By Sara Stitch
I’m writing this column in the afterglow of one of the most rewarding things I’ve done since I’ve been at this university: I went to an NAACP diversity workshop. Admittedly, since I’ve skewered several of our black campus leaders in previous articles in response to actions I disagreed with, I was more than a bit nervous about attending a workshop run by some of those very individuals. So, I scrounged up some friends to come with me: several members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. That’s right, TKEs, the root of last semester’s racial discord. Suffice it to say that we felt like the odd group out as we arrived.
Four and a half hours later, as we left the Red Barn, it was a different story entirely.
The workshop was run by Dr. Alvin Herring, who opened by teaching us a Zulu greeting. The first phrase, “Sawu bona,” meant “I see you,” and the response, “Sikhona,” meant “I am here.” Sound odd? Yes, but for the 75 or so students there, it was a very apt opening to the next several hours, which were spent working together, learning from each other, and breaking through the barriers of politeness and fear. We saw each other. We were there. And in some small way, we made a difference. By the end of the night, I stood in front of the audience in a group with the presidents of TKE and the NAACP, presenting a list of ideas we’d come up with for improving the situation on campus. Hours earlier, we’d all felt some animosity toward each other, and I’m sure there’s a long way to go before we truly earn each others’ respect, but we’d taken the first step. We saw each other. We were there.
Dr. Herring also taught us the Zulu word “Ubuntu,” which has no literal translation, but which he explained as meaning “We are people because of other people.” Think about that for a while before you keep reading.
And now, my question is this: where the hell were YOU? Even if the majority of you are just plain apathetic, I’ve still seen more students than that at forums and conferences about race issues in the past year. Black students, white students, students of every color and creed, where are you? Is it enough for you to hear others speak, but stop short of making your own voice heard? I’ll admit, I may not have helped to improve the situation with my words, but at least I wasn’t afraid to speak. THAT, my friends, is what has to happen in order to begin any improvement at all. And I’m not asking you to grab a microphone and join a conga line in front of the SAC. Go to the next diversity workshop. Hell, go to the next NAACP meeting! I am. April 11, 5:30. I’ll be the bitchy chick looking for a productive way to trade in talk for action.
However, lest anyone think I’m not still my usual dissenting self, I did leave with one disappointment threatening to ruin my enthusiasm. Handed out at the workshop was a newsletter called the “SOULution.” On the last page of the newsletter was a column titled the “White List”, which listed the name of a student that the authors felt had “sold out” by campaigning for Chris Marlin. While there was a disclaimer stating that the name “White List” was simply meant to be the opposite of “blacklist”, I still found it very disheartening given the words I’d just heard concerning unity and diversity. If a term needs explanation in order to avoid negative racial connotations of any type, it should not be used at all, and those among us who are striving to reach the goal of unity should recognize that.
I see you. Are you here?
Sara Stich is a senior psychology major and copy editor for The Cardinal.
