The Black Senators’ Caucus (BSC) of the George Washington University Student Association strongly condemns the racially insensitive and thoughtless analogy allegedly used by President Thomas Leblanc. The Black Senators' Caucus recognizes the manner in which this incident occurred as both a pattern of racially insensitive behavior on this campus as well as proof of the degree to which accountability and reasonable sensitivity are absent from this university -- even at the highest and most visible level. This incident elucidates the privilege riddled in the culture of GW as an Institution; the fact that this happened on the first day of black history month highlights the careless nature of the discourse surrounding this issue.
As black students of the university, who often do not feel like they are represented, we demand a public apology from President Leblanc that demonstrates an understanding of why his words and the context in which he said them were emotionally damaging for students and public recognition of the hurt that this has caused a great deal of GW's student body -- specifically black and brown students who may have been beginning to question whether they can truly call GW a home away from home.
At a time when it feels like the administration does not have our best interests in mind, we encourage you all to continue to make your voices heard regarding issues of bigotry on campus and remember that it is through unity that we shall make strides towards change.
Here you can find the link to report an incident of bias anonymously: https://diversity.gwu.edu/report-bias-incident-online
Here you can find the office hours of your Student Association representatives: https://www.sa.gwu.edu
In Solidarity,
The Black Senators’ Caucus
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