SMU Has a Racism Problem We Keep Pretending Isn’t There
I’m tired of people acting like conversations about racism at SMU are exaggerated or isolated incidents when many minority students experience it regularly, both openly and subtly.
I’ve personally had people ask me how I “afford” to attend SMU, as if students of color don’t belong in spaces like this unless we’re exceptions. I’ve heard students casually use slurs, including the f-slur and the n-word (I personally have been called the f-slur). I’ve had friends tell me they constantly feel watched or judged in predominantly white spaces on campus, and honestly, I’ve felt it too. A lot of minority students learn quickly how to navigate certain classrooms, organizations, or social environments differently because of this atmosphere.
And the problem is that SMU rarely addresses these issues directly. Instead, the university tends to focus on protecting its image. During football season and homecoming, racist behavior, drunken harassment, MAGA flags, and openly hostile comments toward minorities are often brushed aside as “school spirit” or ignored completely. Even on platforms like Fizz, racist and discriminatory comments circulate constantly, yet students are told to just ignore it because “that’s anonymous apps.”
What frustrates me even more is seeing how quickly the university reacts to some forms of expression while long-standing issues affecting minority students continue to receive little meaningful attention. Conversations around institutional neutrality feel incomplete when many of the removed signs and symbols represented marginalized communities, Pride flags, Black Lives Matter signs, Palestinian flags, while other forms of political expression and behavior on campus have historically gone largely unaddressed.
That inconsistency sends a message whether people want to admit it or not.
This isn’t about saying every student at SMU is racist. They aren’t. I’ve met incredible people and mentors here. But pretending these issues don’t exist only makes the environment worse for students who already feel out of place.
If SMU genuinely wants to support minority students, then the conversation has to go beyond marketing, brochures, and diversity statements. Students notice when issues are acknowledged versus when they’re simply managed quietly to protect the university’s reputation.
You cannot claim to value diversity while making students feel like their identities, concerns, and experiences are only welcome when they are convenient.