The whole of February we will be celebrating Black history and what it means to be black, in its entirety. The entire history of a people, all relegated into one month.
The various black students organizations and student development have a series of events planned to celebrate Black History Month. While this is a very commendable thing to do, so much is left to be done. The black student organizations at MSU still have a lot of work to do to raise awareness for people of color in the school.
The only time I see or hear about them around campus is when they have talent shows, some recreational event and during Black History Month. I have no qualms with those events, and I like to attend when I have the time because they are fun to watch and I have a good time. My problem is it seems we are losing touch with the main objectives these organizations were established for in the first place.
Last year notable events happened that sparked several outbursts from people of color in the United States and even abroad. The failure of the American judicial system to not indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who fatally shot Micheal Brown at least six times and the officers who choked Eric Garner to death. In response, students from universities all over the country organized peaceful demonstrations to show that we certainly do not live in a post-racial society. Most schools, that is, except MSU.
I heard not a single word from the Black Student Union or the campus NAACP. No peaceful protests were made, not even a statement was issued. Nothing was done, and it was like those events never happened. We might have these conversations on a smaller scale around the dinner table, but these conversations need to be held on a larger platform.
I’m talking about holding seminars, inviting notable African American speakers to give speeches at our school, all year round.
Most of the African Americans I see here at MSU would instead engage in baseless conversations that do nothing to better the situation of the Black man or woman in the United States. It is important that we are actively involved in the events that happen around the country all year round, not only during Black History Month. African Americans should make conscious efforts to learn about their history and how it affects what is going on in the United States.
I am not American, but I am a person of color, so that makes me automatically involved in the issues concerning race relations in the United States.
Also, a common misconception that many Africans have is they are somehow exempt from America’s racial issues since statistically they tend to be better off economically and live in better neighborhoods than African-Americans, and because of that, the chances of us becoming involved in police brutality is much lower. What advocates of this opinion do not take into consideration is the fact that a cop would not stop to ask you if you are African or African-American.
I have two brothers who live in the United States. I fear every day that they might be subjects of police brutality and racial profiling. I want to live in a country where I can raise sons who I wouldn’t have to teach to be afraid of the cops.
The black student organizations on campus should step up to the task and make full use of the opportunities provided by the university allowing students to assemble before an audience. We should not have Black History Month at MSU, we should have Black History Year.
