Black Lives Matter Quashes Free Speech At the University of Houston

Marjorie Romeyn-Sanabria

Society, Americas

It won't be the last time.

Woe unto those who publicly disagree with Black Lives Matter.

Black Lives Matter has become more than a movement; within a relatively short period of time, it has solidified into an institution with strident public support. Similar to how campus movements open chapters across the country, Black Lives Matter is safely ensconced in many places of higher learning, constantly on the lookout for oppressive speech and action.

After the Dallas shooting, Rohini Sethi, an incoming senior and the University of Houston's vice president of the Student Government association, took to her Facebook to express her disgust after the Dallas shootings. “Forget #BlackLivesMatter,” she allegedly wrote. “More like AllLivesMatter.”

The reaction was swift. The president of the University of Houston student body both publicly denounced her actions and suspended her. The hashtag #RemoveRouhini surfaced. As a condition of her suspension, Sethi was required to attend three days of sensitivity training. Sethi disagreed, but complied. Compliance was not enough, however, since it was clear that she still held her personal views. Black students at the University of Houston no longer felt that she was suited to represent them, and made this view known. Shane Smith, student body president (who is white) went on record with the Washington Post to articulate the students’ displeasure: “Her post and subsequent actions were very divisive,” he said. “It caused some in our student body to be upset with her. They lost their faith in her ability to represent them because they felt she did not understand or respect the struggle in their lives.”

Note that Smith said some. Not a majority. Perhaps he understands that part of his role is to keep a small but vocal group satisfied lest his own position be threatened. If so, he’s well on his way to a luminous political career in Washington.