On Nov. 7, President Scott McQuilkin released a statement condemning the display of the Confederate flag. This statement was signed by McQuilkin and Associated Students of Whitworth University (ASWU) President Isaac Price. ASWU released a similar statement later, hours after the statement from the Office of the President.
The statements referenced events from the day before when a truck parked on campus displayed the flag. Both statements identified the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism and stated that its use has no place on Whitworth’s campus.
The president’s statement was sent out to students through email at 5:48 p.m. by the Office of the President.
“[T]he Confederate flag is a symbol of racism, human subjugation, division and segregation. The flag has no place on our campus and is an egregious offense to this community,” said that statement.
The statement from the president’s office also said, “Simply put, the Confederate flag and the messages it communicates do not represent our community. As followers of Christ who seek to bring healing to a broken world, may we be ever-mindful about the meanings of such symbols.”
Later that evening at 10:25 p.m., Todd Sandberg, assistant dean of student programs released a similar statement through email on behalf of ASWU, affirming McQuilkin and Price’s definition of the Confederate flag and agreeing that it has no place on Whitworth’s campus. This statement was signed by ASWU President, Isaac Price, ASWU Vice President, Bobbi Jo Crittenden and Cultural Events Coordinator Sophie St. Jacques.
The statement from ASWU stated that “[The Confederate flag’s] display yesterday has caused harm, especially to those who carry the weight of these historical injustices daily in our community. We hold a range of views, reactions and emotions post-election within our community.”
ASWU’s statement urged the community to move forward and treat everyone with respect. “As we move forward, let us stand together in rejecting all forms of prejudice and discrimination, but let us also commit to navigating our differences with respect, understanding and dialogue,” it says.
Neither statement explicitly mentioned the flag’s vandalism.
Both McQuilkin’s and ASWU’s statements offered support to those who feel personally affected by the flag’s presence on campus.
“To our community members for whom this has been especially wounding, please know that you are loved, supported and an essential part of the Whitworth community,” McQuilkin stated.
ASWU stated, “To all who feel personally affected, we extend our unwavering support and our heartfelt apologies—not as a distant governing body, but as your peers.”
