2008 Woodie Awards
Communities react to modern racism
Trinity students voice their responses in light of recent racial issues, express their concerns
Adam Tutor
Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: News
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In light of the recent allegations of injustice in Jena, La., Trinity students and professors of all different races reflected on their life experiences in relation to racial segregation, and shared insight into how we as individuals, as well as a culture, deal with race in our everyday lives.
"People thought racial segregation was over after Brown vs. Board of Education," said Assistant Professor of History Carey Latimore. "They thought it was done after
the Civil Rights Movement."
According to Latimore, who is African American, segregation is far from being over.
"People have become satisfied with the status quo of racial segregation," Latimore said. "They have become happy with the way things are, based on the way they were."
Latimore said that even at his high school in Virginia in the 1990s, the school gymnasium was a visual split of black
and white, but no one cared because it was progress.
According to Latimore, it took something parallel to a Katrina hurricane for people to realize the obvious lines being drawn.
"If something doesn't smash us in the face, then we blow it off, pretend it doesn't exist," Latimore said.
According to Latimore, people too often have the attitude of, "Hey! This is over, we've dealt with it, so let's move on!" Latimore said he doesn't believe racism will ever be over.
"Race will always be there, at least in my lifetime," Latimore said.
Sophomore Nigel Robinson, who is African American and a member of the Black Student Union, said that being black hits home for him when he thinks of the Jena situation.
"The hardest thing for me is that I can't change someone's personal views about me based on my skin color," Robinson said. "What's bad is when people allow their stupidity to affect others."
According to Robinson, some people want to break others down through ignorance.
"It's frustrating," Robinson said, "but it's how you respond to it that can make or break you."
Robinson continued by talking of one time when he was in an elevator with an old lady, who, in the course of the ride, switched her purse to her other shoulder to protect it.
"People thought racial segregation was over after Brown vs. Board of Education," said Assistant Professor of History Carey Latimore. "They thought it was done after
the Civil Rights Movement."
According to Latimore, who is African American, segregation is far from being over.
"People have become satisfied with the status quo of racial segregation," Latimore said. "They have become happy with the way things are, based on the way they were."
Latimore said that even at his high school in Virginia in the 1990s, the school gymnasium was a visual split of black
and white, but no one cared because it was progress.
According to Latimore, it took something parallel to a Katrina hurricane for people to realize the obvious lines being drawn.
"If something doesn't smash us in the face, then we blow it off, pretend it doesn't exist," Latimore said.
According to Latimore, people too often have the attitude of, "Hey! This is over, we've dealt with it, so let's move on!" Latimore said he doesn't believe racism will ever be over.
"Race will always be there, at least in my lifetime," Latimore said.
Sophomore Nigel Robinson, who is African American and a member of the Black Student Union, said that being black hits home for him when he thinks of the Jena situation.
"The hardest thing for me is that I can't change someone's personal views about me based on my skin color," Robinson said. "What's bad is when people allow their stupidity to affect others."
According to Robinson, some people want to break others down through ignorance.
"It's frustrating," Robinson said, "but it's how you respond to it that can make or break you."
Robinson continued by talking of one time when he was in an elevator with an old lady, who, in the course of the ride, switched her purse to her other shoulder to protect it.
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