‘Hate Doesn’t Roll Here,’ SGA Focuses On Building Inclusivity

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Student Government Association will host “One UA,” a week focused on building a more inclusive campus, Sept. 21-25.

“It’s a campaign focusing on inclusivity on campus by letting students know that yes, we’re all different, but at the end of the day we’re one big happy family at UA,” said Demarcus Joiner, SGA president. “Our slogan is ‘Hate Doesn’t Roll Here!’ Meaning hate isn’t acceptable at this University.

“The broad reason is that elections sometimes bring out the worst in people,” Joiner continued. “We want to be proactive in getting people to understand that we can voice our opinions in a respectful way. Also, with everything going on in the nation and the world right now, we want to educate our students on the impact of hate, and also the impact of being inclusive and welcoming.”

The campaign kicks off with “Blenz Bowls Percentage Day” at the Blenz Bowls truck on Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For every purchase at the truck a percentage of the sales will be donated to Colors of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. The Blenz truck can be located through its Instagram account, @blenzbowls.

It’s followed by a virtual movie night showing “The Hate U Give,” on Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. The Zoom watch party link is http://tinyurl.com/oneuamovie.

There will also be a campus resource fair held Sept. 22 showcasing different diversity resources UA offers, such as the Intercultural Diversity Center; the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and The Women and Gender Resource Center. The campus resource fair will be features on SGA’s social media channels including Facebook and @UASGA on Twitter and Instagram.

On Sept. 23, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certification program will begin at 5:45 p.m.

“This will allow organizations to become DEI-certified after they participate in surveys and questionnaires for the entire year,” Joiner said. “This starts that process for the year.”

As part of that event, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is bringing in a guest speaker, acclaimed diversity educator Jane Elliott, best known for her “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” racism exercise, to give a virtual presentation. Register online for “A Conversation with Jane Elliott.”

On Sept. 24, an “How to be an Ally” infographic explaining how to be an ally to those who regularly experience discrimination will be posted to SGA’s Instagram account.

“We just want everyone to remember, hate doesn’t roll here,” Joiner said.