Columbia community shows support for inclusion on campus

Hundreds of Columbia residents along with University of Missouri students, faculty and staff marched through campus Sunday afternoon to show their support for inclusion and diversity.

Angela Speck, a physics professor at MU, helped organize the event. The march started at Peace Park and ended at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.

“I really wanted to show the students that we care about them and they have our support,” she said.

Speck said she has reached out to Kemper Fellows at the university, which are professors who have been awarded for their teaching excellence to start a conversation with students.

“The rationale was that one of demands of the Concerned Student 1950 was to have an inclusion curriculum. Curriculum is a faculty thing. Administration can’t fix that, we have to fix that.”

Michael Trapp, City of Columbia 2nd Ward Councilman, who attended the march said it was good to see an entire community come together and support each other for a positive change.

“I think it’s nice that people want to stand in solidarity and say ‘This isn’t our community,'” he said. “In our community we love each other, we treat each other with respect and we want equal opportunity for all.”

Speck said the past week of events at the university is just the beginning of changes to come.

“This is about all sorts of marginalization. Those students that aren’t affected by it need to be in the conversation,” she said. “I think that it’s a good thing that we haven’t gone back to normal, but I think we’re moving in a positive direction.”