K-State athletes among those at rally in Manhattan. Protesters want these changes
Kansas State soccer player Emily Crain was one of around 100 protesters in attendance at a Black Lives Matter rally on Saturday in Manhattan.
She held a sign that read “family includes everybody” as she walked with the crowd from Aggieville to the home of university president Richard Myers in a united march against racism on campus.
She said it was important that she and and several of her teammates show their support.
The march against racism was organized in response to a racially charged message that K-State student Jaden McNeil posted on social media more than a week ago. The post, which read “congratulations to George Floyd on being drug free for an entire month” has created a mushroom cloud of reactions from the K-State community.
Though K-State and its athletic department have announced sweeping changes that aim to create a more inclusive atmosphere and combat racism at the school, many who protested believe administrators should do more.
“We need to create better policies that punish students that think it’s OK to say these kinds of things,” Crain said. “I think what (protest organizers) said today was really important. It doesn’t stop here. This needs to continue. The action plan that our university made isn’t going to be enough.”
The death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man killed under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis, has sparked protests across the country over the past two months.
Some of the highest-profile local reactions came from members of the K-State football team. Last weekend, they threatened to boycott all team activities until the university took a stand against racism and created a policy aimed at preventing students from posting hateful messages that disparage minorities on social media.
K-State football players ended their boycott on Thursday after the university announced its plan to combat racism. In a statement on social media, the football team said, “We appreciate the diligent work of our university and athletics administration as we work through these important issues. The plans and actions released Wednesday are great first steps in our goal of defeating hate and racism on our campus.”
Some have called for K-State to expel McNeil for his social-media post, but the university has chosen not to because that would violate the student’s First Amendment rights and the law.
The policy changes unveiled by K-State include improving the process for receiving complaints of discrimination, developing a policy on social media usage for students, training for staff and scholarships for minority students.
K-State’s athletic department has also vowed to expand its diversity and inclusion program by promoting the Black Lives Matter movement at home games.
Protesters thanked K-State football players for taking a stand against racism on Saturday, but wondered why the university waited until the most prominent team on campus threatened to boycott to take action.
Tori Swanson, a Black student who organized the event, asked if university leaders genuinely cared about their students. She also listed six additional demands that the school should add to the changes it has already announced against racism.
They are:
▪ Any student who feels unsafe on campus should be allowed to attend classes remotely for the same cost as students who attend class in person.
▪ A policy should be in place that demands disciplinary action against any student who posts racially hateful messages on social media that create a hostile atmosphere on campus.
▪ All students should be required to take a multicultural class that will provide training on avoiding racist behavior.
▪ The athletic department must donate .5% of its profits to support local Black businesses.
▪ K-State should work with local police departments to create a better relationship with Black citizens.
▪ The university should honor indigenous cultures that called Manhattan home before K-State was built.
“This list of demands is only six,” Swanson said. “It’s not a lot, but I think they can make a huge difference.”
Crain’s sign was a nod to the “family” slogan K-State athletics long ago coined to describe the unity within all its teams. One of her teammates, Maguire Sullivan, carried a sign that read “Black Lives Matter.” Another teammate, Cameron Illingworth, documented the afternoon by taking photos. Several members of the K-State volleyball team also attended.
A university spokesperson said student-athletes from other teams also wanted to attend but were under quarantine orders in anticipation of summer workouts that will begin this month.
Key university leaders, such as Myers, were out of town and unable to attend.
Though it was the football team taking a stand against racism that drew in national attention, Crain said all K-State athletes are pushing for change. For example, she said the soccer team has created its own plan to educate itself on racial injustice and to promote diversity across the community.
She hopes those efforts can help educate anyone who attends future games.
Her teammate, Sullivan, said she was proud that K-State athletes could play a role in racial reform in Manhattan, but made it clear their opinions should not stand out above others..
“I don’t think it should take athletes taking a stand for there to be change on this campus,” Sullivan said. “It shouldn’t have to be addressed by student athletes. I’m glad they are using their platform, but I think change should occur without players threatening not to play next season.”