Many students, faculty, staff and members of the University of Michigan community are no strangers to hate crimes. Do your part to help The Daily track these incidents and hold the right institutions accountable.
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As journalists at the University of Michigan, we have the civic responsibility to believe survivors, hold institutions accountable for their wrongdoings and inactions and bring justice to those experiencing hate in their own communities and nationwide.
The last four years on campus have given rise to a sharp spike in bias incidents—around the country, the FBI estimates hate crimes have risen by as much as 12 percent for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, reporting at the University of Michigan can result in little to no action from University administration and/or local law enforcement. Students from marginalized communities often confront a host of injuries: the incident itself, then campus and city administrators’ seeming inability to resolve investigations and a pervasive sense of apathy from more privileged community members. The vicious cycle of crime continues, cementing racist, sexist, homophobic and ableist inequity.
The FBI defines hate crimes as “criminal offenses motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”
The University of Michigan’s Bias Reporting Log lists incidents which fall into these categories. The University of Michigan Police Department, Division of Public Safety and Security and Ann Arbor Police Department are also resources through which individuals can share their stories. But when these institutions fail, others must step up.
The Michigan Daily recommitted itself to several values at the beginning of 2018. Among these values were accountability, truth-telling and equity. This year, by partnering with ProPublica’s Documenting Hate Project, The Daily will return back to telling these stories that need to be told.
It is impossible to attempt to enjoy the fundamental needs and rights of a campus community when experiencing hateful rhetoric, actions or violence. Our readers are at the heart of what we do at The Daily, and joining with us in the fight against hate crimes, harassment and bias-motivated incidents will further our ability to best serve you, to best amplify the voices of those that we are positioned to and to best represent our community.
Share your story below. We’re listening.
If you experience, see or hear of a hate crime, bias incident or misconduct, consider filling out this form.
A Michigan Daily reporter may reach out to you for more information—if you feel comfortable sharing—and investigate the situation, much like we’ve done before (see here, here, and here). Reports submitted through the Documenting Hate project form will not be shared with the University of Michigan or local law enforcement officials. Survivors can choose to remain anonymous when included in articles regarding hate crimes and bias incidents as published by The Michigan Daily.