Candidate accused of racism

Students angered by MSA candidate's campaign poster

By Rachel Edelman
Daily Staff Reporter

Several University offices currently are investigating an allegedly racist Michigan Student Assembly campaign poster that has outraged some University students.

During the recent campaign, a sign was posted in Angell Hall showing LSA sophomore Dale Winling with his fist raised in imitation of a Black Power gesture of empowerment and pride. Winling, a white LSA sophomore who was running for an MSA representative seat, also has the image on his Website.

"The Man has always been keepin' brothers like me down, and I intend to make this campaign about race. Some honkies and uncle toms might point out the fact that I am not a minority, and am in fact a white male ... Black and loud, say it proud!" reads part of the poster.

Winling, who lost the election for the second year in a row, said the poster in question, along with his other campaign techniques, was intended to make fun of the MSA election process and was taken out of context.

"It's totally not in a serious vein," he said. "I just did it to have a good time. Some people took it the wrong way. I'm sorry that they did, but no harm was intended."

Many students said they found the poster offensive, and thought it mocked blacks and the struggles of black students during the 1960s and '70s.

"He doesn't have the right to trivialize students," said LSA senior Kenneth Jones, chair of the MSA Minority Affairs Commission. "... I can understand First Amendment rights, but it goes beyond that."

Reports of the poster were filed with the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, the Department of Public Safety and the Information Technology Division. ITD decided that Winling's Website does not violate its policies. The Office of Student Conflict Resolution and DPS currently are investigating the incident.

Jones said that if the University fails to take action against the poster, the Minority Affairs Commission will seek legal actions.

"We respect each students' freedom of speech, but what makes it sketchy is when that freedom of speech infringes upon other students," Jones said.

The Minority Affairs Commission was first contacted about the incident when LSA first-year student Shaba Andrich, who ran for an LSA representative sent with the Defend Affirmative Action Party, noticed Winling's flyer last week. Andrich filed a complaint with the MSA election board and contacted the Minority Affairs Commission.

Andrich personally e-mailed a complaint to Winling, who e-mailed a response that was then forwarded to several student groups.

"His response on the e-mail was totally inappropriate," said LSA senior Khoa Nguyen, vice president of the Vietnamese Student Association. "That was way overboard."

A resolution condemning the incident was presented at last night's MSA meeting. The assembly decided to table the resolution until next week. MSA President Mike Nagrant said he has received several e-mails from students concerning the poster.

"We definitely don't want to infringe upon someone's First Amendment rights, but at the same time, it's something we definitely feel is wrong," Nagrant said. "Something we have to show is that we do not tolerate this type of behavior."

Nagrant said Winling's poster was a "despicable act," and urged students to "exercise their freedom of speech" by voicing their opinions about the incident.

A letter about the incident has been drafted by the Minority Affairs Commission and is expected to be sent to Dean of Students E. Royster Harper and several other University administrators explaining the situation. The letter asks that Winling issue a public apology, participate in community service and take part in the University's Inter-Group Relations Conflict and Community program, a class that facilitates dialogue between students. The Black Student Union, Alianza, the Native American Students Association and the United Asian American Organizations have signed onto the letter as well.

"I hope that students are made aware of these incidents so that people won't think they can get away with the," Andrich said.

03-25-98