Editorial:
#DontShoot #ICantBreathe #BlackLivesMatter. If you’re an African American living in this day and age, more likely than not, you’ve probably seen at least one of these hashtags. Whether it’s Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, the hot topic these days is violence by police against African Americans.
Millions of people have protested or spoken out about people lives have been lost in the black community and that protest movement has boosted black activism to new heights. The recent events on college campuses, especially the University of Missouri, involving racist acts aimed at black students has increased activism even more as students at campuses around the nation have stood against racism.
It’s unfortunate to witness the racial divides that have begun to creep onto campuses across the nation. There’s no doubt in my mind that racism has not disappeared, even on college campuses, and these events are a reminder of that fact. HBCU’s were created to serve African-American students and we have not seen these kind of racist acts, but we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to other campuses that have a more diverse atmosphere simply because we’re not witnessing such racial divisions on our campus.
Attending an HBCU had always been a dream of mine growing up as a child and although I’m proud to be a member of the Saint Augustine’s University family, I feel as though there’s a sense of urgency lacking from those who could do more. I understand the feeling of not wanting to involve yourself in things that don’t concern you but there are still forms of activism that could motivate your peers to support those experiencing such racism on other campuses other than retweeting a hashtag or sending out a lengthy Facebook post. It’s time to take action and be as vocally concerned about the racism going through the college campuses just as much as we’re vocal about the killings of young, African Americans that happen on a daily basis. Together, we can make a change that spreads a message throughout the country that as African-American college students, we will stand together and support each other through whatever obstacles are placed before us. One of my favorite quotes is, ‘We must be the change we wish to see in the world.’ It starts with us.
— Monica Pittman, Editorial Editor, Falcon Forum
