After a half-hour discussion, the ASUI Senate passed a bill Wednesday condemning the proliferation of “It’s okay to be White” flyers on campus.
The bill by Sen. Teja Sunku was written to reaffirm that the ASUI Senate is dedicated to diversity and inclusion on campus in response to reports of multiple signs being found in Moscow and on campus two weeks ago.
Sen. Jesse Smith said he was in opposition of the bill because he does not believe the posters promote white supremacy.
“If I had to guess I would say that they would be trolls, not white supremacists,” Smith said. “The phrase ’It’s okay to be white’ shouldn’t offend anyone. It’s no different than saying black lives matter. I don’t think this is the right thing for ASUI to do.”
Smith also said the post originated as a meme on 4chan and didn’t have more racist meanings behind it.
Sunku, the bill’s author, said the resolution’s goal “is not to retaliate, but to make sure the students that have been hurt by this know that their voices are valued.”
Following Sunuku’s explanation, Sen. Sam Harrich also spoke out against the bill.
“If we’re saying this is inherently racist, let’s look the history of it,” Harrich said. “It doesn’t say it’s great to be white, it says it’s okay to be white.”
Sen. Samragyee Gautam said she thinks the bill is important because it shows support of the diverse groups of students across campus.
Smith and Harrich were the only two senators who voted against the bill.
Ellamae Burnell can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @EllamaeBurnell