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38 ¦ SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 OPINION

¦ From HOW NOT on PAGE 37 a paternalistic justification for a policy decision
School’s Commitment to Anti-Racism,” she pur- that they otherwise could not defend. The choice
ported to be breaking the cycle of allowing this to ignore YBLSA’s demands (as well as the public
work to fall on students of color — a startling claim statements made by several other affinity groups)
considering Black students had just spent weeks and instead make an independent decision on
meeting with administration and faculty to share what they feel was best for the Black community
demands (which they ignored), educating the reveals that their interests lie not with Black stu-
administration on the concerns of the Black com- dents, but with their own policy goals.
munity, and mitigating the harm of ill-conceived While these responses—both the actions and
diversity trainings led by the administration. inactions—are certainly disappointing, it would
The message presented a laundry list of steps be inaccurate to say that they are surprising. Our
that YLS is “making to confront, challenge, and school has shown us time and time again that they
combat racism and to serve the cause of racial jus- are more than willing to engage in performative
tice.” It regurgitated a catalogue of ongoing course activism, offer wide smiles and empty promises,
offerings, which many Black students know from write us eloquent paragraphs with meaningless
first-hand experience do not meaningfully ad- words, and claim to fight for equality, as long as it
dress or combat racism. It presented vague and is convenient for them.
amorphous plans to “build” and “create” new of- In Dean Gerken’s first response to George
ferings, without reference to timing, resourcing, Floyd’s murder, she made reference to the post-
accountability, nor transparency. It ignored our ers hanging in the law school with the names of
calls to dismantle the YPD. It ignored our calls to victims of police murder. She called them a “silent
tie a focus on the abolition of the prison indus- testament to the ongoing breakdown of law, the
trial complex into the curriculum. Ultimately, persistence of racial violence, and the absence of
instead of a “deep, meaningful, and enduring” justice.” Unfortunately, a silent testament is not
commitment to equality, this message represents enough. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tony
a nebulous, empty promise which lacks the speci- McDade. Ahmaud Arbery. David McAtee. Their
ficity required to ensure that the steps this school deaths warrant much more than our silence. They
takes are rigorous, comprehensive, and sustained. deserve our anger, our pain, and our determina-
Less than three weeks after the administration tion to change.
completely disregarded our demands, the faculty We, as representatives of YBLSA, cannot speak
announced their decision to remove the CR/F to the decisions that the administration will make
grading system, citing a newfound desire to com- going forward, but we can speak to the efforts
bat racial inequity in hiring practices. In the days of the Black student community at YLS. And as
leading up to this decision, several affinity groups members of that community, we will continue to
had released statements in support of a CR/F fight against structures of oppression. That means
system. They raised concerns about differential challenging racism, injustice, and complacency
access to work space, as well as pandemic-related wherever it exists—whether it be a police depart-
stressors like financial instability and risk of ex- ment, a courtroom, the prison system, the federal
posure for students and their families — all of government, or the halls of Yale Law School. It
which disproportionately affect students of color also means continuing to listen to, support, and
and those from low-income backgrounds. In light pour energy into the Black student community in
of this fact, the faculty’s rationale felt less like a sustained and meaningful ways, particularly since
concern for our career prospects and more like our administration has failed to do so.
¦

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