“Education is the foundation of our democratic society. Thus, we are committed to a comprehensive diversity framework that promotes social justice throughout all, policies, procedures, and practices of the college.”

In the Skyline College’s values statement it begins with these words which prides itself on its ethnic and cultural diversity.

On May 1, 2017 students expressed their discomfort with a student’s class presentations and pleaded for it not to go on. The unease was due to a student wearing blackface for the presentation, while the professor allegedly allowed it to continue. A day later, the dean was notified which prompted the professor to be put on leave. The student was doing a presentation, attempting to resemble a character from the TV series, “Orange is the New Black”.

As college students, we do not ask to be shielded from conversations about race. We simply ask that the college upholds the values allowing the students to enter the classroom without feeling attacked or be uncomfortable.

Because of Skyline’s ethnic and cultural diversity, students have grown to support one another, and have been vocal about injustices not only around the world, but what we find on campus as well.

Not confronting the student initially about using blackface shows irresponsibility and negligence towards the rest of the students and demonstrates a degree of ignorance for that matter. Even after the other students expressed their discomfort with the presentation, the teacher took no initiative to accommodate the following students.

Skyline is home to different communities built around the various cultures that populate the college. From 2016- Fall 2017, the college has enrolled over 300 international students originating from 44 different countries. That being said, we have to be aware that issues as such affect many other students on campus too.

The San Mateo County of Community College of Board of Trustees have proceeded to file papers to terminate a teacher which allowed the use of blackface during a class presentation. The President of Association of Teachers (AFT), Monica Malmud President attended the meeting to state that the AFT does not condone hate and prejudice but that termination was too steep of a punishment.

However, the AFT President told the board that the incident should’ve been handled by making the incident a learning experience by implementing racial sensitivity classes and training. It is puzzling on why this incident would be kept under wraps since the Spring semester.

We’re proud of the Skyline Community, especially of the students who stood up against past prejudices by exercising their rights to help others and to make this place of education safe. Skyline has no place for racial appropriation and we believe that the punishment would be best to at least have the professor be suspended for two semesters and be on academic probation for the next school year. The most that should be done is firing of the professor and have this incident on their record.