Last week, a White Student Union page was created on Facebook under UF's name. Most of the posts allege UF doesn’t have enough safe spaces for European American students whose culture is not celebrated enough. While it’s not patently clear if the page is a hoax or if it was actually created by UF students who believe such fiction, it is very apparent the page has become a hub for racist messaging and posts that stoke fear about whites as the minority.
The page aims to create a "positive and worthwhile dialogue," but it actually ends up creating an unsafe space for anyone who doesn’t identify as a white European American by mocking the idea of institutional power. It also conflates whiteness with being European American when in reality, the two are not the same because many Hispanic and Middle Eastern people can also be considered white but not European American.
It’s clear those who run the page are completely unaware of both their privilege and their own culture. In their mocking of safe spaces, the necessity for safe spaces is only further reinforced, and we are reminded why they are needed in the first place.
Safe spaces are often criticized for coddling college students. However, they actually allow these same students a space to talk. It’s not about excluding people who have privilege, but rather, giving a voice to those who do not experience as much.
Talking about white culture isn’t taboo. In fact, it’s the default. Learning about how white people have contributed to society is what happens on a daily basis in every American history class. For white people, their safe space is the entirety of UF’s campus. Sometimes the accomplishments of people of color are only covered in ethnic studies classes. They are not considered part of Americana as a whole.
Cultures that aren’t normally celebrated and concerns that aren’t addressed need safe spaces the most. Some may believe having a White Student Union is justifiable because of the existence of Asian American, black, Hispanic — among other cultures — student unions. People forget these specific unions exist to create safe spaces for students a part of other cultures. When one group has been historically rejected by the majority, it’s unfair to accuse it of being discriminatory for creating its own space.
College is a place to be confronted with thoughts you might disagree with and challenge your knowledge about the world. Sometimes, that means sitting back and listening in order to be considerate of others, but it also means speaking up when you think you don’t have a safe space, just as University of Missouri students have done recently. However, institutional power must be taken into account.
Celebrating white culture exclusively is troubling given how often white culture is celebrated every day at UF — whether it’s in a literature class that features only white authors or a history class that spends 90 percent of its time on the accomplishments of white people. Instead of questioning why there is a Black Student Union and not a white one, ask yourself what each group’s concerns are and how you can help.
Creating a White Student Union isn’t about balance or equality. It’s childish and talks over the voices of others.
Nicole Dan is a UF political science sophomore. Her column appears on Mondays.
