Men shout the 'N word' at Mizzou student president, sparks awesome campus-wide challenge

[Unknown Beatle]

University of Missouri Student Body President Payton Head

Payton Head is the University of Missouri Student Body President and he says last weekend he was harassed by a group of men in the bed of a pick-up truck who repeatedly shouted the "N word" at him as he walked down a street in Columbia, Missouri. It wasn't the first time he'd encountered in-your-face racism (or homophobia) in and around the University of Missouri. In fact, a previous incident nearly caused him to leave the university. Instead he decided to help change the culture by joining the Missouri Student Association.

This weekend's racist incident inspired him to take to social media to talk about the culture surrounding the university, which has had a divisive history. Payton's epic rant is going far beyond the borders of the MU campus, forcing residents and fellow students to take a good hard look at their own actions and how they might be contributing to the ugliness:

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE: I just want to say how extremely hurt and disappointed I am. Last night as I walking through campus, some guys riding on the back of a pickup truck decided that it would be okay to continuously scream NIGGER at me. I really just want to know why my simple existence is such a threat to society. For those of you who wonder why I’m always talking about the importance of inclusion and respect, it’s because I’ve experienced moments like this multiple times at THIS university, making me not feel included here. Many of you are so privileged that you’ll never know what it feels like to be a hijab-wearing Muslim woman and be called a terrorist or a towel head. You don’t have to think about being transgender and worrying about finding a restroom where you can go and not be targeted for violence because you don’t fit into the gender binary. You’ll never know what it feels like to see Memorial Union every day and enter the side like a second class citizen because after 90 years, there’s still no accessible way to enter the tower. You’ve never been spit on walking down 9th street or mis-gendered at Pizza Tree because they called out your birth name. You’ve never had to experience people throwing drinks on you and yelling FAGGOT at you from the patio at Big 12 as you walk past on the street holding hands with your partner. You might never had to think twice about what you’re wearing walking around campus at night so that someone won’t think it’s okay to take ownership of your body because your outfit was “asking for it.” If your simple existence is not a political statement I’m really going to need for you to check your privilege. These are some of my experiences and the experiences of the ones closest to me. This is what I’m fighting against every day in boardrooms, conferences, meetings, classrooms, the Capitol, and in my daily life. This is my reality. Is it weird that I think that I have the right to feel safe here too? If you see violence like this and don’t say anything, you, yes YOU, are a part of the problem. It’s the reason why It’s On Us, Black Lives Matter, Trans Rights are Human Rights, and love is fucking love. If you want to fight for social change at Mizzou there are so many different outlets. Apply to be a Diversity Peer Educator, stop by any of our wonderful centers of social justice. Educate yourselves and others. Hold your family, friends, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters accountable. And if this post made you feel uncomfortable, GOOD! That means I’m doing my job. It’s time to wake up Mizzou.

Your Nigger/Faggot Missouri Students Association President,
Payton Head

More: Daily Kos


People like Mike Huckabee are a leading cause of racism and homophobia in the US as his remarks are extremely vile targeting people of color and LGBTQ persons.

[pnwmom]

1. Yeah, but it's okay for Cornel West to slur Obama by saying he's the first "n***ized President."

West can call him a "black puppet' and a "black mascot" and it's all good.

[Unknown Beatle]

2. I agree, that's pretty bad.

[Ed Suspicious]

3. You see no difference in a white dude in a pickup truck shouting "nigger" and an African American

activist PhD using the word "niggerized?" I see a large difference. I think most people would.

[pnwmom]

4. You should check out the African American forum here if you want to know how many feel about it.

The PhD -- and the ego that goes along with it -- doesn't make it okay.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=26060

Note that the thread was locked -- and the reason why:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=26577

[Drahthaardogs]

5. The youth use that word all the time, and its horrible.

My son was listening to a rap some where every other word was the n-word. I don't like it, and I don't care if you are black and say you have a right to use it. It is a foul vulgar word with no redeeming quality and I hate to hear it.

[pnwmom]

6. And West is deliberately using it as a slur. He's not doing it to be Obama's buddy. n/t

[progressoid]

7. Right, because West is shouting racist slurs at random Black people.

[pnwmom]

8. He's lobbing contemptuous racial slurs against President Obama,

whom he campaigned with and then turned on when he didn't get special tickets to the inauguration.

[steve2470]

9. Dr. West is not overly fond of President Obama, to put it mildly nt

[Skittles]

10. excellent