Vickey Williams
Guest Writer
“The most fundamental question in black history is: What does it mean to be human?,” said Cornel West after receiving what he called the ‘best introduction ever by the MADDRAMA Performance Troupe.
West gave a compelling speech to an overzealous crowd of thousands at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011.
“We researched Cornel West and his past and we combined those points and we tried to put some emotional points in there to kind of move the crowd because we knew it was a big crowd,” said Tiffany R. Williams, a junior theater major from Shreveport, La. and member of MADDRAMA. “That was a life changing moment for me. I’ve never personally met someone on that level and to be able to introduce him was a momentus occasion in my life and my acting career.”
Edwin Quinn, executive director for administrative and financial operations for the Office of Student Life, said the event was initially supposed to be in the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium, but because of the overwhelming responses received, the event had to be moved to the AAC to accommodate the anticipated crowd.
During the event, West talked about the history of African-Americans and his admiration for how they have overcome and persevered.
“When I come to Mississippi, I am especially humble because I know the history of the hell that you all caught and the hell of some of our brothers and sisters of all colors disproportionately on the chocolate side of town are still catching. Beause if you are talking about black history, you are talking about a people who have been terrorized and traumatized and stigmatized.”
West also stated that stigma is an institutionalized hatred and no one can talk about black history without talking about the ways black people have been bombarded for four hundred years. This hatred, he stated, takes on different forms, including self-hatred.
“Too many of us believe the vicious legacy of white supremacy inside the souls of black people where you don’t even need white brothers and sisters to be around to see white supremacy operating. Just look deep enough inside of our souls and you’ll see the way in which we disrespect each other; demean each other; distrust each other and put each other down. Because for so long we have been taught to hate ourselves,” said West.
He believes that the same love that sustains Blacks is needed to fight hatred, but first it needs to start with blacks within themselves.
“I know I am who I am because somebody loved me; somebody cared for me; somebody coached me; somebody compensated me and that is the wind at my back. And when you’re talking about Black history, you’re talking about icons in some museum that people commemorate every year in the shortest month of the year,” said West.
West added that Black history is about more than those we celebrate, it is about family and learning to appreciate your ancestors.
“You have to look back in order to look forward. You have to connect the three dimensions of time; the past, the present and the future.”
West stated that he believes that youth need to have courage to learn how to stand against negativity from birth, decide who they are going to be and what they are going to do with their lives.
“The fundamental question is who are you going to be in the move from your mama’s womb to the tomb? You’re not here that long. I tell my students when they enter my class, ‘you have entered my class to learn how to die in order to learn how to live’…To philosophize is to learn how to die… He or she who learns how to die must learn slavery.”
West encouraged students to actively engage in social awareness.
“We got to get our young folks to learn how to stand, to be courageous, to be proactive, to raise the different questions about themselves and society… Learn how to stand and think what it took for black people with two hundred and forty-four years of white supremacist hate, to stand,” said West.
He added: “Black people wrestled with social injustice, who had no control of land or territory; no rights or liberties whatsoever; no control over our bodies; our bodies economically exploited, our precious women violated, raped, fornicated. Systematically what did black people do? They stole away at night and they lifted their voices just like the anthem, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’ I tell people that when I see too many echos. I don’t hear enough voices.”
West also stated that he fears Black history will be lost with this generation.
“And this might be the generation that we lose a fraction of black history if our young people don’t step up to the plate and recognize that they’re part of a race…a struggle for freedom.”
However, some students in attendance did not agree with his assumption.
“I disagree that Black History will get lost in our generations time because the essence of Black History has several advantages, and to an extent, Carter G. Woodson’s hopes were realized,” said Michael Barksdale, a senior social work major from Chicago, Ill.” Black history forces us to say what kind of human beings we are going to be in America or in the world or anywhere else.”
West concluded with a call to the students.
“I don’t want to see optimistic Black people because you’ll be optimistic about your present situation and I want you to be prisoners of hope. Don’t confuse hope with optimism. Hope has to do with something bigger than you. It lures you, it’s like the key that’s inside of you. It allows you to leave everything behind. It’s something that claims you. It’s the difference between an ideal and an image.”
He added: “Don’t tell me what your plan is. Don’t tell me what your image is. Tell me what your ideals are. Tell me what you’re willing to live for. Tell me what you’re willing to die for. That’s the face of black history.”
