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Students need to see both sides of the issue
As I sat in my lounge in Douglas Hall, I overlooked the crowd of cheering supporters (mostly African-Americans) who came out to Central Park rallying for the cause of the Jena 6 and also watching the pledging process of a black fraternity. It dawned on me then that I was not only in America, the land of the free, but also the land of social injustice.
I am an African from Nigeria. When I arrived in this country two years ago, my hopes of streets of gold and spirits of mutual happiness were shattered by the end of my first 24 hours here.
Over the course of the past two years, my secondary school lessons on racism in America would play out like a well-edited tape. The incident on Thursday night was one of those moments that helped me, as a foreigner, fully comprehend the extent of racial tensions in this country.
As the group below cheered on, the white residents in my lounge screamed funny things (not racist) from above. It was interesting to experience this event from my vantage point at 7:50 p.m., Thursday.
As I observed both groups, looking down to Central Park and periodically looking around at my floor-mates, I wondered, what ever happened to the notion of color-blindness?
The Jena 6 incident is one of few that have grasped the media’s attention and has instigated bouts of protests around the country. Bear in mind that with amplifiers sharpened by centuries of slavery and injustice, every inconsiderate word sounds like a racial slur and every admonition, like misunderstanding.
So it wasn’t a surprise when screams of “get off my lawn,” which emanated from a few callous ones on my floor, were translated into a slew of racial slurs that some of the protesters accused the floor of saying.
Between the second those words were uttered and the next five minutes that elapsed, an ambush of African-American ralliers ran up to the floor, supposedly coming to start a fight.
To the African-American youth of NIU:
I say, don’t forget your roots. Though the tide of injustice may be fast-flowing, hold on tight and fight the right fight.
The right fight is not the fight of anger and frustration, neither is it the fight of yelling and threatening to beat up fellow students. It is the fight of non-violent persistence. Remember MLK and look to his leadership.
You can’t fight the system with sticks and stones! You have to speak a language the system understands: E-DU-CA-TION!
So, instead of pulling one-night “I’ll beat you up” gigs to try and gain popularity, channel that energy toward your school work. Instead of the clubs you frequent almost every night of the week (you know who you are), spend two or three of them studying.
Look to the leadership of Oprah, Senator Obama and Secretary Rice. They are the ones whose educated voices would be heard after the tides drown the minority non-entities.
To the white youth of NIU:
I say, be considerate. Most of you have had life easy. Most of you acquired high school education that was both paid for by the government and supplemented with lush real-estate taxes.
So perhaps, you do not understand what life in the lower socio-economic class can be like. Neither do you bear the scars of segregation and suppression.
Please try and understand the struggle of the black community as much as you can, make it your struggle, too.
In conclusion, kids, instead of rallying violently only to be the talk of the town, quit the popularity contest and get to your books.
Be well, all. Peace.
Nma Winnie Okafor
Sophomore, accountancy
» Next Opinion Article: Students need to be responsible in considering getting a pet
This article is not only full of stereotypes, but is hypocritical as well.
Starting with the stereotypes, this article is full of them. It calls out black students for clubbing constantly, “Instead of the clubs you frequent almost every night of the week spend two or three of them studying”, and calls out white students, “Most of you have had life easy. Most of you acquired high school education that was both paid for by the government and supplemented with lush real-estate taxes”. As a white student at NIU I was shocked, appalled and deeply offended by the “most of you have had life easy” statement. This statement is racist in every sense of the word. I consider myself to be open to all opinions, and I am willing to agree with something as long as it has legs to stand on. However, this article has no sensible logic behind it, only a dissection of an event that happened at the author’s dormitory.
In an attempt to quell racial tensions, the author merely speculates and makes broad generalizations. She also specifically identifies blacks and whites, and gives them orders as to what can be done to “cure racism”. There is no one cure to racism, I feel only time, compromise and understanding between races will ultimately end racism for the most part. As long as there are stereotypes, which this article is full of, and masses living up to those stereotypes there will always be racism.
The “advice” this author gives to blacks and whites disgusts me. Starting with the advice to “To the African-American youth of NIU”, the author tells you to not forget your roots and to fight using non-violent persistence. Before and after mentioning “the fight of non-violent persistence” the author says to “hold on tight and fight the right fight”, and “You can’t fight the system with sticks and stones”. How can you give orders of non-violent persistence when all you do is talk about different fights? The statement “fight of non-violent persistence” is laughable in itself. The advice to not forget your roots is also a poor advice. If we look at our roots regarding racism as a country, we see slavery and extreme segregation that is now only beginning to heal. I think we all should forget our roots as a nation, and just restart with the statement “all men were created equal”.
A summary of the advice given to the white youth of NIU would read, “you’ve been handed everything your whole life and therefore should have nothing to complain about, so please be considerate to everyone else”. You can’t really get a much broader stereotype than calling out all white people and saying they’ve had easy lives.
To conclude, this article is hurtful, wrong, hypocritical, ill-informed, stereotypical, and racist. Please do not heed the author’s advice, but use your own logic to come up with intelligent ideas for what can be done to quell racism.
Starting with the stereotypes, this article is full of them. It calls out black students for clubbing constantly, “Instead of the clubs you frequent almost every night of the week spend two or three of them studying”, and calls out white students, “Most of you have had life easy. Most of you acquired high school education that was both paid for by the government and supplemented with lush real-estate taxes”. As a white student at NIU I was shocked, appalled and deeply offended by the “most of you have had life easy” statement. This statement is racist in every sense of the word. I consider myself to be open to all opinions, and I am willing to agree with something as long as it has legs to stand on. However, this article has no sensible logic behind it, only a dissection of an event that happened at the author’s dormitory.
In an attempt to quell racial tensions, the author merely speculates and makes broad generalizations. She also specifically identifies blacks and whites, and gives them orders as to what can be done to “cure racism”. There is no one cure to racism, I feel only time, compromise and understanding between races will ultimately end racism for the most part. As long as there are stereotypes, which this article is full of, and masses living up to those stereotypes there will always be racism.
The “advice” this author gives to blacks and whites disgusts me. Starting with the advice to “To the African-American youth of NIU”, the author tells you to not forget your roots and to fight using non-violent persistence. Before and after mentioning “the fight of non-violent persistence” the author says to “hold on tight and fight the right fight”, and “You can’t fight the system with sticks and stones”. How can you give orders of non-violent persistence when all you do is talk about different fights? The statement “fight of non-violent persistence” is laughable in itself. The advice to not forget your roots is also a poor advice. If we look at our roots regarding racism as a country, we see slavery and extreme segregation that is now only beginning to heal. I think we all should forget our roots as a nation, and just restart with the statement “all men were created equal”.
A summary of the advice given to the white youth of NIU would read, “you’ve been handed everything your whole life and therefore should have nothing to complain about, so please be considerate to everyone else”. You can’t really get a much broader stereotype than calling out all white people and saying they’ve had easy lives.
To conclude, this article is hurtful, wrong, hypocritical, ill-informed, stereotypical, and racist. Please do not heed the author’s advice, but use your own logic to come up with intelligent ideas for what can be done to quell racism.