A window into discussions at Kent State University. Interesting... Peter
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: CLNews: SpN! Some Thoughts on Race, Difference, and
Discrimination
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:25:01 -0400
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----- Original Message -----
*From:* Austin McCoy <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*Sent:* Thursday, October 18, 2007 11:10 PM
*Subject:* SpN! Some Thoughts on Race, Difference, and Discrimination
My friend Kristen Traynor asked me to respond to a few questions for a
paper for class. I thought, in light of the recent developments in
American race relations, that I would distribute my responses to
continue the conversation. Beware, its pretty long. Wouldn't you expect
anything less of me?
1. What was your reaction to the Jena Six situation?
The Jena Six affair just reinforced the polarization of the American
public regarding the issues of race and difference. On one hand there
are many people who believe the young men deserved to be punished just
because they committed this act. On the other hand, there are many
people, like myself, who believe that one cannot observe this issue in a
vacuum. Yes, the act was inappropriate. But, the altercation was the
culmination of prior events and the missed and botched opportunities of
the Jena community to adequately respond to the heightened racial
tension. Again, in this case, it would have been best for the kids not
to resort to violence, but who can say how easy it would have been to do
so in that type of atmosphere? The nooses were hung to warn black youth
about sitting underneath a tree. A group of black kids were charged with
a crime when they were confronted by an armed white male. Also, a young
black and white male got into a physical altercation the weekend before
the actual incident. And what was the community response? The noose
incident was dismissed as a prank. The prosecutor threatened to end
people's lives with the stroke of a pen. The young black men were
arrested for theft after they had disarmed the young white male who
confronted them with a firearm. Just like many of the participants in
the Watts Rebellion of 1965, if justice continues to be denied, or a
particular group continues to receive a disproportionate amount of the
blame, they lose faith in the system and begin to act on their own
behalf. In this case, and unfortunately, the young black men responded
violently. Then they were charged as adults when they should not have
been. I think it's very unfortunate.
Yet, despite my disappointment of how it was handled by those in the
Jena community who did not think much of the mounted racial tension, it
was great to see the many activists, especially radio personality
Michael Baisden, as well as the concerned citizens in Jena highlight
America's historical problem of effectively addressing the race
question. Many people in this country believe that race does not matter
since the passage of civil rights legislation and affirmative action
policies during the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, in spite of
these gains, the exposure of black affluence in popular culture, and the
limited contact between middle-class whites and blacks in certain
communities and other public institutions, race and difference continue
to shape the diverse realities of all Americans. Many people still base
their potential encounters or views of different people on limiting and
negative stereotypes. In places thought to be more liberal like
Columbus, Ohio, I've been followed in plenty of stores. Some white
people look at me funny if my spoken language is not filled with the
latest slang or if my pants are not hanging low enough.
This situation has also highlighted the problems of our criminal
injustice system. Since the repression of the black power organizations
and the "War on Drugs" during the 1970s and 1980s, black, Latino, and
poor whites have been negatively affected by unfair sentencing
practices. The rates of incarceration among young black men and women,
however, have been higher than their Latino and poor white counterparts.
Hopefully, people follow up their efforts shown during the massive
protest by expanding this into a national issue.
2. Do you feel that some people feel more open to express their
prejudices now in light of the incident?
It's possible. Based upon recent racially charged incidents and rumors
here in Kent and the highly publicized noose hanging incident at
Columbia University, it could be argued that the nooses hung on the tree
in Jena were a calling card for those who may want to intimidate black
and other peoples of color. Another issue is that people who want to
express these views feel justified, not just by their
self-righteousness, but by their disagreement with various aspects of
hip hop/urban culture. Many whites and blacks feel their beliefs are
warranted because they think many black and urban youth aspire to a life
of crime, indiscriminately saying the "n" word, and/or disparage black
(all) women.
And while some of this may occur within some black and urban
communities, critics want to project their limited vision of hip
hop/urban culture (and race consciousness) onto all of black Americans.
This is the problem. No one wants to take neither hip hop nor the
benefits that race consciousness has had for black Americans and other
peoples of color in our country seriously. Violence, misogyny,
homophobia, and crime were present in the United States before hip hop.
Those are American problems. Many black Americans, not all, have
retained a sense of race consciousness and dignity due to the constant
threat of negative stereotypes, inequity, racial indifference and
intimidation. Race consciousness is not meant to be synonymous with
racial superiority.
In addition, no one wants to discuss how the historical backdrop in
which many of these problems in the inner-city has developed. These
conditions were produced during the early and mid twentieth centuries,
not in a conspiratorial fashion, but through decades of federal and
state action which negatively affected black communities. The suburbs,
the ghettos, and the lack of opportunities within the urban
neighborhoods were created by both informal discriminatory practices
(white flight, unspoken housing covenants, white resistance to
neighborhood integration) and formal, seemingly "race-neutral" policies
(Discrimination in the acquisition of FHA mortgages, urban renewal,
highway/freeway construction, unequal education funding as a result of
the capital flight), not just through a group of people making bad
decisions. Yes, personal responsibility is important, but it is only
part of the solution.
We need a comprehensive plan. We need programs that ask everyone to
seriously question how these conditions arose as well as one that asks
inner-city populations to take the initiative and spearhead the effort.
Underrepresented groups need a seat at the table and it's important that
they realize that it is their responsibility to sit in the chair. But if
we give them a chair with two legs, while ours have four, then how do we
expect them to want to sit at the table? If you give them a regular
chair and other people are sitting on a throne, then what do you expect
to happen? They are going to do whatever it takes to buy a chair with
four legs, or try to buy a larger throne to keep up—even if it means
dealing drugs within their own in their communities.
3. Have you been to one of the Kent State Anti-Racism Coalition meetings
or do you plan on attending?
Yes, I had the pleasure of attending the first meeting. It was nice to
have a frank discussion about race for once. I would not say that we all
had the same views about race and racism, but if we can identify
particular goals to achieve, then we do not have to totally agree. We
just have to make sure we are open to each other's differences in
opinion and respect the unique experiences of all groups of people. But
I'm thankful that some concerned students and faculty decided to form
this group. I really admire all of them for wanting to take on such a
big and complicated issue.
4. Do you think that groups like this are important to have on campus?
Yes, these groups are important to have everywhere. It's like I was
telling someone earlier, we all need to learn to think of issues of
race, gender, class, sex, disability, and difference in more nuanced
ways. I think too many of us begin to think we know all there is to know
about these categories and the experiences of different groups of
people. Sometimes we become complacent and too self-righteous. My
thoughts about race now are not the same as they were when I was in high
school, my first years in college, and while I was at OSU. So, if I'm
aware of these changes, then why do we continue to view these categories
as fixed? The meanings and implications of these categories change every
time there is a public development. People seem to forget—once the civil
rights legislation and affirmative action policies were passed, the
critics were already planning to combat it. Their plans to slow down or
reverse these policies were being put into motion as the Supreme Court
ruled in Brown v. Board, when Dr. King was giving his "I Have a Dream"
speech, and when President Johnson signed that legislation. If there is
going to be a new antiracist movement, then the participants have to be
ready to constantly act and react.
And only once we begin to think of these categories as dynamic and
shifting, then we can really begin to think of pursuing a real human
rights agenda. But if we do not, and we only seek to only erase
difference/s in favor of the "we are all human" approach, then it is
possible that many people of color, social classes, religious faiths,
genders, sexual orientations, and other marginalized groups may only
think of this as a self-righteous action, a program that resembles 18th,
19th, and 20th century missionary program out to extend "civilization"
into regions of the African and Asian continents. We need approaches
that reflect the complexities of real life, not a "human rights"
imperialism that only muzzles the historical and present experiences of
different groups of people.
5. Do you think it's important to start a dialogue about racism on
campus (Kent State)? If so why?
I think so, because it seems that individuals within the
administration—even the president—believe that taking down a sign, a
mass email, and some sort of investigation of an incident constitutes
justice and closure (Someone had spray painted a racial epithet on a
sign near the Student Recreation Center on the weekend of September 25.
For more information see story: "BUS Addresses Racial Tensions
<http://media.www.kentnewsnet.com/media/storage/paper867/news/2007/10/03/News/Bus-Addresses.Racial.Tensions-3007457.shtml>.") While
it was obviously wrong do not forget to think about where this was spray
painted. I wonder if the people responsible would have spray painted
something like that on a library sign.) This is just sweeping the dirt
back beneath the rug. Yes, the perpetrators should be punished. But the
powers that be have to ensure an environment where these acts are never
repeated. They have to also act like a university is supposed to act and
preserve the right of groups like the Black United Students (BUS) to
have agency and address the situation in a manner they see fit, because
the group in question has to have a chance to help remove the dirt from
the house. If they are not allowed this chance, then they really don't
have a seat at the table. And if the group does not get a chance to use
the broom or sit at the table, then they may flip over the table, hit
you with the broomstick, and burn down the house.
See my answer above for more regarding this question. I do not want to
repeat myself.
6. As someone with a master's degree in African and African American
Studies and a concentration on civil rights, how do you feel the issue
should be addressed on campus?
First, I would like to say that many groups—the university NAACP, Black
United Students, Save the World, the Antiracist coalition, as well as
black and white students, faculty, and staff, have been trying to
address this issue for a long time. But, generically speaking, the first
step is dialogue. And the conversation cannot just include everyone who
may roughly agree. It is important to create a safe discussion where
people who disagree are invited to explain their views. Consequently, we
need to create a situation where someone is not just going to be branded
a "racist" for their views. Granted, one may think some of the critics
may have "racist" views, but putting them on the defensive will not
help, it's just going to create a tough situation where affecting
positive change will be difficult. Now, of course, if a critic is just
trying to be hurtful, disrespectful, inconsiderate, and narrow-minded
then they should be addressed. That is just result of someone trying to
assume some sort of power or superiority. But if the person is just
truly inexperienced when it comes to these issues, then we should try to
raise their awareness. But, again, the age-old question remains, "How do
we do so?" I'm not exactly sure, I just know it is hard work.
Second, a comprehensive plan of action needs to be outlined. This is
where the different groups and individuals can decide which aspect of
the problem to tackle and how. It shouldn't be assumed that BUS will use
the same tactics to tackle the same problem as the antiracist coalition.
Issues of race and difference are too complicated and some aspects are
better suited for particular groups to address. Many white students know
they will have to disrupt the behind the scenes racial talk and bring it
out into the open. Many black students know they will have to assert
their will and address instances of racism and proclaim their opposition
to it. They will also have the daunting task of communicating their
experiences to others while maintaining their position as individual and
not a representative of their race. But, no matter what type of action
and the identity of the participant, there just has to be flexible
action. This action needs to be both interracial and intra-racial.
Simultaneously, due to the unique realities of all groups, people need
to be aware and respectful of the possibilities where particular groups
should assert their own agency. And in the process, we'll have to tackle
a variety of general issues, violence, sexism, homophobia, etc., in
order to disarm those who only want to blame the people for their plight.
But again, this is not assuming that a lot of this work has not been
done, because many people at Kent State have been doing the hard work of
organizing.
7. Could you tell me a little about the incident with the News Journal
article about your speech? Did the reaction change your views about the
wider society or make you more aware of the difficulties that still have
to be faced today?
When I was at The Ohio State University at Mansfield, I always
participated in the Black History Month Celebration by planning and
presenting speeches. Last year I discussed oppression in its many forms:
racism, sexism, violence and child abuse, etc. I highlighted some
instances of racism in America, American prostitution (the "pimp
culture" many like to glorify) the underground slave trade in the U.S.
and abroad, convict labor in the U.S., U.S. immigration policy, the Iraq
War, and child soldiers in Uganda. I used some of the later thoughts of
Dr. King to illustrate how civil rights extended beyond American borders.
Consequently, when the article about it ran in the newspaper (News
Journal) I was heavily criticized for choosing the topic of oppression
for a black history month speech. Apparently, many of the message board
members assumed that I was just discussing white on black oppression in
the United States. Because (and this is sarcastic), aren't we (black
people) only concerned with blaming the "white man" for our problems?
Shouldn't we start thinking for ourselves, like Bill O'Reilly alluded
to, and not follow the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons who are only
leading us down the path to an essential race-based society? But, in
fact, I was discussing many aspects of global oppression and I tried to
from the stance of the victim. At the same time, I also discussed how it
related to black history month. It was a shame because it seemed that
many people just projected what they thought about race and racism onto
that story. One person was posting white supremacist articles about how
black Americans should be thankful for what western Europeans (whites)
have done for us through slavery and what not. I also received some
backhanded compliments like, "I'm glad you're pursuing your master's
degree, I just hope you do not turn into a Jesse Jackson and Al
Sharpton." I was thinking, "What does that mean?" People were also
comparing me to Bill Cosby. I had no idea where that was coming from.
What else is ironic is that, although I respect their past
contributions, I do not totally agree with all Jackson and Sharpton's
views or courses of action. We need group-based leadership, not the
one-person, male, figurehead.
But I think their negative responses were indicative of the amount of
Americans who truly believe they know all there needs to know about
issues of race and difference. Instead of asking questions, they made
and acted upon their assumptions. Sometimes it was insensitive and other
times it was just plain racist. But one could tell they passively
consumed and drew conclusions from a 650-1000 word newspaper article and
some quotes instead of really trying to find out the contents of my
talk. I was available for questions. But, there's a catch. I have a
certain policy of only answering sincere people. I do not engage those
who just want to criticize anyone because they may have different
opinions or for the sake of it. There is too much going on in the world
to worry about that, and that type of response only reinforces and
encourages disrespect in our country. But, I'm not afraid of what
someone is going to do or say because of that situation. As long as I
have friends and family to support me in what I want to accomplish then
I'm fine. None of us can afford to stoop to the level of name calling
and disrespect. It will not do much to improve race relations and it
will only serve to become hurtful sound bites in the future.
--
Austin C. McCoy
Spirit of the Nation!, LLC
Phone (419) 564-1564
- www.spiritofthenation.org <http://www.spiritofthenation.org> -
lets get free...
_______________________________________________
Mellon Myers Undegraduate Fellowship Program at Macalester (http://macmmuf.org)
[email protected]
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html
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