There have appeared a few commentary pieces, letters and articles from various students in the Colgate community in this paper. Some speak about how campus social justice movements are not inclusive or appealing to White students. How feminist plays are not doing feminism right. How there is just a lot going on and it’s hard to keep up, but you promise you have a response and it’s important. The over-arching theme of these commentary pieces, letters and articles is fear. Fear of feeling uncomfortable. Fear of being challenged. Fear of having your traditional and overbearing power of whiteness taken away from you.

I hope you are afraid. I hope you are afraid that the structure building, supporting and encouraging you and your white supremacy is falling. I hope you are afraid of your own power, your own racism, your own privilege. I hope you are questioning yourself, your friends, your peers, your family, your organizations and your institutions to be more racially inclusive and equitable.

If you are not ready to engage, step aside. If you have criticism but no constructive suggestions, stay seated. If you have questions, please ask me. Ask me and ask other White people, but please stop picking the scab of hundreds of years of racial oppression that people of color in the United States and our community are forced to walk around bearing. If you want to act, show up. Working against structures of white supremacy no longer takes place in the shadows. We are here, we are loud and we are not leaving until we are free from all forms of white supremacy and oppression on Colgate’s campus.