THREAD: I’ve toyed with the idea of writing about @durham_uni publicly and I’ve never known the best way but something needs to be said so people beyond the student body know. (1/?)

TL;DR The problems of racism, classism, misogyny and more that exist in @durham_uni are under the radar to the public but stark to students and exist; something needs to be done. (2/?)

If this circulates the way I hope it will, then there will people unhappy with what I’m saying but that’s okay as I’ve just simply had enough. (3/?)

I am a final year Durham student, a member of Castle college. Since my first year, and every year since, I’ve spoken about dropping out which has been in part because of the racial/classist behaviour that I’ve had to deal with. (4/?)

This institution is not scrutinised in the way that other UK universities are like Oxford or Cambridge, is for race and access. I don’t think it’s fair as our problems are just as valid and I feel like they’re so much worse because there’s no accountability. (5/?)

All public educating institutions need to have a system in place to tackle these issues; I’ve learned the hard way that places like Durham do not. There is no way for a student like me to easily report or access support to deal with these problems, not at Durham at least. (6/?)

I’ve always been one to advocate for education, access and opportunity. Yet, I would and could never tell or recommend anyone who comes is a working class background or PoC to come to @durham_uni. (7/?)

No one talks enough or publicly about the problems that working class PoC, or even just PoC, students face at Durham to begin with and I’ve just had enough. (8/?)

Over the last few months, my mental health and the wellbeing of others around me has been tested by all kinds of discriminatory behaviour across Durham public platforms that students have access to on Facebook (Durfess; Overheard at Durham Uni). (9/?)

These spaces are either moderated by students, or not at all. What this has resulted in is the platform for students and whoever else on these pages to act in awful and hurtful ways. (10/?)

By this I mean, I’ve seen people being harassed. Racism. Misogyny. Homophobia. Classism. Transphobia. The list goes on. (11/?)

I’m only going to attach only a number of examples as there are too many to detail all. (12/?)

Yesterday, I had to see a group of @durham_uni students take the piss about listening to WoC voices after a group of students had expressed upset. Yes, instead of having empathy this is how they responded. Disgusting, I know. (13/?)

Not too long before this, I have had to watch a friend of mine have her private Instagram story leaked which led to hundreds of comments, many of which were abusive and harassing her. (14/?)

Read more here for context: https://www.palatinate.org.uk/feminist-and-people-of-colour-groups-decry-demonisation-of-su-president-elect/ (15/?)

Regardless of student politics, and this is not to neglect their concerns, no student human being should be treated in the careless and harmful ways by their peers and others as I’ve seen unfolded over the last two months. (16/?)

What these last few months have just presented is a mob group of people who normally exist in Durham in pockets but on a much larger scale. (17/?)

In the same period, I saw a post about another student where extremely harmful and hurtful beliefs, ideas and messages were shared. While many disgusted, students did not react in the same way and the people defending them did not meet the same response as we had. (18/?)

We were told that we were mislabelling actions as racist and misogynist even though that is how many of us see their actions. For them, we will always be the wrong ones in this. I mean, someone even said that claims of racism need to be white people. (19/?)

Anyways, the screenshots shared were from a guy named Christopher Page and this is just some of what was shared about what he has said: (20/?)

To add, I’ve also had to read in the last week why a white male (student) can be seen inferior. I’ve seen people carelessly speak of safe spaces for groups. All in defence to other students trying to call out these problems of racism and misogyny internally. (21/?)

Beyond this, the treatment I’ve had to personally endure at the hands of other students is a joke. In my student house last year, I had to live with someone who ignorantly said “Ni Hao” to me. (22/?)

When I called them up on this, they responded: I’m just saying hello in another language, it’s like if I were saying Shalom. I was quite visibly shocked and taken back by this as I’m not Chinese, they knew this and yet couldn’t understand my issue. (23/?)

I have had someone else hear the lyric “rich folks love slumming it with the poor” from Hamilton, and tell me that all people would need to do is visit where I lived. (24/?)

All of these issues so far have been confined to @durham_un, and here alone but I think for the problems to be recognised and for it be dealt with appropriately, people outside the bubble need to know.

One thing I’ve learned is that this sort of behaviour is not always explicit. If someone is questioning your actions and labelling it in a way that you feel the need to get defensive about it, then you should be the one to reevaluating. (26/?)

This has just been some of the ways in which a COLLECTIVE of students have reacted to others calling out of their privilege and racism that has made this so much worse this year. (27/?)

If you would like to see more this in action, please join the Overheard at Durham Uni group and have a read for yourself amongst the posts. There are hundreds of comments. Yes, hundreds. (28/?)

These students act from a place of privilege and ignorance that enables them to make comments which are harmful and thoughtless about others. (29/?)

Yet, what can I or others who feel like I do? Nothing. There’s no adequate support or report system against this behaviour. (30/?)

These students have and will justify their words with free speech or their religious position. Yes, these things are important but when other people are being hurt, you simply should not be able away with this carelessness. (31/?)

All of these issues so far have been confined to @durham_uni, and here alone but I think for the problems to be recognised and for it be dealt with appropriately, people outside the bubble need to know. (32/?)

This is why I’ve put together this thread expressing some of my thoughts and problems. There is so much more I have to say but I don’t want to make this anymore longer here. (33/33)