Being seniors at EMU, we have had many interactions with all kinds of people across campus. A prominent group that we have noticed are what most of campus refers to as “the Mennonites.” They bring a sense of community that is admirable and is something that we appreciate about the campus. It is refreshing to see their passion for social justice, non-violence and loving thy neighbor; however, we have also observed the flaws that may come from this culture. Even though faith is the basis of what they stand for, it does not seem to be the driving force for their activism, instead it is the following of a status quo. 

In the last few years, we have seen the rise of activism and student protest and petition on campus. Clubs like Peace Fellowship have been engaging in a lot of activism and social justice issues for a long time. We are grateful for groups like these who do the work that many of us can’t. However, we have noticed a trend where some of this activism seems disconnected. 

As students of color observing these patterns, we’ve found ourselves grappling with the uncomfortable question of why does solidarity sometimes feel selective? There has been an ongoing issue of bringing awareness and protesting rallies, teach-ins, and prayers have demonstrated willingness to speak out against some injustices, but the harder question is that, as much as we care about Palestine, why don’t we give more energy to other global issues happening around us? From the crisis in Sudan to genocide in Congo and ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous communities and systemic racism in the United States. We don’t need to go that far, but also collaborate with multicultural service organizations such as the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA), the Black Student Alliance (BSA), and others, that could bring more solidarity between groups on campus. 

We also have felt disappointed by what seems like an emphasis in getting arrested at Mark Warner’s office early last semester. Don’t get us wrong, we love the idea of stirring up good trouble and are advocates for civil disobedience. However, sometimes it seems like people are protesting just so that they can say that they protested and got arrested. We see posts of people talking about how they got arrested and bring attention to that rather than showcasing the actual issue. This portrays the message that the only reason you are doing this is because it is the thing to do. You are doing it to draw more attention to yourself and want to stand out as someone who is doing good for society. But, your performance is meant to fight against injustice, not mask it. 

This is not us going against any particular group, but rather it is calling out the inconsistencies we see in the Mennonite students on campus. We see many go to intercultural programs in Guatemala, Cuba, Mexico, etc. and come back to talk about their experiences and how life-changing they were. They tell stories of the people they lived with, but don’t go out of their way to try and interact with those people here. After that “life-changing” experience they continue to live in their own circle, which continues to emphasize their ignorance to the experiences of people of color in their own communities. 

We urge you to advocate for things because you want to, not because it’s the thing to do. You have the privilege to use your voice, so use it to uplift other voices not to speak over them. Before you hate us, we recognize that some of our words may be harsh, or may seem like an attack towards the Mennonite community, but we would like to assure you that is not the case. Our goal is to bring awareness to some issues that may be hard to recognize and talk about coming from the perspective of two women of color, one who comes from a Lutheran background and the other who was raised Mennonite. We welcome any conversation about this, especially if you have questions about our perspective, we come from a place of peace and love.