By Anastasia Pumphrey
Not 18 hours after the sit-in for racial justice, another event run by the Martin Institute was interrupted, or “Zoombombed,” by racially-charged insults and vulgarity.
The event that was being held was a film showing and panel discussion of the movie “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.” According to sophomore Sadè Ratliff, one of the chairs of Students In Action, the interruption included the “Zoombombers” saying racial slurs, hate speech, and showing audio and video of pornography while the event was going on.
The College promptly sent out a notice from the Office of Communications and Media Relations condemning this interruption, calling it “both lewd and racist in nature—an unacceptable trauma during an event focused on learning and solidarity.” The message also stated that the College is working with Campus Police to file a report and bring whomever did this to justice.
In response to this, Stonehill has also sent out various emails from Counseling Services advertising trauma processing spaces, IT which stated that they are working to ensure Zoom meetings are more protected from intruders, as well as the Office of Intercultural Affairs telling of a Virtual Restorative Justice Circle held tonight, October 23, at 5 p.m. over Zoom. This circle, state the posts about it, “provides an opportunity for community members to come together to address harmful behavior in a process that explores harms and needs, obligations, and necessary engagement.”
While Students In Action, OIA, Campus Police, and the College itself are working towards solving and healing from this issue, Sadè Ratliff said that amongst the chaos she is encouraged to keep going.
“I truly appreciate the support and kind words that I have received,” Ratliff said. “As I have told Professor Dykeman and Dean Ubertaccio, this is simply a sign that we are doing the right thing. There was never a time of great tidal change that was not met with opposition. This has not disheartened me but only encouraged me to keep pushing and to amplify my voice even louder. The Stonehill community has shown strength and compassion and I am so grateful to be a part of such a family… Fear not, for this is only the beginning of the journey.”
To echo Counseling Service’s email, please see below if you are in need of resources.
If you would benefit from a 1:1 counseling appointment, please call 508-565-1331, Option 1 to speak to our front desk about scheduling. Please keep in mind, 24/7 support is ALWAYS available any time of day, from anywhere by calling our 24/7 Line at 508-565-1331, Option 2. Additionally, please check out our website for a variety of resources, including resources on BIPOC Mental Health.
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