University of Maryland Freshmen Reflect On New Anti-Racism Initiatives
University of Maryland football players enter Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium wearing jerseys with personal statements for the TerrapinStrong Initiative. (UMD/Youtube)
President Darryll J. Pines has been hard at work pushing for anti-racism initiatives at the University of Maryland. Among these initiatives have been joining the Common Application, forming a task force on community policing, and launching initiatives in athletics.
Many students have looked forward to the future that these initiatives may bring. For others, they are only the beginning.
MaryAnne Onianwah, an information science freshman, felt that UMD could be doing more. She describes the initiatives as “performative and lacking depth and true change.”
One initiative Onianwah felt was particularly performative were the expressions printed on the Maryland football team’s jerseys prior to the game against Northwestern on Oct. 24. The expressions were created by Maryland student-athletes themselves, including phrases such as “Equality,” “Unity,” “Justice,” and more.
The expressions “reflect the department’s commitment to social justice,” according to Maryland Today.
Public health science freshman Victoria Ohanele had a different take on the athlete’s statements.
“I like the student-athlete statements because it came from the student-athletes,” she said.
The University released a video on Oct. 31 titled “In Their Own Words: Maryland Football Stands for Racial Justice,” highlighting the statements. In the video, players explain the significance of their chosen expressions.
While Ohanele liked the personal statements, she felt that “the University has over-highlighted [them] as if it was their idea or [as] if it’s making change among the UMD community.”
Ohanele believes that President Pines is trying his hardest in regards to these anti-racism initiatives, but she does have some recommendations of her own. She said that she would like to see mandatory anti-racism training for the UMD community.
Pines is only a few months into his position as President, but there is always room for growth and change.
Onianwah had a similar idea, saying that she’d like there to be “anti-racism modules” that resemble the mandatory alcohol and drug training that students complete at the start of the school year.
“I think President Pines is doing everything he can to push these initiatives,” Onianwah said. “It is encouraging that we have an African American president that is fighting for both social justice and anti-racism.”