THIS SUMMER, A SMITH COLLEGE STUDENT MADE NATIONAL NEWS AFTER
CAMPUS POLICE WERE CALLED TO QUESTION HER WHILE SHE WAS
EATING HER LUNCH.
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENT OUMOU KANOUTE CLAIMS HER ONLY
INFRACTION WAS BEING BLACK.
SMITH COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES HAVE SAID THAT THE INCIDENT WAS
NOT RACIALLY MOTIVATED AND HAS AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR
LOOKING INTO THE INCIDENT.
MEANWHILE, THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION RECENTLY TOOK ON
HER CASE.
BUT KANOUTE ISN'T SEEKING A CASH SETTLEMENT.
PRIMARILY, SHE WANTS AN APOLOGY AND ALSO, SHE SAYS CHANGE ON
CAMPUS.
I ASKED RAHSAAN HAAL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE ACLU'S RACIAL
JUSTICE PROGRAM ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE CHANGE THAT
KANOUTE SEES AND WHY THE ACLU TOOK HER CASE.
>> THE ACLU HAS LONG SINCE BEEN INVOLVED IN RACIAL JUSTICE
ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE NATION.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING RECENTLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
WITH THE ISSUES AROUND WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL LIVING WHILE BLACK
ARE ISSUES THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US ESPECIALLY AS IT
RELATES TO WEAPONIZED POLICING OR THE WAY THAT POLICE ARE
WEAPONIZED PARTICULARLY AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR BUT BLACK COLOR
IN PARTICULAR.
AND SO WE SAW THIS HAPPENING AT GRADUATE STUDENTS IN YALE,
COLLEGE -- PERSPECTIVE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN COLORADO AND A
COLLEGE STUDENT HERE AND WE FELT LIKE IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO
GET INVOLVED.
IN THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE BUT AS WELL AS THE LARGER CONVERSATION
THAT'S HAPPENING AROUND POLICING NATIONALLY.
>> WHEN YOU SAY WEAPONIZED POLICING, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> IT'S THE WAY THAT POLICE ARE DEPLOYED OR SENT OUT AGAINST
PEOPLE OF COLOR IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
IN A WAY THAT IS OFTENTIMES PROBLEMATIC AND HARMFUL.
>> SO YOU DON'T NECESSARILY MEAN USE OF A WEAPON.
IN THE SMITH INCIDENT, THERE WASN'T A WEAPON IN QUESTION AS
FAR AS WHAT'S BEEN PUBLICLY REPORTED AND WHEN I READ THROUGH
THE PHONE TRANSCRIPTS.
I WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
>> CORRECT.
WE'RE NOT ALLEGING THAT WEAPONS WERE USED BUT THE WAY THAT
POLICE ARE USED GENERALLY IS TANTAMOUNT TO BEING USED AS A
WEAPON TO ADDRESS INNOCUOUS ISSUES.
>> UNDERSTOOD.
LET'S TALK ABOUT JULY 31ST WHICH IS THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT.
MISS KANOUTE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WAS WORKING ON CAMPUS?
>> YES.
>> AND TOOK A BREAK FOR LUNCH.
THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
>> WHILE SHE'S THERE, SHE NOTICES INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK
FOR THE INSTITUTION THAT ARE WALKING BACK AND FORTH MAKING
OBSERVATIONS OF HER.
AND AT SOME POINT, THOSE INDIVIDUALS CALLED THE POLICE.
AND RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT HER PRESENCE THERE.
>> YEAH.
AND SO SHE ACTUALLY WROTE A LETTER, AN OPEN LETTER POSTED ON
THE ACLU'S WEBSITE AND I WANTED TO READ A PORTION OF IT.
SHE SAID "EATING ON CAMPUS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A TYPICAL STUDENT
ACTIVITY.
BUT AS A BLACK STUDENT, I RECEIVED A FAMILIAR LOOK OF
SUSPICION FROM A COLLEGE EMPLOYEE WHO QUESTIONED MY
PRESENCE IN THE DINING HALL LINE AS I BEGAN TO FIX MYSELF A
PLATE."
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU READ ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE, THE
DESCRIPTION OF THAT INCIDENT?
>> IT'S DISHEARTENING.
THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE THESE ARE STILL THE THINGS THAT MANY
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND BLACK PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
THE QUESTIONS AROUND WHETHER OR NOT WE BELONG IN CERTAIN SPACES.
WHETHER OR NOT WE BELONG IN A STARBUCKS.
WHETHER OR NOT, WE BELONG ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS, WHETHER OR NOT
WE BELONG IN A BOARD ROOM.
WHAT IS THE QUALIFICATION TO BE PERCEIVED AS BELONGING A CERTAIN
PLACE?
AND SO THAT SPEAKS TO THE DEEP RACIALIZED ISSUES THAT EXIST IN
THIS COUNTRY THAT HAVEN'T GONE AWAY.
>> SO MISS KANOUTE HAS SAID SHE FEELS AS THOUGH SHE'S RACIALLY
PROFILED AND WE'LL GET INTO SHE WOULD LIKE A FEW THINGS AS A
RESULT OF THAT.
WE'LL GET INTO THAT IN A MINUTE.
I WANT TO SAY FOR SMITH COLLEGE'S PART WE DID INVITE
THEM TO TAKE PART IN THE INTERVIEW TODAY AND DECLINED TO
DO SO.
BUT THE COLLEGE HAS SAID THAT SMITH COLLEGE DOES NOT TOLERATE
RACE OR GENDER BASED DISCRIMINATION IN ANY FORM.
SUCH BEHAVIOR CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A CLIMATE OF FEAR, HOSTILITY AND
EXCLUSION THAT HAS NO PLACE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE EMPLOYEE THAT WAS -- MADE THE PHONE CALL THAT DAY HAS
BEEN PLACED ON LEAVE WHILE THERE'S SORT OF AN INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION AT SMITH.
HAS THERE BEEN A LAWSUIT FILED AT THIS POINT OR WHAT'S THE
STATUS OF THE -- WHAT'S HAPPENING?
>> THERE HAS NOT BEEN A LAWSUIT FILED AT THIS TIME.
WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH SMITH COLLEGE.
THEY ARE CONDUCTING AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AND THERE HAVE
BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MEDIATION OR SOME SORT OF
RESTORATIVE PROCESS TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE CONCERNS.
>> AND FOR MISS KANOUTE'S PART, WHAT DOES SHE HOPE TO YIELD?
WHAT RESULTS DOES SHE HOPE TO GAIN FROM THIS PROCESS?
>> FIRST AND FOREMOST IN ADDITION TO LOOKING FOR AN
APO APOLOGY, SHE IS DESIRING SOME
IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES AT THE INSTITUTION SO THINGS LIKE
THIS DON'T HAPPEN TO OTHER STUDENTS.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED
TO SOMEONE AT SMITH COLLEGE.
IT CERTAINLY WON'T BE THE LAST BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT THE MORE
INTENTIONAL EFFORTS AT TRYING TO DIFFUSE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS AND
BE CONSCIOUS AROUND ISSUES OF RACE, THAT IT WOULD DIMINISH THE
NUMBER OR FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THIS HAPPENS AND NOT TO SAY THAT
IT'S HAPPENING ALL THE TIME.
BUT IN THE SOCIETY THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY, IT'S HARD TO AVOID
INSTANCES WHERE RACE BECOMES A FACTOR IN DETERMINING WHETHER OR
NOT SOMEONE SHOULD BE AT A CERTAIN PLACE.
>> YEAH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, CURRENT EMPLOYEE WROTE A LETTER
THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN SOME LOCAL NEWSPAPERS HERE.
AND THEY POINTED TO SOME RACIALLY CHARGED INCIDENTS IN
THE 1980s AND THAT SMITH AT THAT TIME WAS NOT ALL THAT INCLUSIVE.
AND SHE SAID THAT SHE FELT LIKE STRIDES HAD BEEN MADE.
FOR MISS KANOUTE'S PART, I UNDERSTAND SHE'S BACK ON CAMPUS
AND ATTENDING CLASSES BUT SHE SAID IN THAT LETTER, THAT SHE'S
STILL ANXIOUS.
SHE'S FEARFUL.
AND SHE USED THE WORD DREAD.
THAT SHE DREADS GOING TO THE DINING HALL.
SO FOR HER, WHY -- HAS SHE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT WHY SHE
WANTED TO GO BACK TO CLASSES WHILE THIS IS STILL GOING ON.
>> SURE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, SMITH IS A VERY PRESTIGIOUS INSTITUTION.
SHE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO GET WHERE SHE IS IN
LIFE.
AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE, YOU KNOW, HER PRESENCE THERE, YET
THE ANXIETY THAT SHE HAS SPEAKS TO THE REALITY OF HOW
TRAUMATIZING THESE EVENTS CAN BE BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE GO THROUGH
THEIR LIVES BEING TOLD THAT IF YOU WORK HARD, AND FOLLOW THE
RULES, THAT YOU WILL HAVE SUCCESS IN LIFE AND THAT YOU
WILL BE TREATED FAIRLY AND HERE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED HARD
AND WHO HAS FOLLOWED THE RULES AND WAS NOT TREATED FAIRLY.
AND IT BEGINS TO CHALLENGE THE FOUNDATIONS UPON WHICH MANY
PEOPLE'S BELIEFS RESTS.
AND SO SHE STILL BELIEVES SHE BELONGS AT THIS INSTITUTION THAT
SHE DESERVES A PLACE AT THIS INSTITUTION AND IS INVESTED IN
RECEIVING THE BENEFITS OF GOING TO SMITH COLLEGE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT DOES NOT ERASE THE TRAUMATIC
EXPERIENCE THAT SHE HAD THAT REALLY CALLED INTO QUESTION MANY
OF THE THINGS THAT SHE HAD BEEN TAUGHT ABOUT WHAT HARD WORK
MEANS AND WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF THIS COUNTRY.
>> YEAH, SHE EVEN POINTED OUT IN THAT LETTER SHE WAS ON CAMPUS
BECAUSE SHE'S TEACHING OR WORKING THERE FOR THE SUMMER IN
A STEM PROGRAM HELPING OTHER YOUNG WOMEN.
>> EXACTLY.
>> IS IT POSSIBLE, THOUGH, THAT THIS IS ALL A LARGE
MISCOMMUNICATION?
I READ A TRANSCRIPT FROM THE PHONE CALL OF THE EMPLOYEE.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE COULD BE A MISCOMMUNICATION ABOUT GENDER
HERE EVEN.
THE TRANSCRIPT SAYS THE EMPLOYEE CALLED AND THEY SAID QUOTE TO
THE CAMPUS POLICE "I DIDN'T APPROACH HER OR ANYTHING" BUT HE
SEEMS TO BE OUT OF PLACE.
I DON'T SEE ANYBODY IN THE BUILDING AT THIS POINT.
AND UH, I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT HE'S DOING THERE.
JUST LYING ON THE COUCH.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE THIS IS A FEMALE COLLEGE CAMPUS, THEY
THOUGHT THERE WAS A MALE IN A BUILDING WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T
HAVE BEEN?
>> I GUESS THAT RAISES SOME MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY SOMEONE WHO
IS CLEARLY A WOMAN BE PERCEIVED AS A MALE AND I THINK IT GOES TO
THE ISSUES ACROSS RACE AND CROSS RACIAL IDENTIFICATION AND THAT
IS HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC THAT SOMEONE WHO IS A WOMAN WOULD BE
PERCEIVED AS A MALE WHEN IT'S NOT -- WHEN THAT'S UNMISTAKABLE.
>> WHERE DOES THIS GO NEXT?
>> WELL, WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR FROM SMITH COLLEGE ABOUT SOME OF
THE REQUESTS THAT MISS KANOUTE HAS MADE ABOUT WHAT SHE WOULD
LIKE TO SEE IN ADDITION TO SOME SORT OF MEDIATION PROCESS AND AN
APOLOGY.
CHANGES IN THE POLICIES OF THE INSTITUTION ON HOW THEY DEAL
WITH POLICING AS IT RELATES TO RACE.
BUT ALSO, SOME AFFINITY HOUSING FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR TO HAVE AN
AFFIRMING SPACE.
BUT ALSO, RECOGNITION OF SOME OF THE MORE RACIST HISTORY IN
SMITH'S PAST.
SOME OF IT'S -- SOME FORMER CONTRIBUTORS TO THE INSTITUTION
THAT HAVE QUESTIONABLE PASTS AS IT RELATES TO RACE.
>> THEIR BUILDINGS ARE NAMED AFTER THEM.
BUT SHE POINTS OUT THAT THE ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN, RATHER, TO GRADUATE FROM SMITH, HER NAME
ISN'T ANYWHERE ON CAMPUS.
>> CORRECT.
AND AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THAT AND SO WE'RE WAITING TO SEE
WHERE THE INSTITUTION IS ON THOSE REQUESTS.
>> YOU JUST POINTED OUT A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT MISS KANOUTE
HOPES TO GAIN.
YOU DIDN'T MENTION MONEY ONCE.
IS SHE SUING THE COLLEGE FOR MONEY LOOKING FOR SOME KIND OF
CASH SETTLEMENT?
>> NO.