbolically tearing it down “can be uplifting and empowering,” Edwards said.
During a short program, Hayes said that everything on the wall “is a result of fear, ignorance and narrow-mindedness … Fortunately, these things can be fought with education and a willingness to be open to new things and different people.”
She asked students to challenge themselves and reach out to groups or individuals that they haven’t approached before.
Mary Ferguson, director of ISU’s Office of Diversity, emphasized the importance of connections. “I think we need to start thinking that our own educational experiences will be lacking until we connect it with the experience of diversity,” she said.
The event was sponsored by the Union Board, Office of Diversity, Advocates for Equality and the ISU Theater Department.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
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