The results of UW-Madison's first campus climate survey are in, and the numbers proved what many students already knew to be true — not everyone feels welcome here. And perceptions of the environment are only the tip of the iceberg, as we've seen dozens of hate crimes on university grounds in the past few years.
But across the country, hate crimes often go unreported. The Daily Cardinal wants to change that, and that's why we're partnering with ProPublica's Documenting Hate project to track these stories.
If you're an upperclassman, you might remember the string of hateful incidents — like when a white student spat on a First Wave scholar's face or when Native American students were mocked during a traditional healing circle — that triggered #TheRealUW movement, which exposed a harmful campus climate for underrepresented students.
Anti-semitic sentiment has also been on the rise, with 14 of Madison's reported hate crimes from 2016 "motivated by bias against Judaism."
Hurtful and divisive behavior even invaded a place heralded for its togetherness and team spirit last year, when someone wore a costume of former President Barack Obama with a noose around his neck to a Badger football game two days before Halloween.
Members of the campus community who have experienced a hate or bias incident can report it directly to the university through the Dean of Student's Office. But with this project, the Cardinal seeks to record personal accounts of students, staff and faculty who have seen or been affected by these issues on campus.
Here's how you can help: If you've witnessed or experienced an incident of hate and bias at UW-Madison, please share your story on the form below. A Cardinal reporter may follow up with you for additional details only to the extent that you feel comfortable sharing them. Your responses will not be shared with the university.
