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I don't feel like the #SCAD animation department is a safe space for its Black and marginalized students. I emailed the Dean, Chair, and Associate Chairs about racist things that professors have said and ways to improve. I received 1 reply which was full of shocking remarks 1/9
Please read my email for context which can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JAsms6oiQKdKav2aCPJM139AS1c0eGsjffp-1_sWgIo/edit
I wrote about the experiences that my friends and I have had and ways to improve the current system. 2/9
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JAsms6oiQKdKav2aCPJM139AS1c0eGsjffp-1_sWgIo/edit
I wrote about the experiences that my friends and I have had and ways to improve the current system. 2/9
Professor Meseguer who is the Associate Chair replied with an email that didn't address any of my concerns or suggestions. Instead, he said "scientifically race doesn't exist" and that the "solutions you suggest are illegal in France. You could meet a judge for writing this" 3/9
When it comes to addressing the racist remarks from his coworkers, he says, "I wasn't there and this needs to be taken seriously by the university". As the Associate Chair, he doesn't think he can do anything to help?
(director mentioned in last paragraph goes by they/them)
4/9
(director mentioned in last paragraph goes by they/them)
4/9
He then goes on this huge tangent on the types of Korean stories he would have greenlit. This was strange and derailing. I also don't relate to any of his suggestions because I'm Korean American. Guess my pitch wasn't "Korean" enough? 5/9
He continues with "If you do a film for yourself, you already failed". He addressed my point of hiring more diverse faculty with "you could change all the professors, the results would be the same. The pitches that were not chosen were overall extremely bad" 6/9
I forwarded his email to Dean Almy and Chair Gallagher with my thoughts and still haven't received a reply. I don't know if I'm ever going to get one. I'm sharing these emails to raise awareness and hopefully encourage other students at #SCAD to continue to pressure them. 7/ 9
This isn't an attack @ the films that I mentioned. I don't think I would have been as disappointed if there were more options/films that celebrated other cultures.
The work that my class produced this year was inspiring But we need to understand that this system is flawed 8/9
The work that my class produced this year was inspiring But we need to understand that this system is flawed 8/9
Even if the films that were selected this year were more diverse than the last, if you don't have an environment that is comfortable for your BIPOC and LGBTQA+ students, then you have failed. Stop misgendering them. When someone brings up a professor's microaggression, LISTEN 9/9
