There are few who do not know the story of Jena Six: six black high school teenagers in Jena, La., were brought forth on allegedly "trumped up" charges for beating a white classmate after three white students hung nooses on a tree at the school after a black student asked if he could sit under it. While figures such as Rev. Al Sharpton are calling the Jena rally the beginning of a 21st century civil rights movement, it raises questions about the existence of racism in America. This was the topic of the panel discussion at the AHANA Leadership Council, sponsored event on Tuesday, "American Racism." The panel consisted of sociology professor Zine Magubane, english professor Cynthia Young, history professor Zachary Morgan, Ines Maturana Sendoya, director of AHANA student programs, and Christian Cho, BC '07 and LGSOE '09.
One of the more important subjects that Magubane touched on was fact that the principal of the high school referred to the hanging of the nooses as a "youthful prank." It was here that she began to dig deeper into the idea of a racist America. "It was deliberate that this was re-read as a prank, and I think that it is indicative of the state of racial discourse today," she said.
So she moved into the notion that incidents like that of the Jena Six are generally explained away in today's society and they are generally committed when someone is in some kind of impaired state. "People write this narrative that the U.S. is a place of equality and these incidents are outside of the normative script in our society," she said. It is these "spectacles," as Magubane called them, that divert our focus from the larger issue of underlying racism in America. Indeed, on the Boston College campus there have been incidents of racism - such as the altercation in Roncalli Hall - and these are what are immediately referenced when the discussion of racism at BC arises, rather than everyday occurrences of racism.
Being that Magubane was discussing underlying racism on a nationwide scale, however, the more common and subtle instances of racism on campus were not addressed until later.
Young's statements picked up right where Magubane's left off. "Incidents like Jena Six imply that there are no real perpetrators of racism in America," Young said. "We just think of racism as floating in the ether, just happening. People talk about racism existing, but then always say to each other, 'But you've never felt it, right?' The way we treat it, there are no victims or perpetrators of racism."
She assured the audience, though, that this was not the case. Matching up unemployment rates, infant mortality, and salary rates between whites and blacks, she illustrated how racism is built into the very workings of American society. In addition, her numbers proved that institutionalized racism has actually gotten worse in the past few decades.
For instance, the unemployment rate for blacks is more than double the rate for whites, which is much greater than in 1972. "So the idea that things are getting better or that they're better than they were in the past simply is not true," Young said.
"So we need to act not as if racism is victimless or without perpetrators, but rather, we have to look at the way structures inhabited by real people are conducive to inequality and mean death for real people," Young said.
Morgan, too, spoke out against particular myths surrounding racism. "We're supposed to accept that things have gotten better in terms of racism," he said. "We look at any successful black person and insist that they couldn't have gotten to where they are if racism exists. People tend to ignore or deny day-to-day incidents of racism because of this front."
The cause for the false belief that things have gotten better, Morgan said, was the fact that the anti-racism movements that began in the '50s targeted legislation, and this, in turn, left a more subtle and "invisible" form of racism. As a result, the socioeconomic boundaries of our nation get ignored.
This, too, can be seen on BC's campus; overt acts and movements against racism have taken place only in light of blatant racism like the swastika being drawn on the whiteboard in the AHANA Leadership Council office during the summer of 2006.
"It's only called racism when someone gets chained to a truck and dragged to death," Morgan said.
Cho took a slightly different stance, saying that the impression he got from today's society is that racism has always been around, and that it is consequently something that we should just live with.
Granted, he said that this is not the case, and that racism has been created by our generation, citing institutionalized forms of it like immigration restriction. He also accused the media of fostering racism, saying that it focuses a great deal on whites trying to change the world, including Bono, Angelina Jolie, and Madonna.
"Race was not defined to 'inferiorize' people of color, but rather to 'superiorize' white people," Cho said.
It was Sendoya, though, who tied the discussion to life at BC, and her opinion on race relations on campus were not particularly high. "If I came to work tomorrow and found a noose hanging on the door of the Office of AHANA Student Programs, I would be sad, but I wouldn't be surprised," Sendoya said. She said that she has both heard about and witnessed cases of AHANA students being insulted and disrespected at BC.
"This happens on a day-to-day basis," she said.
She proceeded to list a number of specific ways in which AHANA students faced racism on campus. Aside from basic discourtesy like being ignored in class, Sendoya said that. AHANA students are sometimes told that they don't know what they're talking about if the things they say do not coincide with the AHANA stereotype.
Other generally racist acts toward AHANA students, she said, included being questioned over having been accepted to BC (suggesting that it was a case of affirmative action) and being accused of trying to cause trouble and create negative experiences for other students by speaking up when offended by white students.
The other cases of racism that Sendoya cited paralleled Young's belief that racism is institutional, and therefore more likely to go unnoticed. For instance, she said that AHANA students are not encouraged to pursue fellowship grants, adding that it is imperative that students who intend to pursue said grants receive the proper support from their freshman year. She also said that AHANA students are being "forgotten" in the official history of BC. "Go to the archives of the University and see if you are there," Sendoya said to the AHANA students in the room. She said that once they had graduated, it will be as if they never attended the institution.
Criticism was not all that Sendoya had to offer; she made sure to offer remedies to the situations of racism on campus, as well. Citing the Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education, she went down the list of the three "key movements" in Jesuit education: be attentive, be reflective, and be loving. To white students, she suggested a number of ways to be attentive as a means to fight racism.
"Notice how AHANA students are treated in your classes," she said. "Listen to their stories of oppression, don't just minimize them. Participate in FACES programs or even take the History of Racism course. There are so many ways to counteract racism on campus."
She also had suggestions for AHANA students, some of which coincided with her suggestions for whites. Besides suggesting FACES programs and African Diaspora courses, she said, "Educate yourselves. You're not here to educate white people. Also, learn about other AHANA groups and attend their events."
Sendoya moved on to the next guideline, which states, "Be reflective." She suggested that whites look at activities and social circles on campus and note how many people partaking in them are AHANA students, and ask why this is the case.
What garnered the largest reaction from the audience, however, was when she said, "Also, this is a racist country. You just have to admit it." She was interrupted by tumultuous applause at this point, before continuing: "It's everybody's problem, not just for people of color. If you're white, this is your problem, too."
As a suggestion to AHANA students, however, she made sure to say, "You need to know that there are white people who care about eliminating racism, too. You're not the only ones."
Sendoya then referred to the last guideline: "Be loving." Her suggestions to the whites included becoming an ally on campus for AHANA students, joining the ALC, and nominating AHANA peers for leadership awards. To AHANA students, she said, "Actualize the AHANA mission by developing solidarity on behalf of the AHANA community. Attend each other's events and learn about each other's issues. Above all, though, take care of yourselves and find a regular outlet to replenish your energy. Fighting racism takes a lot of work."
Sendoya made one last suggestion to the AHANA students present before ending her contribution to the discussion. "The only way to make substantial changes is to be involved. You're students; you have a lot of power. Don't just stop at demonstrations. They're good and they help make your voices heard, but the real work happens in committees. This is where change happens and it needs to be done. Please don't drop the ball there."
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