Mark Braboy
News Editor
For many African-Americans, the summer of 2013 was a major blow to the civil rights advancements we felt had been made. The repeal of the Voting Rights Act and George Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict for the killing of Trayvon Martin, brought home to many of us that the struggle continues.
In the midst of the healing process from these miscarriages of justice, last Friday we watched in disbelief as Michael Dunn was convicted of four out of the five charges against him, for the killing of 17 year old Jordan Davis, but was not convicted for the murder charge. Dunn, as you recall, shot into car full of teenagers over what he called ‘loud thug music.’ How is this not murder?
Still reeling from that, we learn on Monday of this week that the statue of James Meredith, the first black man to integrate the University of Mississippi, has been vandalized by two perpetrators draping a noose around the neck of the statue and draping a Georgia confederate flag around it.
It seems that the level of modern racism that was once subtle and ‘politically correct’ is evolving into a more blatant form of racism that if not checked, will fester and become worse.
It is infested throughout the mass media (i.e. the Richard Sherman “thug” fiasco), our judicial system (Zimmerman and Dunn), and is even creeping throughout social media, like the pictures posted of a white fraternity at the University of California at San Diego who celebrated Black History month by holding a party that promotes black stereotypes.
The university setting is supposed to be a place of critical thinking and a place where ideas for societal change often begin. However, the activism and awareness that used to be seen and expressed by college students has been replaced by an ugly and disturbing false sense of black elitism and narcissism among many in the student body at Jackson State. Not only that, it seems as if a lot of students are covered in a thick blanket of apathy, fear, and ignorance while living in the safety bubble of their comfort zones.
How many more racial assaults do we have to suffer in order for us to figure it out? We are living in a time where the racial barriers we have are only making the problem worse and telling black people to pull up their pants and turn down their music will only solve so much. The reality is that racism affects all of us.
All of this starts by creating the discussion of racism, no matter how volatile it may be.
In Jackson State’s new age of diversity, the university as a whole should make a stronger effort to raise issues about tolerance and to foster more cultural learning experiences and interactions.
JSU students, staff and faculty should work towards having honest conversations about race, social issues, tolerance and politics. This needs to happen soon, or the next assault could wind up hitting closer to home.
At the end of the day, racism and ignorance stem from people fearing what they do not understand.
Be First to Comment