Okay it took me a long time to post this blog entry on progressiveu, but it started on November 28, 2007. So pretend like you're reading it then, as it starts with "This evening" and considering the blog title that says "tonight." I really did edit out a lot of ranting so it's not as long as it even should be. It's a long one, but so important... soooo happy reading.
This evening I attended the Auburn University Debate with Administration at the Haley Center. There were several faculty members on the panel, including the Dean of Students, Director of Parking & Transit Services, Associate Provost & VP for University Outreach, and the Associate Provost for Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, as well as the President of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. The President of Auburn University was expected to attend but at the last minute couldn't make it.
The things I am about to say could come across as offensive if you take it the wrong way so hear me out.
I walked into the auditorium that is Haley 2370 and immediately saw that about 90% of the people in the room were African American. The discussion started out promising enough. Everyone on the panel was introduced. The moderator started with the first topic: PARKING. She led the discussion with questions about the movement of parking lots, the transition to a pedestrian campus, and commuting.
The next topic was concern about the QUALITY OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES. A student had taken the microphone to express concern about a lack of social events organize specifically to be attractive to African American students. So that's how it all started...
The panel answered that campus organizations (like UPC) book entertainment that is most appealing to our age group. Clearly the University and campus organizations don't book a band specifically because it is a band that is amusing to white people. I mean, come on! What is that?
That topic broadened beyond entertainment to talk about the quality of life on campus for black students. Students are supposedly pushed into external communities. The panel answered that the biggest challenge here is spacing. There are hardly any venues for large gatherings. They went on to explain that the new coliseum and student center would be full of gathering space for any organization at Auburn University.
More questions followed about grad student cultural events, group funding, earmarked funds, Tiger Transit, Greek life, more parking, on and on and on but still everything continued this common theme of racism.
So let's go back to this "external community" point. I can understand why a minority group of students would want to gather together sometimes. I mean it just makes sense. It's a cultural thing and I can totally understand that. But if these students are going to walk up to the microphone at the front of this room and tell us that black students don't have anywhere to hang out on campus and that's problem, then I just can't follow anymore. Especially when later in discussion, the same students are asking what they can do to promote racial tolerance among students and how to get black and white Greeks to hold events together and even complaining about how they would be asked to leave some parties and events (not University events, of course). ARE YOU ON CRACK?! What year is this? Seriously! Okay so some people are raised racist. I'm not saying that they can't change that about themselves, but the way a person is brought up really makes a difference. But I can't remember ever holding an event or being invited to an event that was "White People Only!", and there would especially never be anything of this sort that was University supported. And now these students are turning around and saying "we don't understand why we can't have more 'Black People Only!' events"?!?!?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Is this a concern to the University at all? I HOPE NOT. Americans will never be rid of the color barrier until both sides look past it. I don't understand why we can't be just that. Americans. What year is this? I really thought we were closer to getting that out of the way, and yet the only students that attended this discussion were African American students who want to be treated the same as white students... but with benefits.
At one point the Tiger Transit discussion transitioned into a discussion about Greek organizations when one African American female approached the microphone to tell a story that really made me sick. There is a fraternity house with a Transit stop out front. This young lady innocently approached the bus stop, as any student would. She was standing and waiting for the Transit when half a dozen white boys came out of the fraternity house and walked toward the street. Upon approaching the stop, some disgusting words came out of the mouth of one of these boys: "Get off of our grass, n*****." My mouth dropped. How dare they. HOW DARE THEY. Not only is it NOT their grass, there is never EVER a reason to say such nasty, profane, and racist things. As any woman would when alone and threatened, she did what they said and left. So far, I'm with her. I'm shocked and disgusted. I am outraged. But then the panel asked exactly where and when this happened. She named the street corner and told the panel that this event had occurred THREE YEARS AGO. What?!?!?!?! Again, I am shocked. She went on to say that she had heard of similar events happening in front of the same frat house to other African American students. Are you kidding me? Such a terrible event happened to this girl and she hasn't said anything to anyone but her friends for THREE YEARS?! Is she serious??? And the authorities she finally tells are on this panel. The rule makers, if anything. NOT the enforcers. If you feel threatened, do not hesitate to call the police. AND THEN find out who is in charge of this particular Greek house, and have them DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Right then! Before it happens to another innocent person.
There are those who commit wrong, and those who witness wrong and don't do anything about it.
The moderator ended the discussion by reminding all of us that we have access to all of these people's phone numbers and more. She concluded with these words, "The biggest catalysts for change are students. Do not suffer in silence."
Some of these people certainly have allowed themselves to suffer in silence. Some of these people don't see that their problems are only problems because they actually believe the world is against them. Some of these people are just plain whiny. Most of these people are waiting for others to make change when the changes that really need to be made can be changed by them. Stop being lazy and afraid. Stand up before your classmates and community members and be the one to say what needs to be said. Stop expecting everyone else to do it for you.
I hope I haven't offended anyone and I hope everyone realizes how offended I was to have students walk up to the front of that auditorium and accuse me of ignorant racism simply because I am white and middle-class. (Yes, really. White, middle-class students in general were specifically targeted. There was nothing about just describing the people who had offended these students before. It was basically that white middle-class students are a hopeless cause in the fight against racism. I'm not exaggerating.)
I'm not on your side. I'm not on their side. I've given up the war and crossed not into tolerance, but into love and joy.
We all wanna be loved.
We all want just a little respect.
We all wanna be loved.
Tell me what's wrong with that.
-"Wanna Be Loved"- dc Talk
Love unprejudiced,
Lauren Elisabeth
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