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Earlier this week, the Stanford College Republicans exposed ASSU candidate Gabby Crooks for making numerous racist statements over the course of the past year. These statements are beyond troubling and have become all too indicative of the campus climate at Stanford University and beyond.
Crooks has complained that “white people think everything is about themselves” and referred white people as “crackers.” Worse by far is when she said that “white people need to be eradicated.” Just imagine if a white student running for ASSU called for the eradication (genocide) of all black people. There would be complete outrage: the student would be ostracized and called racist, internships and job offers would immediately be rescinded, and students would call for action against such hatred and prejudice. This would, of course, happen for good reason; to call for the “eradication” of an entire race is blatantly racist.
In another instance, Crooks blamed Asian Americans for the violence being inflicted upon them by mostly black assailants. In one tweet, Gabby Crooks wrote: “let’s not brush under the rug the horrible anti-blackness present in a lot of Asian communities.” By doing so, Crooks is trying to excuse these horrific acts of violence against Asians. She also pushed the absurd lie that somehow 'white supremacy' is responsible for anti-Asian violence, even when committed by minorities.
Despite these remarks, Crooks has been endorsed by the First-Generation, Low-Income Partnership (FLIP) and the Editorial Board of the Stanford Daily. Neither organization has revoked its endorsement in light of her comments, nor have they even acknowledged them. We’d like to think that neither entity knew about Crooks’ statements when they endorsed her, but it’s very revealing that they haven’t reconsidered that decision after the statements came to light. Unfortunately, it seems that anti-white racism is not a disqualification for endorsement.
White students are about 30% of the Stanford undergraduate population, and Asians are about 25%. Given Crooks’ discriminatory views against two groups that make up over half of Stanford students, she cannot be trusted to represent all students.
Racism and bigotry from Stanford student “leaders” is not a new phenomenon. In 2016, sitting ASSU Senator Gabriel Knight perpetuated the centuries old antisemitic trope that Jews control the media, banking, and governmental institutions. In 2018, Resident Assistant Hamzeh Daoud threatened to “physically fight” Zionist students (overwhelmingly Jewish students, who support Israel as a Jewish State), and later was forced to resign from his position as a result. In 2019, ASSU Executive Candidate Kimiko Hirota was exposed for making a series of antisemitic tweets, including a retweet of the antisemetic website electronic intifada. Then, last year, ASSU Senator Mia Bahr stated that Jewish students who supported Israel should “choke.”
Crooks’ racist remarks are absolutely a violation of the Fundamental Standard. She advocated for “transparency and accountability” in her ASSU campaign. Now, she owes Stanford students some transparency and accountability. We deserve an explanation, and she needs to take responsibility for her words. She should, at the very least: apologize, drop out of the race for Senate, and resign from the ASSU. Her statements require a formal investigation by the Stanford Office of Community Standards, which enforces the Fundamental Standard. By promoting individuals like Gabby Crooks to student office, we legitimize the very incivility, racism, and bigotry we purport to oppose as Stanford students.
Ethan Sperla ‘23
President of the Stanford College Republicans
Sarah Olmstead ‘23
Internal Vice President of the Stanford College Republicans
