Over the past few years, racial tension has spun out of control in the nation. For example, African American students at Missouri State University were terrorized by Caucasian students who threatened their safety, and a girl who was forcibly dragged and flung out of her seat.
Also, countless people have died in cop related instances. Such as, Sandra Bland, who mysteriously died while in a holding cell. These discriminatory acts seem to be centered around African Americans.
Issac McIver, president of Black Student Union, admitted that he has experienced discrimination here on campus.
He has expressed that his views are his own and not a representation of the club.
McIver stated, “I spent years in Queer Straight Alliance, constantly hearing racial slurs, black jokes and general ignorance from a group of people constantly being victimized.
“In most of these situations I remained silent because when I chose to voice my opinion, I was dismissed. In the beginning, I felt insecure and worthless. I felt my skin, my culture and who I was, was less than,” he said.
Some people have pointed out that the division between African Americans and Caucasians exists due to the fact that African Americans segregate themselves.
For example, actress Stacy Dash, recently did an interview with Fox news. Dash explained that, “We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration.
And if we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards where you’re only awarded if you’re black. If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard,” she said.
According to McIver, he believes that racism has been around since the beginning of time and the fact that people choose to believe that racism is a thing of the past is just absurd.
Taitu Negus, undecided major, had similar views to McIver. She stated, “America was built around a social construct that favored White-Anglo Saxon [people of European decent] over any other human.
“Even though this country was built and founded by people of color.”
Negus expressed that she hasn’t personally experienced any discrimination on campus. But, she recalls a time when her teacher referred to a character in a movie in a racially joking manner.
Negus explained how her teacher referred to an African American woman dressed in white with a head dress on singing, and her professor called the woman “Aunt Jemimah.”
Aunt Jemimah is a character on a syrup bottle that is sold in groceries stores across America. But Jemimah’s past isn’t void of racism.
According to fortune.com, “The marketing of Aunt Jemima came of age in an era when middle-class housewives were not able to employ black maids as easily as they once did. The ads targeted the nostalgia for those earlier days.”
She stated, “I was disgusted with the comment because first of all Aunt Jemimah is a fictional character on a syrup bottle.”
Many celebrities have decided to take a stand and support efforts to put an end to racial division.
For example, Beyonce performed her new song during the half time show honoring the famous Black Panthers movement, and the culture of African Americans.
Although the times of slavery, exclusion and segregation for African Americans has ended, the line of racial division still stands today.
