By Anna Hansen
Edgewood College community members gathered for a peaceful protest on July 1 in support of an 18-year-old bi-racial woman attacked with lighter fluid by four white men in downtown Madison last month.
Althea Bernstein had stopped for a red light in her car with her window down when one of the four men stopped next to her yelled a racial epithet, then sprayed her with flammable liquid and threw a lighter at her, setting her on fire. She suffered facial burns.
The protest was organized by Edgewood students Vivi Velasquez, Jahdai Guerrero, and Sasha Shannon.
At the protest, Guerrero said Edgewood students were all affected by the attack because of Bernstein’s age and the proximity of this attack to Edgewood’s campus.
“[The attack] happened right here next to campus, downtown,” Guerrero said, “so I think that it’s very important that we are aware of this.
“It’s not fair that the people of color, women of color, students of color have to drive with their car windows up because they’re not safe in the community. So, I think that it’s a huge thing that we stand up, promote awareness about this, and show our support.”
Guerrero later addressed all in attendance, thanking them for their presence and discussing the importance of raising awareness. “I don’t want to be afraid going out,” she said. “I don’t want to be afraid for my life or my family.”
Black Student Union member Hawi Bedaso also spoke to OTE at the protest, calling for action from the administration.
“Edgewood has failed the students of color, has failed the BSU organization as a whole,” said Bedaso. “We’ve had multiple events on campus where students of color were targeted, and we didn’t feel that we had the support of our community during those times.”
Edgewood College administrators haven’t offered support to individual Black students during the Black Lives Matter movement and when addressing current events within the Madison community, Bedaso said.
“We feel as if the people, for example, [Vice President for Student Development] Heather Harbach, who are supposed to be reaching out, who are supposed to be in touch with students making sure that they’re good, . . . hasn’t said anything to us, she hasn’t addressed the matter, she hasn’t been in contact even just to say I see you, I feel you, I hear you.
“. . . it’s another example of an administration who are supposed to represent us, who are supposed to support us not doing the very task that they’re assigned to.”
Harbach was not available for comment.
Bedaso said the protests at Edgewood have been organized by students. “So, where is the support? We’re hoping, moving forward, that this is a push, that this is an eye-opener for people to recognize the issues that we’ve brought forward at Edgewood aren’t just happening here.”
Edgewood President Andrew Manion attended the protest as well. “It is important for Edgewood college to maintain a steadfast commitment to justice,” he said.
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