{"id":117861,"date":"2021-03-15T22:12:19","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T21:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?p=117861"},"modified":"2021-03-16T15:43:37","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T14:43:37","slug":"the-university-of-copenhagen-needs-to-step-up-its-commitment-to-minority-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/the-university-of-copenhagen-needs-to-step-up-its-commitment-to-minority-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Comment: The University of Copenhagen needs to step up its commitment to minority students"},"content":{"rendered":"

T<\/span>his has been a time of reckoning for many. Especially, for those like myself, who come from privileged backgrounds. I grew up in a wealthy American suburb approximately 25 minutes outside inner-city Boston, Massachusetts. Here the grass is green. Classrooms are kitted out with the latest technology. And the people, for the most part, are very white.<\/p>\n

While growing up I learned not to question the area\u2019s wealth or whiteness. Wealth which funneled the fair skin of myself and peers into higher education. The same wealth which bought up plots of land to \u2018protect\u2019 my scenic town from low-income public housing.<\/p>\n

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After the murder of George Floyd on May 25 2020, a visible shift occurred in this sheltered hometown of mine. Black Lives Matter signs were posted beside idyllic driveways. White moms fundraised on Facebook while high school alumni petitioned for anti-racism courses and a diversity committee.<\/p>\n

These gestures from a few well-off white Democrats obviously does not mean that we have reached Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s ‘Promised Land’. Nor are we anywhere near close to reconciling America\u2019s history of racial injustice. Income inequality still runs rampant in the Boston Greater Area with the average wealth of white households coming in at USD 247,500 while Black households have an average of USD 8. Boston remains notorious for its segregated school system. And white supremacy continues to work itself out of the woodwork even in the deeply blue state of Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

Despite this, there are a few small \u2018buts\u2019 in the America I know today. Consciousness has grown. Even those who benefit from structural inequalities are waking up to their role in America\u2019s tortured history. And representation of people of colour has grown substantially in Massachusetts media, commerce and governance.<\/p>\n

Moving from one privileged bubble to the next, I was interested to see how the Black Lives Matter movement permeated into the similar context of a largely white and wealthy Denmark. At its onset, the movement produced prominent media coverage and well attended demonstrations. Including a protest, organized by Black Lives Matter Denmark, of approximately 16,000 people outside the US Embassy back in June 2020.<\/p>\n

At a university level, this shift took the form of an open letter from two University of Copenhagen (UCPH) researchers.<\/a> In this letter, which has been signed by about 150 staff members, Francois Questiaux and Sofie Mortensen asked the university to align themselves with the anti-racist movement and collect data on the experience of racial and ethnic minorities on campus.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> Researchers want University of Copenhagen to commit to anti-racism struggle<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

To date, the university\u2019s response to this call for action has been lackluster. In terms of mobilization, I have seen a tepid statement from Rector Henrik C. Wegener that notes \u00bbthe university will take a closer look at this,\u00ab<\/secret> and cites data collection challenges due to colourblind legislation.<\/secret><\/p>\n

Although this response is not particularly urgent, it is<\/em> a step above the broader status of racial inequality in Denmark. Where media coverage of racial injustice has faded since the summer and many people, including prominent politicians, say that racism is a non-issue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The circulation and persistence of this denial to racial inequality can partially be attributed to an evolving understanding of social cohesion in Denmark. Recently, there has been a rise in rhetorics positioning diversity as a threat to the country\u2019s touted high levels of trust, happiness and success as a welfare state. This line of thinking has been used to bolster \u2018Denmark for Danes\u2019 assertions and anti-multiculturalism policies from both left and right leaning political parties according to Nils Holtug\u2019s Danish Multiculturalism, Where Art Thou?<\/a><\/p>\n

While mulling over the ins and outs of Danish nationalism, I talked after class with my friend, Lea Bro, who is a white Danish second-year Geography and Geoinformatics masters student at The University of Copenhagen. She suggested the profuse \u2018idea that everyone is equal in Denmark and has equal possibilities\u2019 allows many Danes to distance themselves from concerns over racism despite strong undertones in their politics, colonial history, education and day-to-day life.<\/p>\n

The experience of being treated \u2018sm\u00e5racistisk\u2019 in Copenhagen<\/h3>\n

In an attempt to kickstart the research Francois and Sofie petitioned for, I sat down with students Brynton L. Johnson and Sabrina Benmessaoud to begin scratching the surface of what it means to be a minority in Denmark on and off campus.<\/p>\n

For Johnson, a Black Bahamian pursuing a MSc in Environment and Development, \u00bbracism in Denmark is low-key.\u00ab He is more likely to experience micro aggressions such as \u00bblittle things under the breath, the side eye or a side comment,\u00ab he says rather than confrontational acts.<\/p>\n

Benmessaoud, a second year Danish Algerian Muslim bachelor student studying Food and Nutrition, wholeheartedly agreed with Brynton L. Johnson by explaining to me \u2018sm\u00e5racistisk.\u2019 A term used to describe those who are a \u00bblittle bit racist\u00ab and \u00bbuse racism as a joke or compliment.\u00ab<\/p>\n

What is frustrating about this particular flavor of racism, according to Sabrina Benmessaoud, is that you never know where you stand. Whether someone, be it a stranger, professor or supposed friend, is with you or against you.<\/p>\n

For instance, she recounted her attempt to buy shoes from a thrift store while two older store attendants repeatedly \u00bblooked at her as if she wasn\u2019t speaking Danish\u00ab and kept asking \u2018what?\u2019 while speaking Danish to themselves. Since \u00bbthey saw someone from outside and they wanted to hear something else,\u00ab Sabrina felt forced to leave without a purchase and brushed off the instance as \u00bbweird.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Although some might write off Sabrina\u2019s uncomfortable experience as a miscommunication, Oda-Kange Midtv\u00e5ge Diallo\u2019s piece At the Margins of Institutional Whiteness: Black Women in Danish Academia<\/em><\/a> could bring to focus a less naive interpretation of events. Diallo\u2019s research on Black women in academia shows that \u00bbthe assumption a Black woman who speaks Danish fluently is adopted is another way of erasing Black citizens as an independent part of the Danish narrative.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Extending this notion of erasure beyond Diallo\u2019s context, it is clear the store attendants could not fathom a curly dark-haired young women within their notions of Denmark and Danes.<\/p>\n

Brynton L. Johnson\u2019s experiences reaffirm this differential treatment of those falling outside the expectations of white and blonde in Denmark. Neighbours have suspiciously watched him take out the trash and enter his building, he says. Similarly, he was typecasted when grabbing the metro on his early days in Denmark. Here he was fined while the white man sitting next to him, who also clearly rushed onto the train ticketless, remained of no interest to the ticket attendant. Johnson noted his frustration of being placed into a lose-lose situation where speaking up could only position him into \u2018the angry black guy\u2019 stereotype. This stereotype was originally a fear-mongering tactic used to justify the lynching of thousands of Black Americans. Today, the stereotype persists in the form of police brutality, the criminalization of people of color and racial profiling.<\/p>\n

Contradictory to the smiling minorities placed throughout UCPH promotion material, feelings of otherness are rarely left behind upon entering campus for Brynton and Sabrina. While discussing how the university narrowly defines diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, Sabrina jokingly jumped in to say \u00bb\u2014but your color, we\u2019ll definitely discriminate on that!\u00ab We snickered over this, shrugging \u00bbat least they\u2019re being honest.\u00ab<\/p>\n

This exclusion of people of colour in the university\u2019s diversity rhetoric, unfortunately becomes all too real in the classroom. Where Sabrina says she feels a sense of loneliness and finds it difficult \u00bbto speak up when you\u2019re in a group of people that all think alike and you\u2019re the only one who has experienced the other thing.\u00ab<\/p>\n

In more specific terms, Sabrina says she feels her classmates ask questions and make comments from a western\/white\/atheist perspective that often positions her Brown\/Muslim perspective as inferior. In Brynton\u2019s courses, where he is the only person of color, he explains the stress of being \u00bbunder a lens all the time\u00ab and the pressure of his appointment into the impossible role of \u00bbthe spokesperson for being Black.\u00ab<\/p>\n

\u00bbBlack is not a monolith. We are not all the same. You can\u2019t put an idea on all of us and expect us to represent it.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Brynton L. Johnson<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In this role he is constantly combatting one-dimensional assumptions that he must be African American or should have playlists filled with rap music rather than dancehall and afrobeat. Similarly, when whiteness is the norm he finds himself often justifying his existence by explaining how the histories of Black people in the Bahamas are distinct from Black people in North America. The mental toll of this daily necessity to prove oneself as a fully fleshed human with contradictions like anyone else should not be understated.<\/p>\n

\u00bbBlack is not a monolith. We are not all the same. You can\u2019t put an idea on all of us and expect us to represent it,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

What Can the University Do?<\/h3>\n

Like all western institutions and privileged bubbles, it turns out the university can do a lot. And I recommend asking Brynton and Sabrina for advice.<\/p>\n

For starters, a clear commitment to racial and ethnic minority students in the university\u2019s \u2018diversity and equality\u2019 statement would be nice. Backing up this symbolic gesture with systemic actions would be icing on the cake.<\/p>\n

To create \u00bba place where minorities can come and speak up, speak together and feel seen\u00ab Brynton calls on the university to support community organization for students of colour. As an active member of his undergraduate university\u2019s Black Student Association and Caribbean Student Association, Brynton is keen to see these kinds of spaces connect students of colour while bringing ease and a greater sense of belonging onto campus.<\/p>\n

So far, we have had approximately two white men teach about feminist research approaches, three white men teach about intersectionality and an overwhelming majority of white professors lecture on everywhere from Tanzania to Malaysia.<\/p>\n

To further prioritize minority students, a serious look at both course curriculums and university staffing is required. In Brynton\u2019s and my own studies there are ample opportunities to incorporate diversity into the classroom with far reaching benefits.<\/p>\n

I want to emphasize this is not a critique on the staff themselves, who have ample experience, expertise and passion in their respective areas, rather the system in which they teach in. A system which leaves Brynton feeling that \u00bbteachers will not understand what [he] is going through.\u00ab<\/p>\n

Even while exploring study abroad options, where one would hope to find a splash of multiculturalism, Sabrina found a heavy handed Eurocentric bias remained. And was disappointed to find South Africa and Israel as her only options to study outside of the western world. Not only would Sabrina like to see wider options for herself to experience a new culture, but she also believes it would benefit the student body to be encouraged outside of their white dominated academic bubbles.<\/p>\n

This is just the starting point of a long list of interventions the university can take inspiration from to align with the anti-racist movement. I look forward to seeing this progress take place in Denmark, my hometown and other privilege bubbles. Finally, I would like to thank the brave bodies and voices like Brynton, Sabrina and the many inspiring authors of colour I came across while writing this featured comment. Who pursue what is rightfully theirs with acuity and compassion.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

References<\/em><\/p>\n

Diallo, O. M. (2019). At the Margins of Institutional Whiteness: Black Women in Danish Academia. In A. Emejulu & F. Sobande (Authors), To exist is to resist: Black feminism in Europe (pp. 219-228). London: Pluto Press.<\/p>\n

Elton, C. (2020, December 8). How Has Boston Gotten Away with Being Segregated for So Long? Boston Magazine.<\/p>\n

Fottrell, Q. (2020, June 3). How America perfected the \u2018art of demonizing Black men\u2019. MarketWatch.<\/p>\n

Friis, R. (2020, September 28). Researchers want University of Copenhagen to commit to anti-racism struggle. University Post.<\/p>\n

Hansen, N. K. L., & Su\u00e1rez-Krabbe, J. (2018). Introduction: Taking Racism Seriously. KULT. Postkolonial Temaserie.<\/p>\n

Holtug, N. (2013). Danish Multiculturalism, Where Art Thou? In Challenging Multiculturalism: European Models of Diversity (pp. 190-215). Edinburgh University Press.<\/p>\n

Macaraig, A. (2020, June 12). Half of Danes say racism not a problem in Denmark \u2013 survey. CPH Post.<\/p>\n

Macaraig, A. (2020, June 23). Danish News Round-Up: No racism in Denmark, contends Pia Kj\u00e6rsgaard. CPH Post.<\/p>\n

Overgaard, S. (Writer). (2020, August 15). Facing Eviction, Residents Of Denmark’s ‘Ghettos’ Are Suing The Government [Transcript, Radio broadcast]. In All Things Considered. NPR.<\/p>\n

Questiaux, F. & Mortensen, S. (2020, September 17). Open Letter to The University of Copenhagen to Address Racism in Academia. University Post.<\/p>\n

Semuels, A. (2019, April 11). The Utter Inadequacy of America\u2019s Efforts to Desegregate Schools. The Atlantic.<\/p>\n

University of Copenhagen. Diversity and equality. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from https:\/\/about.ku.dk\/profile-history\/diversity\/
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The monumental Black Lives Matter movement has reached the University of Copenhagen. But serious anti-racism efforts in the university’s privileged bubble are yet to be seen, writes Maria Heines, who contradicts Danish ideals of equality with the help of anecdotal evidence from two minority students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":117855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,48,3792],"tags":[3975,3976,3502,3974],"class_list":["post-117861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","category-politics","category-student-life","tag-anti-racism","tag-black-lives-matter-en","tag-racism","tag-structural-racism","expression-feature_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nComment: The University of Copenhagen needs to step up its commitment to minority students \u2014 University Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The monumental Black Lives Matter movement has reached the University of Copenhagen. 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Over 15.000 danskere samlede sig i g\u00e5r foran den amerikanske ambassade p\u00e5 \u00d8sterbro for at demonstrere for lige rettigheder, uanset race eller hudfarve. Det var anden uge i tr\u00e6k, at demonstrationen, som begyndte foran ambassaden og fortsatte mod Christiansborg, blev holdt. S\u00f8ndag 7. juni 2020."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/the-university-of-copenhagen-needs-to-step-up-its-commitment-to-minority-students\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Comment: The University of Copenhagen needs to step up its commitment to minority students"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/","name":"University Post","description":"Independent of management","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/a96cc389f544930451424dd312b34b8c","name":"Christoffer Zieler","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4bf8592c5d42f63ff76abd26557ba3887d83a2e784a2508b81d423cf582346fa?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4bf8592c5d42f63ff76abd26557ba3887d83a2e784a2508b81d423cf582346fa?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4bf8592c5d42f63ff76abd26557ba3887d83a2e784a2508b81d423cf582346fa?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Christoffer Zieler"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/christoffer.zieler"],"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/author\/christoffer\/"}]}},"advancedCustomFields":{"layout_group":[{"acf_fc_layout":"Headline","use_post_title":true,"headline":"","style":"heavy","highlighted_words":"Comment:","text_size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":117855,"id":117855,"title":"Black Lives Matter demonstration i K\u00f8benhavn","filename":"2020060713435011920x1920we.jpg","filesize":614683,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/the-university-of-copenhagen-needs-to-step-up-its-commitment-to-minority-students\/black-lives-matter-demonstration-i-koebenhavn-2\/","alt":"","author":"5","description":"Black Lives Matter demonstration i K\u00f8benhavn. Over 15.000 danskere samlede sig i g\u00e5r foran den amerikanske ambassade p\u00e5 \u00d8sterbro for at demonstrere for lige rettigheder, uanset race eller hudfarve. Det var anden uge i tr\u00e6k, at demonstrationen, som begyndte foran ambassaden og fortsatte mod Christiansborg, blev holdt. S\u00f8ndag 7. juni 2020.","caption":"Black Lives Matter demonstration i K\u00f8benhavn. Over 15.000 danskere samlede sig i g\u00e5r foran den amerikanske ambassade p\u00e5 \u00d8sterbro for at demonstrere for lige rettigheder, uanset race eller hudfarve. Det var anden uge i tr\u00e6k, at demonstrationen, som begyndte foran ambassaden og fortsatte mod Christiansborg, blev holdt. S\u00f8ndag 7. juni 2020.","name":"black-lives-matter-demonstration-i-koebenhavn-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":117861,"date":"2021-03-15 10:12:55","modified":"2021-03-16 14:43:22","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1280,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-990x660.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":660}},"style":"full","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Black Lives Matter demonstration in Copenhagen. More than 15.000 Danes gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy on \u00d8sterbro to demonstrate for equal rights. This marked the second week in a row that a BLM demonstration began at the embassy and made its way towards the Danish Parliament. Date: Sunday 7 June 2020."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Featured comment","text":"The monumental Black Lives Matter movement has reached the University of Copenhagen. But serious anti-racism efforts in the university's privileged bubble are yet to be seen, writes Maria Heines.","use_post_excerpt":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":false,"contributors":[{"use_registered_user":false,"user":false,"contributor_name":"Maria Heines","contributor_title":"MSc Environment & Development student","contributor_image":false}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p><span class=\"dropcap\">T<\/span>his has been a time of reckoning for many. Especially, for those like myself, who come from privileged backgrounds. I grew up in a wealthy American suburb approximately 25 minutes outside inner-city Boston, Massachusetts. Here the grass is green. Classrooms are kitted out with the latest technology. And the people, for the most part, are very white.<\/p>\n<p>While growing up I learned not to question the area\u2019s wealth or whiteness. Wealth which funneled the fair skin of myself and peers into higher education. The same wealth which bought up plots of land to \u2018protect\u2019 my scenic town from low-income public housing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Debate<\/p>\n<p>This is a featured comment. It expresses the author’s own opinion.<\/p>\n<p>We encourage everyone to read the whole featured comment before commenting on social media, so that we only get constructive contributions.<\/p>\n<p>Disagreement is good, but remember to uphold a civil and respectful tone.<\/p>\n<p>The University Post reserves the right to delete comments that break the rules.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After the murder of George Floyd on May 25 2020, a visible shift occurred in this sheltered hometown of mine. Black Lives Matter signs were posted beside idyllic driveways. White moms fundraised on Facebook while high school alumni petitioned for anti-racism courses and a diversity committee.<\/p>\n<p>These gestures from a few well-off white Democrats obviously does not mean that we have reached Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s ‘Promised Land’. Nor are we anywhere near close to reconciling America\u2019s history of racial injustice. Income inequality still runs rampant in the Boston Greater Area with the average wealth of white households coming in at USD 247,500 while Black households have an average of USD 8. Boston remains notorious for its segregated school system. And white supremacy continues to work itself out of the woodwork even in the deeply blue state of Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, there are a few small \u2018buts\u2019 in the America I know today. Consciousness has grown. Even those who benefit from structural inequalities are waking up to their role in America\u2019s tortured history. And representation of people of colour has grown substantially in Massachusetts media, commerce and governance.<\/p>\n<p>Moving from one privileged bubble to the next, I was interested to see how the Black Lives Matter movement permeated into the similar context of a largely white and wealthy Denmark. At its onset, the movement produced prominent media coverage and well attended demonstrations. Including a protest, organized by Black Lives Matter Denmark, of approximately 16,000 people outside the US Embassy back in June 2020.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/researchers-want-university-of-copenhagen-to-commit-to-anti-racism-struggle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">At a university level, this shift took the form of an open letter from two University of Copenhagen (UCPH) researchers.<\/a> In this letter, which has been signed by about 150 staff members, Francois Questiaux and Sofie Mortensen asked the university to align themselves with the anti-racist movement and collect data on the experience of racial and ethnic minorities on campus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/researchers-want-university-of-copenhagen-to-commit-to-anti-racism-struggle\/\"><em>Researchers want University of Copenhagen to commit to anti-racism struggle<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To date, the university\u2019s response to this call for action has been lackluster. In terms of mobilization, I have seen a tepid statement from Rector Henrik C. Wegener that notes <secret text=\"\u00bbDue to Danish legislation, UCPH cannot register ethnicity and several other parameters among staff and students. This means that there are challenges in creating the data that they are looking for. That\u2019s why we need to find other ways to do this. The university will take a closer look at this.\u00ab\">\u00bbthe university will take a closer look at this,\u00ab<\/secret> and cites data collection challenges due to <secret text=\"In this case. ideals of colourblindness in Danish law seem to interfere, rather than ensure, equality. At the same time, these ideals have been thrown out the window in Denmark\u2019s 'ghetto packages.' A controversial governmental initiative that targets neighborhoods with high non-Western populations for re-development. Also known as gentrification and dispossession.\">colourblind legislation.<\/secret><\/p>\n<p>Although this response is not particularly urgent, it <em>is<\/em> a step above the broader status of racial inequality in Denmark. Where media coverage of racial injustice has faded since the summer and many people,<a href=\"https:\/\/cphpost.dk\/?p=115186\"> including prominent politicians, say that racism is a non-issue<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The circulation and persistence of this denial to racial inequality can partially be attributed to an evolving understanding of social cohesion in Denmark. Recently, there has been a rise in rhetorics positioning diversity as a threat to the country\u2019s touted high levels of trust, happiness and success as a welfare state. This line of thinking has been used to bolster \u2018Denmark for Danes\u2019 assertions and anti-multiculturalism policies from both left and right leaning political parties according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.3366\/j.ctt20q22fw.15?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents\">Nils Holtug\u2019s Danish Multiculturalism, Where Art Thou?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>While mulling over the ins and outs of Danish nationalism, I talked after class with my friend, Lea Bro, who is a white Danish second-year Geography and Geoinformatics masters student at The University of Copenhagen. She suggested the profuse \u2018idea that everyone is equal in Denmark and has equal possibilities\u2019 allows many Danes to distance themselves from concerns over racism despite strong undertones in their politics, colonial history, education and day-to-day life.<\/p>\n<h3>The experience of being treated \u2018sm\u00e5racistisk\u2019 in Copenhagen<\/h3>\n<p>In an attempt to kickstart the research Francois and Sofie petitioned for, I sat down with students Brynton L. Johnson and Sabrina Benmessaoud to begin scratching the surface of what it means to be a minority in Denmark on and off campus.<\/p>\n<p>For Johnson, a Black Bahamian pursuing a MSc in Environment and Development, \u00bbracism in Denmark is low-key.\u00ab He is more likely to experience micro aggressions such as \u00bblittle things under the breath, the side eye or a side comment,\u00ab he says rather than confrontational acts.<\/p>\n<p>Benmessaoud, a second year Danish Algerian Muslim bachelor student studying Food and Nutrition, wholeheartedly agreed with Brynton L. Johnson by explaining to me \u2018sm\u00e5racistisk.\u2019 A term used to describe those who are a \u00bblittle bit racist\u00ab and \u00bbuse racism as a joke or compliment.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>What is frustrating about this particular flavor of racism, according to Sabrina Benmessaoud, is that you never know where you stand. Whether someone, be it a stranger, professor or supposed friend, is with you or against you.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, she recounted her attempt to buy shoes from a thrift store while two older store attendants repeatedly \u00bblooked at her as if she wasn\u2019t speaking Danish\u00ab and kept asking \u2018what?\u2019 while speaking Danish to themselves. Since \u00bbthey saw someone from outside and they wanted to hear something else,\u00ab Sabrina felt forced to leave without a purchase and brushed off the instance as \u00bbweird.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>Although some might write off Sabrina\u2019s uncomfortable experience as a miscommunication, Oda-Kange Midtv\u00e5ge Diallo\u2019s piece <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/333221717_At_the_Margins_of_Institutional_Whiteness_Black_Women_in_Danish_Academia\"><em>At the Margins of Institutional Whiteness: Black Women in Danish Academia<\/em><\/a> could bring to focus a less naive interpretation of events. Diallo\u2019s research on Black women in academia shows that \u00bbthe assumption a Black woman who speaks Danish fluently is adopted is another way of erasing Black citizens as an independent part of the Danish narrative.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>Extending this notion of erasure beyond Diallo\u2019s context, it is clear the store attendants could not fathom a curly dark-haired young women within their notions of Denmark and Danes.<\/p>\n<p>Brynton L. Johnson\u2019s experiences reaffirm this differential treatment of those falling outside the expectations of white and blonde in Denmark. Neighbours have suspiciously watched him take out the trash and enter his building, he says. Similarly, he was typecasted when grabbing the metro on his early days in Denmark. Here he was fined while the white man sitting next to him, who also clearly rushed onto the train ticketless, remained of no interest to the ticket attendant. Johnson noted his frustration of being placed into a lose-lose situation where speaking up could only position him into \u2018the angry black guy\u2019 stereotype. This stereotype was originally a fear-mongering tactic used to justify the lynching of thousands of Black Americans. Today, the stereotype persists in the form of police brutality, the criminalization of people of color and racial profiling.<\/p>\n<p>Contradictory to the smiling minorities placed throughout UCPH promotion material, feelings of otherness are rarely left behind upon entering campus for Brynton and Sabrina. While discussing how the university narrowly defines diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, Sabrina jokingly jumped in to say \u00bb\u2014but your color, we\u2019ll definitely discriminate on that!\u00ab We snickered over this, shrugging \u00bbat least they\u2019re being honest.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>This exclusion of people of colour in the university\u2019s diversity rhetoric, unfortunately becomes all too real in the classroom. Where Sabrina says she feels a sense of loneliness and finds it difficult \u00bbto speak up when you\u2019re in a group of people that all think alike and you\u2019re the only one who has experienced the other thing.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>In more specific terms, Sabrina says she feels her classmates ask questions and make comments from a western\/white\/atheist perspective that often positions her Brown\/Muslim perspective as inferior. In Brynton\u2019s courses, where he is the only person of color, he explains the stress of being \u00bbunder a lens all the time\u00ab and the pressure of his appointment into the impossible role of \u00bbthe spokesperson for being Black.\u00ab<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00bbBlack is not a monolith. We are not all the same. You can\u2019t put an idea on all of us and expect us to represent it.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Brynton L. Johnson<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In this role he is constantly combatting one-dimensional assumptions that he must be African American or should have playlists filled with rap music rather than dancehall and afrobeat. Similarly, when whiteness is the norm he finds himself often justifying his existence by explaining how the histories of Black people in the Bahamas are distinct from Black people in North America. The mental toll of this daily necessity to prove oneself as a fully fleshed human with contradictions like anyone else should not be understated.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbBlack is not a monolith. We are not all the same. You can\u2019t put an idea on all of us and expect us to represent it,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>What Can the University Do?<\/h3>\n<p>Like all western institutions and privileged bubbles, it turns out the university can do a lot. And I recommend asking Brynton and Sabrina for advice.<\/p>\n<p>For starters, a clear commitment to racial and ethnic minority students in the university\u2019s \u2018diversity and equality\u2019 statement would be nice. Backing up this symbolic gesture with systemic actions would be icing on the cake.<\/p>\n<p>To create \u00bba place where minorities can come and speak up, speak together and feel seen\u00ab Brynton calls on the university to support community organization for students of colour. As an active member of his undergraduate university\u2019s Black Student Association and Caribbean Student Association, Brynton is keen to see these kinds of spaces connect students of colour while bringing ease and a greater sense of belonging onto campus.<\/p>\n<p>So far, we have had approximately two white men teach about feminist research approaches, three white men teach about intersectionality and an overwhelming majority of white professors lecture on everywhere from Tanzania to Malaysia.<\/p>\n<p>To further prioritize minority students, a serious look at both course curriculums and university staffing is required. In Brynton\u2019s and my own studies there are ample opportunities to incorporate diversity into the classroom with far reaching benefits.<\/p>\n<p>I want to emphasize this is not a critique on the staff themselves, who have ample experience, expertise and passion in their respective areas, rather the system in which they teach in. A system which leaves Brynton feeling that \u00bbteachers will not understand what [he] is going through.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>Even while exploring study abroad options, where one would hope to find a splash of multiculturalism, Sabrina found a heavy handed Eurocentric bias remained. And was disappointed to find South Africa and Israel as her only options to study outside of the western world. Not only would Sabrina like to see wider options for herself to experience a new culture, but she also believes it would benefit the student body to be encouraged outside of their white dominated academic bubbles.<\/p>\n<p>This is just the starting point of a long list of interventions the university can take inspiration from to align with the anti-racist movement. I look forward to seeing this progress take place in Denmark, my hometown and other privilege bubbles. Finally, I would like to thank the brave bodies and voices like Brynton, Sabrina and the many inspiring authors of colour I came across while writing this featured comment. Who pursue what is rightfully theirs with acuity and compassion.<\/p>\n<p>—<\/p>\n<p><em>References<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Diallo, O. M. (2019). At the Margins of Institutional Whiteness: Black Women in Danish Academia. In A. Emejulu & F. Sobande (Authors), To exist is to resist: Black feminism in Europe (pp. 219-228). London: Pluto Press.<\/p>\n<p>Elton, C. (2020, December 8). How Has Boston Gotten Away with Being Segregated for So Long? Boston Magazine.<\/p>\n<p>Fottrell, Q. (2020, June 3). How America perfected the \u2018art of demonizing Black men\u2019. MarketWatch.<\/p>\n<p>Friis, R. (2020, September 28). Researchers want University of Copenhagen to commit to anti-racism struggle. University Post.<\/p>\n<p>Hansen, N. K. L., & Su\u00e1rez-Krabbe, J. (2018). Introduction: Taking Racism Seriously. KULT. Postkolonial Temaserie.<\/p>\n<p>Holtug, N. (2013). Danish Multiculturalism, Where Art Thou? In Challenging Multiculturalism: European Models of Diversity (pp. 190-215). Edinburgh University Press.<\/p>\n<p>Macaraig, A. (2020, June 12). Half of Danes say racism not a problem in Denmark \u2013 survey. CPH Post.<\/p>\n<p>Macaraig, A. (2020, June 23). Danish News Round-Up: No racism in Denmark, contends Pia Kj\u00e6rsgaard. CPH Post.<\/p>\n<p>Overgaard, S. (Writer). (2020, August 15). Facing Eviction, Residents Of Denmark’s ‘Ghettos’ Are Suing The Government [Transcript, Radio broadcast]. In All Things Considered. NPR.<\/p>\n<p>Questiaux, F. & Mortensen, S. (2020, September 17). Open Letter to The University of Copenhagen to Address Racism in Academia. University Post.<\/p>\n<p>Semuels, A. (2019, April 11). The Utter Inadequacy of America\u2019s Efforts to Desegregate Schools. The Atlantic.<\/p>\n<p>University of Copenhagen. Diversity and equality. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from https:\/\/about.ku.dk\/profile-history\/diversity\/<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get a bi-weekly email in your inbox","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}],"expression":{"term_id":18,"name":"Feature Article","slug":"feature_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":1200,"filter":"raw"},"enable_comments":true,"align_content":"alignleft","feature_color":"","article_updated":""},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":47,"name":"Opinion","slug":"opinion","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":47,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":333,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":48,"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":48,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":1036,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":3792,"name":"Student life","slug":"student-life","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3792,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":160,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":3975,"name":"anti-racism","slug":"anti-racism","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3975,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":3976,"name":"Black Lives Matter","slug":"black-lives-matter-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3976,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":3502,"name":"racism","slug":"racism","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3502,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":3974,"name":"structural racism","slug":"structural-racism","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3974,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"}],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":18,"name":"Feature Article","slug":"feature_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":1200,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2020060713435011920x1920we-1280x853.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117861"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118015,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117861\/revisions\/118015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}