UP Gazette

Last year, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd, Michigan Technological University (MTU) put out a statement saying that it condemns all forms of racism, discrimination and inequality at the school, according to Bridge Michigan.

However, it seems that MTU is all talk and no action, as several current and former students are coming forward to say that the school has not only fostered an environment that allowed for racism but perpetuated it by keeping professors on staff whose views contradict their statement. 

Wesley McGowan is one of the only black students at an overwhelmingly white university, and he has experienced firsthand the harmful effects of ignorance and racism. 

Wesley McGowan, doctoral student | Michigan Tech

McGowan remembers taking a culture class and watching videos that he called "derogatory," which depicted caricatures of black people and actors in blackface. He said the videos made him feel uncomfortable and unsafe. In addition, he recalled an instance in which a janitor confronted him and suspected him of breaking into the building while studying in Fischer Hall. 

Perhaps the most extreme example of the racism on display in the community happened when a local drove by McGowan with a confederate flag fluttering behind his truck, shouting a racial slur at him. 

An MTU professor had a curious response to the school's statement condemning racism. Engineering professor Jeffrey Burl called the resolution "racist" and denied that racism or misogyny has ever occurred in his 28 years teaching at the school. 

Burl wrote, "I find this resolution particularly offensive because I, as a white male, have been systematically discriminated against for 40 years,” referring to hiring practices, according to Bridge Michigan.

As the community and the school continue to struggle with these issues, more alumni and students are stepping forward to reaffirm the concerns that McGowan has expressed, painting a clear picture of the divisiveness that the university is currently dealing with.