“We are not an exception”
(03/23/17 3:02am)
It’s Friday, November 11 at 4:30 pm. I wrap up my weekly seminar at Perry World House and stand in the conference room along with few other students chatting. As her face turns red, a student asks, “Have you seen the racist GroupMe on Facebook?” I respond, “No, I haven’t yet.” She appears to hold her tears back. “It’s disgusting with images of lynchings, and it’s all over Facebook.” We stand quiet for a moment, scared, confused, and realizing that Penn cannot shield us from the venom of those who wish to hurt us. We are black, white, Middle Eastern. We are overwhelmed.