Students should be mindful of inclusive excellence during Halloween holiday

Halloween at USD and in the community is a time of celebration and creativity, but it is also a time to be mindful of the university’s policy of creating a campus and community that practices and values inclusive excellence – where all should feel valued, respected and accepted.

The President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusiveness reminds everyone that the university has strategic values related to diversity and inclusiveness, and we ask that during Halloween everyone be treated with respect and dignity through behavior, activities, language and costumes.

What we must strive to do is to be mindful of our choices as embodiments of inclusiveness and thus, create costumes and the behaviors associated with them that respect cultures instead of mocking them.

Unfortunately, you can take a trip to your local shopping center’s Halloween aisle and find insensitive costumes such as: “The Mexican,” with sarape, sombrero, a big moustache and guitar; “The Illegal Alien,” with alien mask, orange jumpsuit and green card; “The Chic Sheik,” with robe, beard and sandals; “The Indian,” with ‘war bonnet’ and ‘war paint’; and “The Black Face Mask” and “The Ghetto Fab Wig.”

All of these costumes are offensive and stereotypical, and they have no place in a community that strives to be inclusive.

Students and members of the community just want to have fun on Halloween and may feel that having to be so mindful of costumes and behaviors spoils that and ruins the spirit of the holiday.

However, inclusiveness cannot be practiced selectively, it must be practiced 365 days a year. On Halloween this year, be safe, be joyful, be imaginative and strive for inclusive excellence.
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– The President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusiveness