UMich Black Student Union exits pro-Palestine coalition over 'anti-Blackness'
The University of Michigan’s Black Student Union withdrew from a pro-Palestine coalition of student groups due to pervasive "anti-Blackness."
“Black identities, voices, and bodies are not valued in this coalition.”
The University of Michigan’s Black Student Union withdrew from a pro-Palestine coalition of student groups due to pervasive “anti-Blackness.”
In a letter posted to Instagram, the Black Student Union explained that it is withdrawing from the TAHRIR Coalition at the University of Michigan, a group of student organizations supporting Palestinians.
”Members of our organization and our community have dedicated their time, energy, and well-being to the continued existence and strength of the coalition - despite repeated instances of being erased, belittled, and berated,” the BSU explained. “These community members did so with the belief that the work of the coalition would be furthered by their sacrifice — that it would be worth the vitriol they received. However, as Black people, we are not obligated to sacrifice ourselves for any organization that does not value or understand us. The anti-Blackness within the coalition has been too pervasive to overcome, and we refuse to endure it.
The group that the UMich BSU separated from, the TAHRIR Coalition, describes itself as a “movement dedicated to the liberation of all people” and advocates for “resistance against systems of domination and struggle to destroy their manifestations at the University of Michigan, throughout Turtle Island, and across the globe.”
However, the BSU now states that they collaborated with the TAHRIR Coalition “because of a perceived understanding that our collaboration would further both Black and Palestinian liberation, and that our community would be welcomed and respected.”
The group claims that this is not the case, as it “has become increasingly apparent that Black identities, voices, and bodies are not valued in this coalition.” The group attributes this notion to the motivation behind the group’s exit from the coalition.
Despite the move to separate, the BSU states in the conclusion of the letter that the “historical ties between Black and Palestinian peoples are inextricably linked, and should always be respected and upheld.”
TAHRIR responded in a separate statement, writing “We are fully committed to addressing and fighting anti-Blackness in our coalition, at this university, and beyond.”
”The TAHRIR Coalition met over the weekend to share concerns and experiences, work on next steps, specifically in creating and maintaining safe spaces for open discussions with all our campus and local community members,” the group wrote.
Campus Reform has contacted The University of Michigan and the UMich BSU for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
