By James M. Sye
It is my duty as President of the College Chapter of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, to inform the student body of a hate crime that has been brought to my attention. This incident was committed on the campus of U of L. It is certainly not the first incident of hate, but in true optimism, let’s hope that it is the last. The incident occurred Tuesday, September 25th at 1:30pm, in the Interfaith Center.
An African American student, who shall remain nameless upon request, was studying in the interfaith center with two Caucasian females. A Caucasian male dressed in army gear approached him. After a few seconds the Caucasian male reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of rope, which he then made into a hangman’s noose and began to taunt the African American student. Eventually the Caucasian male walked away without any further confrontation, but obviously the damage had already been done.
This act of racism truly saddens me as well as many other minorities on this campus. Unfortunately, this action only reinforces the views of an American society that has the tendency to oppress those who are not of the majority. At this current moment in American history everybody is claiming to be patriotic, but you will never see me wave an American flag, nor chant USA with any type of pride. How can I love a country that has enslaved, tortured, murdered, raped, and lynched my ancestors, and to this day continues to perpetuate racism.
As the world of bigotry has momentarily shifted its focus from African Americans, to those resembling in any way, shape or form of persons of Middle Eastern descent, we must not forget about our fellow minorities in this country. If you find yourself hating or discriminating against Arab Americans, then you find yourself hating and discriminating against all who have been judged simply because of the color of their skin. America has found itself on the brink of war trying to combat international terrorism, but we must not forget about the domestic struggle that all minorities are made to endure on a daily basis.
This act of ignorance that occurred on September 25th will forever be imprinted in my memory. It is a constant reminder that all African Americans must deal with racism in America. As I write this, I know there are people out there that refuse to believe racism still exists in America. My response to those who hold that belief, when is the last time you stopped to think about the constant struggle that African Americans go through in their lives? The struggle for respect, the struggle to be considered intellectually equal to our peers, the struggle to live our lives without being judged or harassed simply because of our skin color. Until one has experienced those struggles, then as an outsider looking in, one can never truly understand the frustration of an African American.
One of these days we will all put aside our differences, and decide to become one race, that being human, then and only then will I be proud to call myself a citizen of this nation. In all honesty I know that day is long from our grasp. Until that day comes, I will continue to pray that this nation will be totally eradicated of racism.
James M. Sye is a senior English major and the NAACP College Chapter President.
