Dear University of Denver Community,

We, the alumni of color of the University of Denver, are disheartened that we must have this conversation with you yet again. This is not a new conversation, rather it is one that has been had across endless graduating classes. We see that campus has remained nearly identical since we have left. We are tired of writing so many letters explaining the importance of equity. We are tired of reopening our wounds and sharing the experiences we have had with racism at our alma mater. We are tired of demanding that students of color be given a campus that they can thrive in.

Black students and students of color continue to remain in the margins when it comes to having their needs and basic safety concerns met, but they are front and center on shiny brochures that tout diversity and inclusive excellence. Many of us were not afforded the luxury of just being students and focusing on our academics. We were tokenized when convenient and beared the responsibility of making DU better for students who look like us. Many of us happened to graduate simply by surviving.

There continues to be an alarming amount of incidents that target students of color. Unfortunately, the defacement of the Freedom Wall and the subsequent meeting of the Young Americans for Freedom are statements of some very real attitudes on campus. Themed parties, targeted student organizations, our mascot: these are all the same issue. This is systemic. This is culture. We are saddened that this legacy persists.

The University of Denver should feel truly fortunate to have had such dedicated and powerful black students and students of color lead the change that so many are afraid to engage in on campus. Time and time again, students of color respond with swiftness and passion, a response that is clearly absent from the university as a whole. Our pride in being alumni stems from the leadership of these students. Their courage and selflessness is what truly gives the University of Denver the potential to be great. However, this thankless labor should not ride on the backs of students. 

Many of our relationships with the university remain strained. At times, we are even reluctant to be associated with our alma mater. An active and philanthropic alum base is known to advance the mission of universities, but we cannot comfortably contribute to a university that continues to marginalize and isolate its students of color–monetarily or otherwise.

We unequivocally support the work that students of color are leading on campus. Without them, transformation for a more inclusive campus would not happen. We can no longer wait for all areas of campus to make inclusive excellence a true priority. It is time that the university takes its responsibility as an institution of higher learning seriously and lives up to its mission as a great private university dedicated to the public good.

Sincerely,

DU Alumni of Color

Link to expanded letter: http://tinyurl.com/dualumnofcolor