Black at the UA Pt. 7- Pleasantly Profiled--Not So Post Racial

So we’ve got a black president. We’ve got black colleges and universities. We’ve got successful black entrepreneurs and CEOs. I mean with all of this success flying around, racism must be dead, right?

Though the success of many African-Americans has marked milestones and  shown that the minds of many Americans are now open and understanding, it causes confusion among the colorblind that racism is no longer existent. At least, racism regarding African Americans.

Racism has only evolved, it hasn’t died. With that evolution, the idea of what racism means and how it is displayed has become very distorted. Most people think that to be “racist” or to exhibit racism, one must go around yelling racial slurs, or walk around yelling, “white power.” Though people still do this, there are so many underlying feelings that many people have about different races that constitute racism or racial prejudice. Those feelings can be translated in everyday life, through everyday activities and conversations.

Most recently, we’ve seen it play a role in the tragic shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla.  There is great debate as to whether race played a role in the killing or not. The suspect, George Zimmerman, is hispanic, and claimed that Martin looked “suspicious.” Martin was wearing a hoodie while walking down the street toward his father’s home. The only items he was armed with was a can of sweet tea and Skittles

Geraldo Rivera, on Fox and Friends, stated that he felt Trayvon’s wearing of a hoodie contributed to his being shot. This created an uproar from people e v e r y w h e r e. But what about a hoodie makes one so suspicious? A hoodie is a piece of attire worn by many different people, regardless of race, sex, or socio-economic background. In an article by ABC News on Rivera apologizing for his original statement, Rivera said his intention was to warn “urban parents to realize that clothing their children wear…could appear menacing to people who don’t know them and could put them unnecessarily in danger.”

“Urban” is the key word here. Though the accident took place in the suburbs,  and though non-urban kids wear hoodies all of the time. In my opinion, Trayvon wouldn’t have looked so suspicious if he was white.

UA graduate student, Sidney Fussell, says that he has experienced racial profiling first hand. He recalled an incident where he was riding in a car with a friend who was white, and they were pulled over for a rolling stop sign. “The cop who pulled us over asked for the driver’s ID, then my ID, runs them both, then gave them both back. A few moments later, another cop comes up and asks for my ID again, not the drivers, and ran my ID again. This was obviously racially motivated to me. I mean, it’s a white guy in a nice car…and then me,” said Fussell.

Though nothing ever came of it, it only adds to Fussell’s other experiences. Would you say this is racism? Would you be offended if any of these things happened to you?

What you must keep in mind is that it’s easy to say that race doesn’t matter when you have never had to experience the prejudice that tells you that it does. It’s easy to say racism doesn’t exist when you’re of the majority. And it’s easy to be color blind when you are not a person of color. Acknowledging race is not racism, and pretending that one’s race doesn’t exist is a flawed idea that only upholds ignorance. It’s all about embracing, understanding and avoiding stereotypes, and treating all people as they way you’d like to be treated — like a human being.

Dust In Dusk

Beauty.
Bones.
Hearts.
Homes.


Named as she roams. 
Free falling alone.
She suffers in thirst.
Gripping the relief of her torture tightly.


She's afraid of the night.
She vows to do what's right.


She's dying to stay.
Dying as she waits.
Even in sundown,
She fights for the day.


And she hopes, like dust, she isn't wisped away. 

Fight The Cold

Poetry... Written Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 11:07a.m.

Today, I don't want to go inside. 

I want to mingle in the leaves, the wind that blows the trees,

Feel my hair graze against my face,

Smell the sweetness that entices my taste.

Today, I don't want to go inside.

I want to stare at the blue sky.

Watch the mountains' colors etch the horizon.

I want to feel the sun's warmth as it blankets my brown skin.

Feel the happiness it ignites within.

Today, I don't want to go inside.

Inside is where my thoughts are surpressed.

Where I have to focus on, "what's next?" 

Inside is where the darkness is.

Where my love and joy have to be dismissed.

Today, I don't want to go inside.

So, I'll just close my eyes as I walk through the doors.

I'll remember the love that the outside gave me.

And as I sit in my inside seat,

I'll remember what it felt like to be outside...

...and free.

-R. 

DON'T BE TOO LATE 

I just read an article and watched a video in the Huffington Post that revealed that 10 year-old, Illinois CHILD killed herself after being bullied.


BULLIED. BULLIED.  BULLIED. 


This is absolutely unacceptable. To be so oblivious to the power that WORDS can have! To be completely immune to the word, bully. These simple words seem to be heard all too often, creating a sense of understanding that is flawed and inaccurate. 


When people think of a "bully" they often think of a kid who is taller and bigger than all the other kids, who goes around giving other kids wedgies and takes their lunch money. 


They don't think of the jealous, undisciplined child who is raging inside with jealousy and hate. Who preys on the happiness of others to build up their own self-worth. And who only sees the intimidation and not the growing depression and sadness that their victim becomes emerged in. They don't see. 


As a survivor of years of bullying, I know how hard it can be. I know that words are more than simply words. The tongue is a lethal weapon that goes underestimated. 


It can cause more pain than ever imagined. It can cloud the thoughts of the sane. Those thoughts, then, become crazed--enraged. 


Now, these thoughts of the victims are blazing with the fire of either retaliation or complete submission. Instead of fighting, they chose flight. They chose to release their soul in the night.


Along with child innocence comes ignorance. Ignorance of how to IGNORE. Ignorance of how to OVERCOME. Ignorance of the lives of OTHERS. 


This is unacceptable. A life should never be cut short at the hand of oneself. 


Never. 


Read the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/14/ashlynn-conner-suicide-fa_n_1092521.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

BLACK at the UA part 4, Numbers Talk--How far have we really come? (ALSO TITLED: University In Middle of The Diversity Pack)

Published on uatrav.com October 6, 2011.

This year’s bomb.com sorority recruitment numbers went through the roof. All eight chapters of the National Panhellenic Council met or exceeded recruitment quota, 131 girls, which added up to be 1,079 new girls who have been accepted to join Greek Life.  Putting this statistic against that of the number of African Americans enrolled at the UA it is shockingly and kind-of disturbingly close.

It isn’t a surprise that African Americans make up a small percentage of the UA, but it is surprising that this number has not changed very much during the last 12 years.

In 1998, there were only 880 African Americans on campus. By the fall 2010, the number had only increased to 1,128. That’s a difference of only 224 people. I bet this is less than the graduating high school classes of many UA students.

According to the an article in the Arkansas Newswire, there should be about a 25 percent increase since last fall. Well, the numbers are in, and 25 percent will have to remain a hopeful goal. The reality is enrollment for African American undergraduate students stands at a mere 1,128 in the Fall 2010 semester, and 1,246 for the Fall 2011. This makes the real increase 118 students, or less than 11 percent.

To put this into perspective, 14,924 students who enrolled in undergraduate courses this fall were white.

These numbers are talking, and they are saying a lot.

With an African American president, Financial Aid, diversity scholarships and popular collegiate athletic sports such as basketball and football being comprised of many African Americans, what’s the deal? And what can be done to get these numbers higher?

Well, our fabulous university has a place called, the Office of Diversity Affairs that caters to this very issue. It is a haven for information about how students can get involved and jump on the “diversity bandwagon.”

The College Access Initiative is a program that focuses on helping high school students improve their ACT scores. Students get the opportunity to come to the UA, take practice tests all the while getting a feel for college life.

In addition to this, there is the Razorback Bridge Program where UA students travel to areas across the state, helping high schools students prepare for college. Particularly those who are lacking the resources to do it themselves.

High school students can also apply to visit our awesome campus through the CAI program or the various other programs the UA offers such as Upward Bound, Diversity Impact and Talent Search.

These programs would not be able to operate if it weren’t for the hard working UA students putting the time and effort to help others achieve their goal of attending college.

Wouldn’t you want the UA to be the “it” school for getting a well-rounded and diverse education?

I would. And there are other flagship schools that are well on their way to achieving this goal.

Ole Miss is hanging in at 16.3 percent of their student population being African America and rolling in at a close second is the University of Alabama with 12.1 percent.

With other universities beating us in diversity and the fact that our enrollment has increased significantly, says a lot in terms of how far we still have yet to come in achieving a more diverse student and faculty population.

Frankly, I’m not the one to settle for second place, and being apart of Arkansas’ number one university has taught me that.

So, can we please get together and do better? Can we step up as students and fellow Hogs to help build a university moving forward in education, diversity and success?

Yep, I think we can.

Still Coping With It

Has something ever happened to you that you never thought could happen? Have you ever daydreamed a thought so bad, it made you cry? What's worse is when that thought becomes reality. And you're stuck with no choice but to accept it and deal with it.

I never thought that I'd be missing someone in my life that had been there since I was 12 years old. When I met her, it was like I met my other half. She was the Bonnie to my Clyde. She was the Ivory to my Ebony. My partner in crime...for life. "BFF" wasn't a lie that we told ourselves to make us feel better, we knew it was nothing but truth. We knew that nothing or no one could tear us apart. 

At least, that is what I thought. 

But now, I'm realizing maybe it was only me who was so sure of this friendship. Maybe it was my trust in her that made me so confident that this thing was never going to go wrong. That even despite the bumps, the boys, the rumors, and the distance, we would never let each other go. But I was so very wrong. 

Over the years our bond had been tested. But in my eyes, it only made us stronger. Unfortunately, I found that in her's, it only made us weaker. And yes, there were things that I ignored and purposefully avoided in order to keep things peachy keen simply because my life was complicated enough without putting pressure on her...

But wait, isn't that what friends are for? Aren't friends supposed to be fortresses of hope and salvation that will always love you and never judge you? Again, that's what I thought. At least that's what I always tried to do. No matter the event or problem. No matter how angry I was at her, I NEVER wanted to point a finger because she was MY best friend...one who could do no wrong in my eyes. 

But she did. And so did I. We weren't perfect. Life isn't perfect. And I found at 22, that friends don't last forever. Sometimes they only last for 10 years...

-R. 

The List

" A man is just a man full of faults and weakness. Like a young Jerusalem, all alone and speechless." -Matisfyu

Where do I begin? I vowed to my self, to never, ever let a man stand before me and dictate my future. My emotions or my betterment. And although a few have attempted, they've all failed. To my delight.

See, I've observed plenty. And what I've found is that every single man has realized this: they do not compare. They are not fit to be MY Mr. Right-now. Because it's my intellect, my determination, my lack of ignorance, my sarcastic humor, my unwillingness to to be fooled, and plenty more that has made them realize that I am too great of a person to be "real" with. Because being real means being attached. And who wants to be attached to someone who cares for you? That's how feelings get hurt. But when TIME is SPENT....as in you can't get that back...it's a catch-22.

The favors. Oh, I do NOT believe in serving the unappreciative. But for a select few, I will sacrifice my time and my pride. But to be lied to. To be deceived...even after long efforts of investigation of a person's demeanor has taken place, is sinful and shameful.

THIS I loathe. THIS I will never tolerate. THIS will have you on my list until I completely erase you from my memory. You're a thief when you're a liar. And what seems to baffle me through all of this, is that I disclose this fact. I let people know at the very beginning that lying to me is the worst thing. But to a liar, this doesn't matter. Only selfishness is in mind.

So, what is the conclusion? How do I live with people who only attempt to build themselves up by breaking others down? I laugh in pity. I can only shake my head and pray that they will some day realize their faults. And although I will remain stronger than I was before my encounters, I do only regret wasting so much time. Time is something that you can't get back.
It is so precious. And it's sad that days that one once adored can be tainted with regret and hate.

For you:
"Don't ever expect regret to take "it" back, for guilt is everlasting. Justice was never promised to you at birth."

-R.

Did I Miss Something?

So, I'm still figuring out the art of capturing hearts. I mean, people do it all of the time, right? People everywhere meet and fall in love. But it seems as if love can not endure without hate. With each kiss there is a questioning of honesty. Of truth.

I'm eager. It's not hard for me to read people. Their habits, their expressions, their eyes do all of the explaining. But their words. Their words often contradict their actions. Isn't that, backwards? ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS...truth? See, speaking IS an action and in order to carry out that action, one must use words. And since words are what people communicate with most, they are often taken for granted, underestimated, or wasted. So I am back to square one. Even after listening to your words, I am still not convinced. I am still left curious, confused, or eager. Still.

So, then what will it take for me to capture your heart? Or for you to capture mine? More than words. And although I love them, they won't make me love you. And the irony is that I am using words to explain how I feel about them, theirselves. But I believe these words are just. All words are, but only when they are not manipulated by lies and lust. And when there is not a genuine meaning behind them. Because at this point, they are wasted and empty words. Words, that go unheard.

-R.

The Technology Takeover

So, while browsing my Facebook today, I noticed that I had over 1,000 friends. I mean 1, 030 people can find out where I work, my favorite movies, who I'm best friends with, where I go to school, who goes to school with me and plenty more. How is it that I can have a "close" relationship with people and never see their face?

With online communities such as Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook this is becoming a common and possibly even detrimental trend. I find it mind-blowing that my information is forever stained on a gigantic carpet called the internet or World Wide Web. And I don't even care. Well, at least I haven't in the past. The need for uber fast information is an addiction for most under 25. We need it NOW, NOW, NOW! I need to know who broke up, NOW! I need to know when to buy movie tickets NOW! I need to post my status NOW! The media is our gateway to knowledge. We are aware of major events within minutes of their occurrence. And this generation doesn't want it any other way.

I have had an email/blog/chat account since I was like 12. I've always thought it was cool that I could make this faux identity, share my thoughts with the rest of the world, and have this sense of connection and comfort. It was interesting to think that people outside of my small-town reality cared about my poetry, my feelings, my opinions and whatever else I decided to babble about that day. I also think that is still why I keep publishing my thoughts 8 years later.

We are all electronic addicts with our need for "now." But, why can't we just take the time to chill? Just breathe and enjoy the day without letting everyone we know (and some we don't) know that we are. Is that too difficult. So, I encourage those to embrace the technological takeover. Just don't let it kill YOU. The "real" you, that is.

-R.

Haha! Oh wait... Since when is satire, NOT funny?

On Wednesday, October 28 there were lots of questions floating throughout the UA campus. Some were talking about homecoming queen; who did or won what, so on and so forth. But, the one question that most were asking was "If our opponent for the game Saturday forfeited, then who are we playing?!" (Enter shriek here)

For the UA, an SEC D-1 school, football is a religion. And with the most popular and biggest event of the year being homecoming, everyone was scurrying to pick up that week's Arkansas Traveler to get the scoop on homecoming court and pointers on the upcoming game. But no one was expecting there to be an article about E. Michigan's horrible record and attitude about playing Arkansas.

With the headline reading "Eastern Michigan: 'You know what, we're just gonna stay home'"most did not take the time to read more and instantly began their freak out. But those that did, still remained completely confused.

"We're going to take the gas money from the Arkansas trip and just take the guys out to Golden Corral," the article stated a faux-quote from E. Michigan coach Ron English.

The phones were ringing off the hook in the Traveler office and the editors' inboxes began filling with inquiries about what was going on! And their questions were answed with, "it was just a joke."

In the line directly above the title read "Satire" for all to see in bright red.

This is an example of how much people don't read newspapers. Or at least opinion columns. It was obvious that the game was not cancelled for there was no formal press-release or any thing. and With quotes like, "we're gonna dress up [for halloween] and play like a real team for once" and "one of the lindebackers just got the box set of Saw DVDs, so we've been watching those instead of game film everday" you'd think that people would not take this article seriously.

Although, the media is all around us. At some point, you have to not let it control your thoughts.

-R.

Untitled

Excuses only provoke failure.
I am refusing to give in to life's relentless pressures.

"Keep it moving while fighting the fire.
Keep on breathing while feeling desire."
A girl yells from her place in the world.

Sometimes, I can feel the earth spinning below my feet.
I hear the cries of strangers and enemies.
I can see the blind man's eyes as his ears watch me.

Beneath my feet, the world is spinning.

God said to fear him and none else.
But I fear my life, my heart, and myself.

I fear my decision to take what I've been given and to turn it to gold, will be the death of a girl crushed by her failure.

Her heart bleeds.
Into the earth it seeps.
The spinning her blood feeds.

Greed and belief.
Pay heed and obey.
Live while your blood runs abundant.


Love while your heart allows it.
Breathe while the sky is intact.
Lay down.
And feel the earth break you.

-R.