Ohio State students gathered Thursday to openly discuss the Charlottesville, Virginia, “Unite the Right” rally and how the incident affected them emotionally.
The event, called “Charlottesville, Social Justice and Activism,” was organized by Advocates for Inclusion and Diversity, a student organization that works to “unite” Ohio State by promoting social justice initiatives.
On Aug. 12 members of the Ku Klux Klan, Neo Nazis and other white supremacist groups gathered in Charlottesville to protest the city’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The demonstration turned violent and resulted in the death of Heather Hayer, a counter-protester, after a man drove his car into a crowd.
The rally sparked conversations throughout the nation on racism and whether the First Amendment protects speech and rallies similar to that of “Unite the Right.”
“We want students to have a place to share their thoughts, engage in their thoughts and feelings and also engage with someone else’s perspectives,” said Stephen Deaderick, an AIDE adviser.
Daniel McNatt, a third-year in communication, said the forum created a diverse environment where he felt comfortable.
“I’m glad I came and talked,” McNatt said. “The environment just feels natural and right and obviously a lot of places are not like that.”
The forum encouraged students to share their experiences and opinions on racist incidents happening both nationally and at Ohio State.
McNatt said he appreciated the opportunity to hear perspectives on racial issues from different groups of people.
“I’m used to seeing black women [at events] like this because they are always on the front line for issues like racism, diversity and inclusion, but it was interesting to hear the thoughts of the white people who were parts of the conversation,” McNatt said. “It’s just interesting to see the privileged group to talk about that.”
McNatt said race is more taboo to talk about at Ohio State, compared to his hometown New York.
“People don’t want to feel uncomfortable and are not used to having that kind of conversation,” McNatt said. “But the only problem is that people of color feel uncomfortable about who they are just by existing at some point.
Deaderick said he wanted to encourage students to participate in dialogue and engage in the world.
“It is easy to shy away from it but we want people to be present for that and share their thoughts and feelings,” Deaderick said. “Because that’s how we learn more about ourselves and about others.”
