A Statement on Racial Injustice and Police Brutality
The Collegiate Council on World Affairs Condemns Racism and Acts of Injustice in the United States
The Collegiate Council on World Affairs (CCWA) at The Ohio State University provides an academic forum for students to discuss international issues. However, the events of these past two weeks have obliged us to turn our attention back to the US— to the abhorrent acts of racism, police brutality, and free speech suppression surging within our nation. The injustice that occurs here is not an isolated phenomenon. It is both a cause and effect of a continuously oppressive, systematically racist global structure upheld by a shameful history of colonialism, a lack of restitution, failed policy responses, and inadequate political representation. Thus, even as a globally-minded organization, we have a responsibility to do what we can to end this vicious cycle of racial injustice. We urge all the members of our community to fulfill it.
In enforcing that sentiment, CCWA condemns the violent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and the reprehensibly long list of unarmed Black Americans killed at the hands of US police officers and members of the public. We stand in firm solidarity with the communities across the world, the nation, and our own Columbus home fighting for justice to be enforced and accountability to be taken. It is in the name of this solidarity that we further condemn the outrageous response of the Columbus Police Department (CPD), as well as police forces throughout the US, for using military-grade deterrents to unconstitutionally restrict our right to protest. The Undergraduate Student Government at OSU has issued an official reprimand of CPD’s actions, which we encourage you all to read and support (go.osu.edu/statement).
While CCWA has a duty to use its platform to speak out during these times of injustice, we recognize that our voice is secondary to that of our campus’ Black community leaders and organizations. We, therefore, offer our platform and resources to be utilized by those voices— our fellow student organizations, student movements, and community organizations— to disseminate useful information and promote action in support of the ongoing movement. CCWA vows to dedicate everything in its power to serve as an ally for the cause and expand representation both within our club and the Political Science Department. We implore the members of our organization and the overall Ohio State community to take action in any capacity that they are able, such as through writing letters to local representatives, signing petitions, participating in protests, and donating. Below are a few organizations that you may consider donating to:
● Black Lives Matter (go.osu.edu/blmdonate)
● Black Visions Collective (go.osu.edu/blackvisiondonations)
● Columbus Freedom Fund (https://www.paypal.me/columbusfreedomfund)
● George Floyd Memorial Fund (https://gf.me/u/x4xyax)
● The NAACP Legal Defense Fund (go.osu.edu/naacpldf)
Striving for a better tomorrow,
Elizabeth Roka (she/her), President
thepresident@ccwaosu.org
Emily Needham (she/her), Vice President
theexecutive@ccwaosu.org
