Letter to the editor
No matter who you are or where you come from, we all desire the same exact thing: to be treated with the same respect and dignity as our fellow humans.
This is something we all want and need.
Unfortunately, not all of us receive it. The incident we had several months ago, when pictures of three African American men circulated through USD’s email server as suspects in multiple sexual assault cases is a prime example. It was an incident that begged the question: is there a difference in the way information about alleged suspects is communicated due to racial or ethnic differences?
Why suddenly send photos of possible suspects without justifiable proof? And worse, would this have been handled differently if the suspects were from a racial or ethnic majority?
It’s hard to deny this possibility, given the decision was an anomaly when compared to previous sexual assault offenses. The only other time there was a release of a description occurred approximately 10 years ago, when the alleged suspect was Native American.
Therefore, one must ask: why has the decision to release descriptions of the suspects been made only when those suspects were from an ethnic or racial minority?
We also want to emphasize that this decision had unforeseen consequences for both the African American community as well as the survivors of the sexual assaults. Many people were justifiably angry over the crimes committed, but this led to concern for the safety of young African American males during Dakota Days.
Additionally, the sexual assault survivors had to hear and read about the crimes which may have re-traumatized them.
Finally, students and community members alike were left uneasy because no follow-up information was posted regarding the case.
Taken together, we ask on behalf of SCIP and ALLY that increasing attention be paid to sensitive and effective means of communication for individuals regardless of race, culture, gender identity, ethnicity, sex, age, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status in order to create a safe and respectful community for people of different backgrounds and identities.
Sincerely,
The Students of Color in Psychology (SCIP) and ALLY student organization from the USD’s Clinical Psychology Graduate Program
