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Thursday, September 19, 2013
GUEST COLUMN
COLUMN | GREEK SEGREGATION
Different take on Stand Students should not remain silent in the Schoolhouse Door about segregation in greek system By Lin Wang | Guest Columnist I watched the events unfold Wednesday with the same feelings I felt when Kony 2012 happened: an appreciation of good intents and hearts, coupled with a nagging feeling of misdirection. My principle when it comes to anti-racist activism is that it starts with the systematic dismantling of internalized prejudices and assumptions that are ingrained within us from the moment we set foot in this society. It starts with assumption and awareness. Without it, any sort of solidarity is twisted into hypocrisy. The nonviolent protests of the civil rights movement were to draw attention to the cruelty and inconsistencies of white America. The images of children being attacked by dogs and slammed with fire hoses were targeted toward the conscience of America. The people who engaged in nonviolent protests were trained, sometimes for months, not to fight back. It was a grueling and emotionally taxing process, where white allies played the part of the aggressor. They were putting their lives on the line. They were prepared to die. That isn’t my criticism; my criticism is that this throwback to the civil rights movement seems to capitalize on the horrors and the bitter victories of that era without an idea of the sacrifice and courage it took to look the white man in the eye and say, “I am not backing down.” We are not being radical in demonstrating against this. We are simply calling attention to one tiny aspect of an unjust system that should have been dismantled a long time ago
Racism ... is a matter of assumptions and unconscious benefits.
while thinking that puts us on the same footing as those who were beaten in the streets. I am troubled by the use of the phrase “institutionalized racism” that seems to be thrown around in the description of this protest. The point of using the word “institutionalized” to describe racism is to acknowledge its perverse hold on every aspect of our lives. The majority of people participating in this protest are white – by virtue of the fact that 87 percent of our campus is. Someone who benefits from privilege in an institutionalized system of racism fundamentally cannot demonstrate against themselves. They can only stand in solidarity with those who try to dismantle the system, and they can and should think critically about the ways they have benefited from the system. By focusing on the segregation of the greek system, and not the pervasive racism on campus – the racism that I have experienced as a person who has never really come into contact with the greek system – is still a problem and is one that is not addressed. As a person of color – specifically, an Asian American - my voice is still unheard, even when
this protest is ostensibly to protest “racism.” By painting Judy Bonner (or mysterious alumni groups , greeks, etc.) as the aggressor, we transfer the blame of an “institutionalized racism” onto a key actor, thus lessening our own culpability. To me, this cannot be considered a nti-racism activism until there is an active push to confront the ways racism has shaped this campus – and not by scapegoating the greek system while giving everyone who shows up to this rally a free pass. Racism is not a matter of prejudice. It is a matter of assumptions and unconscious benefits. O b v i o u s l y, this event can bring a lot of publicity and attention, which has huge potential for affecting things positively. The act of protesting the greek system’s segregation is one that nobody can discount as inconsequential. But I feel that this protest is not about the inherent ways institutionalized racism affects all of us; by painting it as a push to “end racism,” it absolves us of any responsibility in the matter and promises that once the sorority systems are sorted out, almost everything is fine. This event is protesting the decisions of The University of Alabama that make us look bad. We shame the University for its mistakes and its racist microaggressions; we refuse to include ourselves within that category. I cannot help but note the irony of the event title. Gov. George Wallace stood in the schoolhouse door to prevent desegregation from happening. What do we stand for? Lin in
Wang is New
a senior Co l l e g e .
By Erynn Williams | Staff Columnist The segregation of the predominantly white sororities and fraternities on The University of Alabama’s campus is nothing new to students. Every year, there’s a courageous black girl or two who attempts to “break the barrier” and with one unsuccessful attempt after another. The same response is generated: tumult for a week or two, and then back to business as usual. You want to know why? Because we, the students, let it stay this way. Well, let me tell you why this year things are a little different: People are talking. And, might I say, it is about damn time. If you haven’t read last week’s article, “The Final Barrier: 50 years later, segregation still exists,” go online or pick up an old newspaper and read it now. This article exposed the segregation within the Alabama Panhellenic sororities like never before, and what really warms my heart is the courage of various sorority girls, especially Melanie Gotz, to speak up and acknowledge that something is not right when a highly qualified young lady, who happens to have a darker skin tone, is denied membership into any of the 16 sororities that participate in formal recruitment. This problem is more than just a story of a girl not accepted into a club. This is a much more deep-rooted issue that has blemished the reputation of the University for decades. If you think for one moment that this is not an important issue or that this is going to be just like the years
Erynn Williams before and that it will never change, not only are you partially right, but you are also the reason why. The very idea that “things will never change” or “I can’t make a difference” does nothing for the cause and causes the segregation to stay. I can only ask that you take a minute and do a little soul searching. For one, integration is going to happen whether people are ready for it, like it or not. It may not be today, tomorrow, next month or even next year. But it will happen. Second of all, Auburn has already integrated its greek system – if it isn’t enough that Auburn has beaten us at
something, then I don’t know what is. Lastly, the change begins with us, the students. It’s time to stop being idle. It’s time to stop sweeping this disgrace on the name of the University under the rug. It’s time to stop being quiet. The first girl has stepped out; now it’s our turn to contribute. Even if your contribution is just keeping this issue within conversations, you have done something. Things will not change if no one talks about it. We as a student body need to work together to show that it is not OK with letting black students on sports teams but not in sororities or fraternities, that discrimination in any form or fashion is not right. There is a reason there are students from more than 68 different countries attending the University. Let’s remind the world why. Erynn Williams is a sophomore majoring in dance and international studies. Her column runs biweekly on Wednesdays.