I am watching from abroad as higher education institutions in the United States are featured in the news more and more prominently due to protests and racial tensions. At Yale University, a faculty member sent an email questioning the merits of an email from an administrator reminding students not to wear offensive costumes. On the same day, there were claims that many women were turned away from a Halloween party at one of Yale’s frats because the party was for “white girls only.” At the University of Missouri, black football players joined other students on strike to demand the president, Tim Wolfe, step down saying he was not doing enough following a series of racist incidents on their campus.

These instances are not isolated or unique, and claims of disrespecting free speech are unfounded. Both campuses have seen numerous continued incidences of racism, such as swastikas drawn in dorms and students calling other students racial slurs. And it is not just these two campuses that deal with racism — racism occurs all over the United States. But not every racist instance makes it to the news, and this makes it seem like the protests held by Yale and Mizzou students are only about Halloween costumes and the actions of one president. This is not the case. These protests were attempts to change the racial climates of these campuses.

Students of color on campuses across the country constantly deal with racism at both minor and major levels. Universities tend to pride themselves on being inclusive and diverse, but this is not always the reality for students. Historically, many higher education institutions and their alumni, donors and faculty in the United States are predominantly white. Because of this, it’s understandable that students of color may not feel comfortable on campus, especially when administrators do not adequately respond to their marginalized voices and issues. Administrators do not try to tackle structural racism — they sometimes punish the racist, but they do not address the racism that continues to occur on their campuses.

This is why it is important for students to do all they can to ensure their administration hears their voices and pays attention to their needs. The protests at the University of Missouri may have worked only because the football players boycotted a game, which would have cost the university $1 million. This is leverage many athletes do not realize they have. However, it is not just athletes who can make a change — at my university in London, just two weeks ago, solidarity protests resulted in the reinstatement of an unfairly suspended trade union worker. Many divestment campaigns in universities across the United States have passed — whether or not they are merely symbolic. University students in South Africa saw their #FeesMustFall protests come to fruition — there will be no tuition increase in 2016.

Student activism may sometimes seem like it is being done in vain, but that is far from true. Activism is a very effective way to motivate change, and it needs to be taken seriously. I hope universities will begin to learn from the issues we are seeing all over the news, and I hope more and more students actively take part in demonstrations for a safer environment. Write more articles. Have important discussions about hard topics with more people. Go to the actions and demonstrations being put on by your peers on your campuses and in your cities — and while I can only look on from my position in London, I will stand with all of you in solidarity.

Sanjana Lakshmi is a Weinberg junior. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.