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The Video is Released
The Wisconsin Homecoming Committee releases its promotional video for a string of events leading up to the UW Homecoming football game. Students quickly realized that, over the course of the video, virtually no people of color appeared. Word quickly spread across campus via social media about the controversy, and students voiced their dissatisfaction with the video. (@peyton_renee, Twitter) -
An Apology is Issued
After immediate and extreme backlash, the University of Wisconsin Homecoming Committee was forced to issue an apology. You can read it above. If you'd like to see some of the things people said in regards to the apology, check out their Facebook post here. (UW Madison Homecoming Committee, Facebook) -
Consolidation and Organization: A First Meeting
After half a week's worth of student outrage, a meeting was held by The Black Voice, a publication devoted to amplifying black voices on campus. At that meeting, ideas about a new homecoming video, produced by and for students of color, was discussed. This was the starting point of the protests that would come over the next week, and the alternative homecoming videos that were made. (@uwblackvoices, Twitter) -
A Protest at the Student Activities Center
On October 9th, a woman of color and student at the University began protesting outside of the college Republicans office on the second floor of the Student Activities Center. Though this event wasn't directly related to the Homecoming video, it was an important piece of the timeline. (@GOPBadgers, Twitter) -
A State Senator Weighs In
Republican State Senator David Craig wrote a message to Chancellor Rebecca Blank, which purported to defend the College Republican office, who he says "feared for their safety." This escalation in the gravity of the situation on campus was another step toward the protests that occurred. Read the first page of his letter above. (@GOPBadgers, Twitter) -
The Homecoming Game: A New Video
At this year's homecoming game against Michigan State, a video was shown that highlighted the contributions of students of color in the University community. It was co-produced by the University. -
The Student Inclusion Committee is Formed
The Student Inclusion Committee, or SIC was announced on October 20th. Their aim is to, "advocate for the social, academic, and emotional wellness of all marginalized students." They were the ones who organized the protest, which would come to fill Bascom Hill. -
A New Take on the Homecoming Video Is Released
On October 22nd 2019, a second video, created by the Student Inclusion Coalition, was released. It highlighted the many historical injustices that took place to create the University, and how it (in the eyes of the videographers) still fails its students. (Ali Khan, Facebook) -
SIC's List of Demands Goes Public
On October 24th, SIC released its list of demands via twitter and Instagram. They are wide-ranging in nature, and are meant to call attention to perceived large scale systemic issues on campus, rather than any single incident. (Via @SICofUW , Instagram) -
The Protest
On October 26th, students clad in black filled Bascom Hill. They were there to protest homecoming video, and many other issues, such as funding and resources for student orgs that are student of color specific, and the rate of admission for students of color. (Ben Farrell)
