By Katie Walker
The diversity of the United States populace has always been a source of friction. Throughout our nation’s history, some segments of American society have sought to exclude people who differ from themselves in income, race, gender, political beliefs, religion, or sexual orientation. Perhaps the biggest issue facing U of L students and staff lately has been racism. We all know racism is still very prevalent in today’s society-there’s no question about that. But how have discrimination and prejudices changed since Abraham Lincoln issued his infamous Emancipation Proclamation? Have they changed at all? Obviously, we’ve done away with racial segregations and Jim Crow laws, but are we still the close-minded, intolerant bigots we were one hundred and fifty years ago?
Freshman graphic design major Dick Beal comments, “I think our attitudes toward (people of a different race) have changed drastically since the Civil War. I went to an ethnically diverse high school, and especially now that I’m here at U of L, I can see that tolerance has grown for different cultures, religions, whatever. Interacting with peers [who are a little] different from yourself provide you with a greater understanding of where they come from. You realize that guy in your English class is just like you, except maybe his skin is a different color.”
Jennie Secor, a junior marketing major, disagrees slightly. “Nowadays, racism is a state of mind, an attitude-it’s how you deal with things. Sure, physical segregations have changed, but our minds, in a sense, are still exactly the same. We’ve almost developed a special Ôsoavery.
Junior sociology major Ursula Russell says, “Being of African-American descent, I’ve seen racism firsthand. The problem is, you don’t know who doesn’t like you. There are people who pretend they’re okay with you, but they still make offensive comments and ask stupid questions.”
Americans tend to think in terms of a biracial, separated society, even though we’ve all built these United States together, our family histories are often intermixed, and we share many of the same beliefs and customs. Yet the idea of racial difference – of superiority and inferiority – still provides the basis for our social divisions. Despite our differences, we all have to realize that our diversity has always been, and will always be, one of our distinguishing characteristics. The many melodies of American culture have not always been harmonious, but we do struggle to achieve tolerance. Our culture is rich, complex, and unique. Embrace it and each other.
