2008 Woodie Awards
Bigotry spawns cyclical ignorance
Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
What has unfolded over the past year in Jena, La. is shocking and outrageous-modern racism, who knew? But racism in this country is by far a thing of the past. Our parent's were likely the first generation to go through public schools that had at least been instructed to integrate, regardless if those instructions were actualized. In many cases, though, parts of our country are really no different than they were in 1954 when Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation illegal. Apathy and ignorance threaten that they will stay that way.
Racism is one of the most dangerous diseases in a population because it often foments undetected. Racism springs from the teachings of society, family, friends and personal experience. And it is fair to point out that it does not exist solely on the parts of whites, racial hatred often goes both ways until something as sad as nooses swinging from a tree serve to ignite the powder keg, and then there's no turning back.
We must emulate the Civil Rights movement in our actions today. The principles of non-violence, the bravery and organization of the activists, white and black alike, must serve as shining examples of what is possible: The human spirit at its strongest in the face of the human instinct at its ugliest. It is not unnatural per say, to wish to surround yourself with people who are like you. However, many of us would be surprised at the commonalities we share with those who seem so superficially different. There are constants in each of our lives, feelings and reactions that translate across time and language and race and culture. Hatred and fear are necessary parts of the human experience, but so are love and understanding. Often racism represents the easy choice and genuine self-reflection is the hardest.
Jena, La. has caught the attention of the nation. Suddenly activists are flocking to this town of less than 3,000 inhabitants and news stations are focusing in on the confusing actions of high school students, school administrators and the judicial process. The thing about it, though, is that there are hundreds of "Jenas" in this country. Page 2 of this issue presents an unrelated instance of brutal race-targeted violence. The front page brings a local perspective to the topic of race with comments from Trinity faculty and students.
Even if this coverage is your first taste of this particular story, it cannot be the first time you've come across its theme. Though you may have relegated racism to a subject dealt with in history class, news shows that the issue is current and that it is a worthwhile subject to recognize and combat today.
Racism is one of the most dangerous diseases in a population because it often foments undetected. Racism springs from the teachings of society, family, friends and personal experience. And it is fair to point out that it does not exist solely on the parts of whites, racial hatred often goes both ways until something as sad as nooses swinging from a tree serve to ignite the powder keg, and then there's no turning back.
We must emulate the Civil Rights movement in our actions today. The principles of non-violence, the bravery and organization of the activists, white and black alike, must serve as shining examples of what is possible: The human spirit at its strongest in the face of the human instinct at its ugliest. It is not unnatural per say, to wish to surround yourself with people who are like you. However, many of us would be surprised at the commonalities we share with those who seem so superficially different. There are constants in each of our lives, feelings and reactions that translate across time and language and race and culture. Hatred and fear are necessary parts of the human experience, but so are love and understanding. Often racism represents the easy choice and genuine self-reflection is the hardest.
Jena, La. has caught the attention of the nation. Suddenly activists are flocking to this town of less than 3,000 inhabitants and news stations are focusing in on the confusing actions of high school students, school administrators and the judicial process. The thing about it, though, is that there are hundreds of "Jenas" in this country. Page 2 of this issue presents an unrelated instance of brutal race-targeted violence. The front page brings a local perspective to the topic of race with comments from Trinity faculty and students.
Even if this coverage is your first taste of this particular story, it cannot be the first time you've come across its theme. Though you may have relegated racism to a subject dealt with in history class, news shows that the issue is current and that it is a worthwhile subject to recognize and combat today.
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