Opinion: Black students are speaking. Are the rest of us listening?

What is more damning of this campus’ racial culture?

Is it the bitterness that has arisen between the white mainstream and the communities of color in the wake of Darren Wilson’s non-indictment?

Or is it that this bitterness somehow marks an improvement in race relations insofar as it has forced us to acknowledge that such divides persist?

No one on this editorial board is black. Apart from being a symptom of the larger problem of inclusiveness with which this newspaper struggles as much as any other historically white institution, this disqualifies us from speaking to the pain many members of the black community at UNC are feeling.

But we believe we are qualified to speak plainly of the role we ought to take in making this space — and all others — somewhere all people feel equally valued and safe.

From the outside, it’s difficult to understand how a single death could cause so much despair. This pain has been met with open ears by some but with mutters — “evidence is evidence” — by others.

But this is not just about Michael Brown.

In fact, the more this is about a single teenager and his circumstances, the less it will be about the racial context in which the prosecution declined to indict his killer.

The more this is made to be about Mike Brown’s actions, the more the burden of perfection falls upon specific black men, as imperfect as anyone else. This fails to acknowledge the justice system that mistreats them to a greater degree than white men whose guilt is also subject to reasonable doubt.

Mike Brown’s death is a tragedy in its own right, as is the aftermath, which has provided further proof that race continues to be a key determinant of how lives and voices are valued.

It is the basic responsibility of beneficiaries of racial privilege to actively listen and include.

The term “self-segregation” is often used to explain persistent racial divides, but placing the burden of integration upon the oppressed fails to confront whatever barriers obstruct that process. There are many, but black communities at UNC are doing everything in their power to strike them down and make their voices heard. It is up to the rest of campus to meet them halfway.

We must listen to students when they discuss — as they are right now — the difficulties they face on account of their racial identities. We must ensure all UNC students feel comfortable to live and study with each other rather than in separate, parallel worlds.

That can take the form of simply showing up for events or marches where these issues are being discussed. Even if you disagree with what is being said, understand that, as President Obama phrased it, “Communities of color aren’t just making these problems up.”

But it is also important to practice more active forms of solidarity. Speak up when you witness discrimination in action and have the tough conversations with your friends and family. Hold power accountable where it profits from prejudice.

As hard as UNC tries to institutionally embrace diversity, its students have to support this goal in their daily lives for it to be realized.