Special Issue on Race

VOLUME 40 | ISSUE 8 hilltopviewsonline.com

HILLTOP VIEWS

NOVEMBER 2, 2016 St. Edward’s University

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LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF why we decided to take on the topic of race

JACOB ROGERS

ROSEMOND CROWN

PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On a crisp morning in Dec. 2014, several African American students

lay “dead” on the university seal.

The ‘Die In’ protest sought to raise awareness of racial issues facing the community.

It was a strong statement, a plea for community-wide change.

Nearly two years later, after talking with numerous students and administrators, it’s clear that more work is needed. Sixteen pages in one issue will not solve anything, and it shouldn’t.

My hope is the conversation is sparked. Over the past few years, there have been several shootings involving minorities (in particular African Americans) and police officers. Regardless of your opinion on these shootings, there is no denying that they have affected students at St. Edward’s.

In September, our entire staff came together and decided we wanted to bring attention to this subject. We wanted this to be our

last issue before Election Day. While these past 18 months have been like no other in the political arena, we still face the same issues. And they will still be there after the election.

I’ve been an editor at Hilltop Views for almost three years. I’ve covered tough topics and sensitive issues. But this topic — race at St. Edward’s — is probably the toughest. There are charged emotions on both sides. Even as I write this, I know there will be many out there that won’t like this issue. But it has to be reported on, to the best of our ability.

The goal of this issue is to help bridge the discomfort with open conversations and to have people discuss the issues still being faced. As someone who is half white and half Hispanic, I sometimes have a different view. I don’t agree with everything in this issue, but that’s the point. I’m open to being challenged and to different views, and I hope you are too.

Thank you, Jacob

As online editor-in-chief of this wonderful paper, I couldn’t be prouder of our staff for all the incredible work we’ve done to put this special issue together.

Race is such a sensitive topic and it took a great deal of bravery for us to tackle it with an equal amount of sensitivity and boldness. I am grateful to have a platform such as Hilltop Views where I can do not only journalism but journalism that makes a difference.

As a black African woman, race has to be important to me. I do not have the luxury of being able to ignore it when it is uncomfortable and own it when it is beneficial. It is not optional. It hasn’t always been this way.

I often say “I’ve been alive for 21 years, but I’ve been black for only 8 years.” I moved to Texas from Sierra Leone, West Africa in 2008 and, for the first time, realized that outside of the motherland, my blackness means more than just being able to stay in

HILLTOP VIEWS

hilltopviewseditors@gmail.com 512-448-8426 PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacob Rogers

COPY CHIEF Gabrielle Wilkosz

SPORTS EDITOR Amanda González

LIFE & ARTS EDITOR Lilli Hime

VIDEOGRAPHER Rashad White

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Rosemond Crown

NEWS EDITORS Andrea Guzmán Neta Bomani

VIEWPOINTS EDITORS Victoria Cavazos Sully Lockett

PHOTO EDITORS Sabrina Rohwer Madeline Burrows

COPY EDITORS Laura Irwin Colette Guarnier

DESIGN CHIEF Paula Santos

the sun forever or using an excessive amount of lotion to combat ashiness.

My blackness was not only superficial, it was a piece of my identity that was seen before I was.

As a result of this newfound identity, I feel the need to be vocal about racial issues and on a personal note, that inspired my decision to do this special issue on race.

As a journalist, I believe it is my duty to effect change. I believe that if the work that I do does not effect change, then I, quite frankly, just need to put down the pen and walk away.

With that being said, I hope that this special issue is able to spark more than just conversation because we’ve talked enough. I hope that it will spark in each of us a responsibility to act and to speak against racial prejudice when we see it — be it from your grandpa at Thanksgiving or a teacher in the classroom.

Thank you, Rosemond

3001 S. Congres Ave. #964 Austin, TX 78704 DESIGNERS Adrian González Carmen Viloria Rachel Allen Danah Abdulfattah

BACKEND DEVELOPER Haiden Stiles FACULTY ADVISER Jena Heath

Hilltop Views is the student newspaper published by the School of Humanities and serves the St. Edward’s University community. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the university, whose mission is grounded in the teachings and doctrine of the Catholic Church. Hilltop Views welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters may be edited for space, grammar and clarity. Letters will be published at our discretion and anonymous letters will not be printed or published online. Letters can be emailed or brought to the letter drop box outside of Andre Hall 117.

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RACE BY NUMBERS - FALL 2016 In the st. edward’s average class of

18 students you can expect:

6.64 White, .68 Black, 7.43 Hispanic and .56 Asian students.

41.3% 36.9%

Hispanic

White

8.5% 6.4%

Non resident other combined

3.8% 3.1%

black /african american asian

SOURCE: INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH

Q & A 4

upd weighs in on national race debate

By MARIE KASSI

Hilltop Views sat down with Assistant Vice President of Campus Safety, Scott Burnotes, to discuss the issue of race on a national level, as well as with the University Police Department.

Is there a race sensitivity training that the school’s police officers go through?

Our officers are commissioned by the Texas Commission on Law enforcement, and they require sensitivity training related to race. The first course is racial profiling in which they discuss the various aspects of prejudices and how officers can operate effectively without being influenced by local or personal prejudices.

There is also a cultural diversity class that focuses on the fact that demographic makeup of the United States is rapidly changing, almost yearly, and the changes our society is experiencing goes beyond just diversity of race and gender.

It talks about all the changes that are happening in our society, the effects of these changes and how to be aware of them, because awareness is a big key.

Do officers believe that it is a valuable training?

In general, our officers extremely value training that is going to make them [better serve] the community. Training is an extremely important part to policing. I think we are privileged about being able to have a police department specifically at a higher education institution.

If a police officer displays discrimination with their actions, how is he/she disciplined?

St. Edward’s has policies, and it does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. So, anytime there is an incident, it’s handled through the department policies and the University’s employee handbook. There is an investigation that occurs. We would engage Human Resources and follow the policies and the handbook. So after the investigation, Human Resources would make a decision on the actual incident and what would be handed down.

Is the ongoing issue of racial injustice openly discussed in the department?

The officers definitely discuss the events that are occurring around the United States and the reason is really for ongoing learning, being able to see what’s happening in policing and around the world. We take those as learning opportunities.

Occasionally, we build them into training scenarios so that we can kind of go over things and how would we handle it based on our policies and within our community. We really want to be able to discuss them anytime they’re happening.

Do your officers wear body cameras? Do you think it makes a difference?

The officers have been utilizing body cameras since 2011, so they were way ahead of the curve. I think it does make a difference. The ability for us to have videos help officers in their normal duties, it can help them document interviews with suspects or victims when they go to scenes and take statements. It also allows us to review whatever we need to anytime there is an incident. It gives us an unbiased viewpoint of it, and we can pull the video footage and see what was said and what was happening and have a perspective of the officer’s point of view. We use those as training opportunities.

There was hesitation from a lot of people on both hands regarding body cams, but I believe that body cams are going to become the norm in policing, and I think they’re just a great tool for us to review what happened so you don’t have to rely on people’s statements. I think it is a great tool.

What are your thoughts on police shootings and what do you think could be a solution?

One of the facts to know is that out of our 13 personnel, five of them were previously students before they became officers.

A number of our students value their experience at St. Edward's so much that some of them have left to become officers and come back.

They really value the experience and the community here. I think that’s one of the value of us doing policing in a higher education institution: it’s the ability to keep engaging the population of the community before times of crisis happen. So that we know each other, know what to expect and respect each other. That’s key.

Looking at it from a national level, a solution is training, training and more training. Our goal is to never have to deal with these critical type of incidents, but when we do, we want to make sure that our officers are proficient in all the different skill sets that are needed in law enforcement. Training and mutual respect are the solution.

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Commentary: St. Ed's can speak out more on racial issues

By NETA BOMANI Jessica Thompson, the Black Student Alliance vicepresident, rallied friends and fellow BSA members, Genevia Kanu, BSA president and Deja Morgan, BSA secretary to the office of their advisor in Student Life, to process feelings of anxiety and cry.

“When the Terence Crutcher incident happened, I was fine, but then I got to class and realized nobody cared… No one was thinking about this or they didn’t know about it,” Thompson said.

Generally, after tragic events, such as the balcony collapse in Angers, France or the death of University LORNA PROBASCO/HILLTOP VIEWS of Texas at Austin student Haruka Weiser, who was Kathryn Cornish is like many other college murdered near the UT Alumni Center in students. She works hard, strives to balance April, the Dean of Students emails students good grades, involvement in several campus with resources like Campus Ministry or the organizations and a social life — all while Health and Counseling Center. staying healthy and positive. She’s faced with However, when it comes to issues of race, a problem, however, that many black stuthe university tends to not speak up. I, too, dents share: the anxiety rooted in the black am a black student who wishes the university experience. would enter a conversation in which I have In a national climate of racial tension, the been thrust into my entire life. junior finance major questions St. Edward’s Dean of Students Steven Pinkenburg says University’s commitment to supporting that the university's decision on what incithe mental health of its black students. She dents to address depends on proximity. Unfeels there’s a lack of awareness of the black der the university’s communication plan, stuperspective, that the university is not doing dents would receive announcements about a enough for black students. Specifically, she severe weather storm or active shooter. wishes the university had sent out some sort That poses the question: should the univerof announcement acknowledging the painsity weigh in on issues that go beyond conful conversation around police shootings of cerns for physical security and consider the black or African American people. emotional well-being of students?

“I wonder why no one in my university has Along with my Hilltop Views editing colsaid anything to any of its black students,” league, Jacob Rogers, I interviewed Vice Cornish said. “St. Edward’s prides itself on President for Student Affairs Lisa Kirkpatits diversity and inclusion … and not a single rick, Dean of Students Steven Pinkenburg, peep from anyone.”

Health and Counseling Center Director On Sept. 16, Tulsa, Okla. police officer BetCalvin Kelly, Student Life Director Tom ty Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher, a Sullivan and Director of Communications black man. Shelby is charged with first-deMischelle Diaz. They all said that the unigree manslaughter. The incident did not have versity is working on initiatives to address a St. Edward’s connection, but Cornish, like diversity. Diaz said that with the overwhelmseveral other black students on campus, say ing amount of information and news releit reverberated for them. They went to class vant to race, it’s challenging for the university thinking about it. It felt personal.

administration to choose the right time to make a statement.

Are these decisions influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by the fact that of the 25 vice presidents and associate vice presidents at SEU, none are black? (Eighteen are white, four Hispanic, two Indian American or Alaskan Native, and one is Asian, according to Human Resources). This means that the lens through which most of the university’s administrators see race and its implications is a white lens. White perspectives, regardless of how sympathetic, aren’t always in tune with complex and nuanced issues of race and diversity.

It’s no surprise that issues involving St. Edward’s students are viewed through a white lens or the perspective through which white people see and experience the world. It keeps them from seeing the world in a different reality, thus, affording them comfort in their position of privilege.

The same privilege that offers advantages to white people, disadvantages some students that feel like they’re not being heard because pertinent events that speak to their experience aren’t being discussed on a level that increases awareness.

Students also feel as if the onus to air grievances and produce solutions disproportionately falls on student organizations.

“It’s kind of true for all of us that if students are really distressed that we want them to come to us, but … Outreach is something different, isn’t it,” Campus Ministry Director Peter Walsh asked. “I need to think about how we’re doing outreach as Campus Ministry or even as a university … We tend to rely on student initiative … and I think that’s something that we need to think about.”

And while the university maintains an open door policy to organizations, the pressure is on groups like BSA to raise issues.

“It can’t just be be a ‘okay BSA's trying to pave the way,’” Morgan said. “We need the university to step in … so that we can truly, as a university, come together and pave the way for diversity.”

So what’s holding us back if the research shows that racial diversity fosters a positive learning environment?

“Students learn best when they’re in a diverse community,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Lisa Kirkpatrick. “That’s what the literature says.”

U.S. educational institutions serve students and the community better when learning environments take racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity and inclusion into account, according to two studies conducted by The Ohio State University.

“It’s designed, depending on the teacher, to come up in your [Cultural Foundations] classes,” BSA President Genevia Kanu said.

“But other than that, I’ve never had an encounter on this campus where race has been discussed ... other than the ‘Die In.’” The ‘Die In’ was a student demonstration that took place in Dec. 2014, at the height of racial tensions in Ferguson, Mo. Students laid down, or “died” on the university seal, to bring attention to the issue of racial injustice.

“If we’re supposed to be this liberal utopia [where] everyone is accepted, then this is something that should be concerning,” Kanu said.

And as an Holy Cross school with a social justice platform that encourages individuals to pursue a more just world by confronting critical issues of society and seek justice and peace, why is it that only the issues of certain individuals are highlighted?

The fact is, St. Edward’s is an educational institute that serves a diverse number of groups. It’s undergraduate body alone is 41.3 percent Hispanic, 36.9 percent white, 8.5 percent are non-residents, 3.8 percent black and 3.1 percent Asian, according to Institutional Research.

“Right now, St. Edward’s is in a period where it’s starting to truly embrace diversity,” Morgan said.

And that raises the question of whether or not the university will approach diversity in a way that allows everyone a seat at the table.

That means speaking on issues that affect students that are impacted by immigration issues such as the Syrian Refugee Crisis or increasing xenophobic rhetoric in the 2016 presidential election.

Or maybe that means checking white privilege and continuing an open and honest dialogue about the way race affects students on campus, instead of perpetuating the erasure of the discussion of race.

“I think St. Edward’s is reflective of the country in a way,” Kanu said. “This really is a conversation that has to be had and we have to deal with it.”

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no longer lost in translation

By ANDREA GUZMAN

I’M

After leaving Tokyo, Japan, Fuuka Omote moved to America having only mastered how to say, “How are you” and “Hi, I’m Fuuka,” but had not yet learned to say much else in English.

Picking up on English as she studied abroad in Indiana her senior year of high school was a challenging time for Omote.

“It was so stressful,” Omote said. “I felt like I was a baby because, in my mind, I understood what I wanted to say, but then I couldn’t really speak out so that was frustrating.”

It was during this time that Omote met her closest friend, who was studying abroad from Germany. The

two have created and maintained a pact to see each other once a year, with Omote visiting her in Germany in 2014, both of them meeting in Paris in 2015 and her friend visiting her in Japan this past summer.

Omote is also global, studying international business with a focus in finance.

A leadership oriented student, Omote has attended a conference in Dallas for business students under the Tomodachi Initiative, a partnership program between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and was a member of Hilltop Leaders class of 2016. For the remainder of her time at St. Edward’s, she hopes to attend another Tomodachi Initiative conference in San Jose, California, and do an internship in London.

“Even though I said that Japanese culture is kind of close minded, Japanese people are really caring,” Omote said. “We say thank you and sorry a lot, and I realized people here [in America] don’t really say that a lot. We give presents, we care about people a lot more than I think [people do] here.”

ANDREA GUZMAN/HILLTOP VIEWS

from field-working to code-writing Setting the bar high made it possible for Noel Luna to be a first generation college student. Someday he hopes it will help him be an entrepreneur for a company larger than both Apple and Microsoft.

Admitting that programming for the tech giants themselves would be a great opportunity, Luna was unable to even imagine going into the tech industry as a child living on the border of Nuevo León and San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where only privileged families had computers.

Luna believes this was one of the ways Mexico has been able to challenge students more than American students in subjects like math and science. In Mexico, even a calculator is considered cheating in the classroom.

When not in school, much of Luna’s time went to migrant work. “As soon as I was able to do my multiplication tables, I was able to work in the fields.”

Ten hour workdays in sometimes 100 degree heat were draining but allowed Luna to appreciate the opportunity for an education at St. Edward’s University through the College Assistance Migrant Program.

“When you work for someone, [you] call them ‘patrones’...you always have to be on your feet, you can’t be slacking.”

As the youngest of three siblings and the first expected to graduate from college, Luna feels a lot of pressure to succeed, even though he never had a mentor.

At St. Edward’s though, Luna met a computer science professor who helped him find his passion for the subject. Luna recalls receiving a B on his first exam, motivating him to study even more, leading him to earn a 105 on the next exam.

“I have everything to be proud of,” Luna said on how he feels about his race. “I feel that Mexicans don’t get enough credit for what we are. Sometimes I was taught that Mexicans weren’t so smart or the best at this or the best at that, but I feel like I’ve proved all those people wrong... broken all those stereotypes.”

Concluding on an inspiring note, Luna said, “People have a low bar set for me, and I go above that bar. I’ve never settled for the average; I always challenge myself.”

SABRINA ROHWER/HILLTOP VIEWS

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life in two capitals: riyadh and austin Most people dream while they sleep, but international student Hindi Alotaibi dreams before he goes to sleep.

Alotaibi dreams of his family and his home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He takes a moment before drifting off to think about his parents and siblings. He wonders what they might be doing at that exact moment. Some of his relatives’ days begin eight hours before his.

Alotaibi is eventually able to know exactly what they’ve been up to reading the “hundreds” of texts from them to sift through upon leaving class.

Now in his third year at St. Edward’s, Alotaibi has grown to also think of Austin as home, for the time being. He hopes to return to Saudi Arabia upon earning his degree in chemistry.

With that degree, Alotaibi aspires to make strides not the fields of science or research, but in the education system of Saudi Arabia. Currently he volunteers at Fulmore Middle School and helps students who are struggling academically.

Alotaibi said he recognizes the great amount of change that needs to take place so that students in Saudi Arabia are able to apply themselves in school as he has. A position as a teacher or principal would not be enough for him.

Explaining that he feels a leadership position rather than teaching position would make a larger impact towards improving education in Saudi Arabia, Alotaibi said, “If you want to change the education system, you do not teach.”

In Saudi Arabia, Alotaibi would go to the desert with his family, camel and cows to feel thankful for all that they have. Or spend time in his father’s lounge, where his family is able to connect to the entire town as they drop by to drink coffee and tea and socialize.

“I feel like the country itself, the achievements of it, the education they’ve developed, the position that they have right now among other countries in the world,” Alotaibi said about his national pride “They’re one of the best, and that’s special.”

COURTESY OF AWADH BIN TURKI

ambitious activist, adventurer embraces heritage

ANDREA GUZMAN/HILLTOP VIEWS

With aspirations to work with the Peace Corps, sophomore Nia Delmast has big plans for her future, including studying abroad in Morocco next fall and exiting the red doors in 2018 upon her early graduation.

A global studies major, Delmast is currently taking Arabic in preparation for studying abroad in the Middle East next year.

When she isn’t in Austin, Delmast is at home with her mom and brother in Dallas.

Delmast takes advantage of a variety of events in Dallas with her close-knit group of friends, including activities like swing dancing at the Sons of Hermann Hall. Delmast also attended a Black Lives Matter rally with a friend at the University of North Texas, shortly after the shooting of five Dallas police officers in July.

At St. Edward’s, Delmast is involved in activities that show her keen interest in people and the world, from acting as vice president of Circle K International (a nonprofit service organization) to

starting the conversation club (an on-campus group that allows international students to improve their english speaking with one another).

Often teased about her hair throughout middle school, Delmast would straighten her hair regularly. Beginning sophomore year of high school though, she decided to embrace it by keeping its natural look and has recently began “having a lot of fun” going back to her roots. Literally, her follicles.

“I just feel like black women specifically are just a very strong demographic,” Delmast said. “And I feel like we’re really taking ownership of who we are and defying stereotypes and embracing ourselves. It’s really beautiful to see, and I’m glad to be a part of that.”

For the next chapter of her life, Delmast is considering graduate school and even applying to be a Fulbright scholar.

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REFLECTIONS “

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ON RACE INTERVIEWS BY SARAH GONZALES PHOTOS BY LORNA PROBASCO DESIGNED BY PAULA SANTOS

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A message from the Latino Student Leaders Org. Editor's Note: This statement is written by Jovahana Avila, president of LSLO. There are vast approaches through which you can analyze the impact of the Latino and Hispanic race. The topics of improving economically, obtaining a higher education and getting better healthcare are all connected to status in this country.

Immigration continues to be a national issue facing our racial group, and discrimination against our race is still prevalent in the surrounding areas. St. Edward’s University works towards informing students on the injustices that the Latinx community face, and empowers the community to be advocates of social justice.

Positive representation in the media, in the professional world and in the government is a growing issue facing our racial group. With Latinos making up the largest minority group in the United States, the U.S. Census faces some big tests in the future, including a redesigned question about Latino heritages. The St. Edward’s community makes efforts towards diversifying their faculty which reflects their commitment to inclusion of all races.

Professors who are an excellent representation of the aspirations that we as a community work to achieve include: Sara Villanueva who is a Professor of Psychology and the faculty advisor for the Latino Student Leaders Organization; Dr.

Hernández who is Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education; and Dr. Nunes who is an Associate Professor of Global Studies and Political Science.

While national education numbers show a drop in Latinx dropout rates and improvements in college attendants, access to the same kind of education remains an issue in the Unites States for Latinx students. However, here at St. Edward’s The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) offers a comprehensive program geared towards serving the needs of migrant students many of whom are firstgeneration students. This program creates a community for the students to feel comfortable seeking the tools to enhance their college experience.

As a first generation Mexican-American, I have experienced the challenges that face our current Latinx community first-hand. Because of the way I was raised, I grew up keenly aware of the need to improve my community and city. I was raised off my entire family’s hard work and willpower; that has opened my eyes and shown me how I always need to strive for improvement and work to strengthen my community. Which is why I am so passionate about Latino Student Leaders Organization because we work to unite members of all cultures and ethnicities to advance the progression of diversity.

Prejudice is a dirty word, and yet it exists in all of us. It is a component of our societal psychology. We avoid confronting it and analyzing it. We avoid talking about it, even though it exists in ourselves and other people.

Though we, the Black Student Alliance (BSA), cannot speak for the entire race, we can speak based upon our experiences. Our experience has been affected by the obvious disconnect between black students and non-black students on this campus. Within BSA, we have extensive conversations about current issues; however, even though we open ourselves up to non-black students (and faculty, staff members, anyone really) we rarely see more than five or six non-black participants out of an average of 40 people. We are forced to ask ourselves: What more can we offer as an alliance, as fellow students?

The climate of this campus reflects the climate of America. This is a powerful statement, but it’s true. From the national level, where “racial tension” often results in dead mothers and fathers, to the microcosm of St. Edward’s University, the same stress presents a lack of care or conversation.

As a black student collective, we have some uncomfortable issues to discuss and interact with on a day to day, month to month, lifetime to lifetime basis.

Conversation is such an important, impactful tool. It is a part of the solution to eliminate the space between “us and them.” Call it coincidence or divine intervention, but we got to witness the power of this rule while crafting this statement. We were

discussing the lack of racial discussion on this campus, not really understanding why our non-black counterparts seemed unwilling to participate in this discussion.

Surprisingly, a student came and offered her perspective. She explained why she chooses not to comment on race, saying “It’s [because of] a lack of confidence in knowledge that I don’t comment, not because I don’t care. Also, it does not affect me because I am not black.”

This is the same mentality of most Americans. It is the reason most of us are not aware of anything that does not affect us. It’s the same reason we do not discuss terrorism. Or the presidential election. Or economic crisis, health care, defunding of Planned Parenthood. Or #blacklivesmatter, which results in Americans not looking at world issues seriously if it does not include America. Somewhere in the conversation we asked how she felt now. Her response was that the gap felt just that much smaller. This is the point of BSA. This is where we stand. We, the black students, the white students, the next generation. It takes a personal initiative to educate yourself on ALL issues.

So, how do we get around this? When the forum is there for questions to be asked, what more can we offer as an alliance, as fellow students?

Despite all of these things, we would not want to be anyone else.

We love ourselves, our culture and our dilemmas — they continuously prove our resiliency to not only ourselves, but the world.

A message from the Black Student Alliance

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Africa is a vast continent with an ever-growing population. It consists of 54 sovereign countries, two de facto states and 10 territories. There are an estimated 3,000 tribes in Africa, each with their own unique culture and language.

Yet, despite the continent’s obvious diversity, the western world seems to compound Africa into a very small box of poverty and political insecurity. As Africans nowliving in a western country, we, members of the African Students Organization, have been frequently faced with people who have this aforementioned myopic view that society and the media has given them.

Even at St. Edward’s University, which prides itself on its diversity, we, representatives of ASO, its members and potential surrogates for other students on campus of the African diaspora, are still faced with various

concerning issues ranging from ignorance about Africa to the perpetuation of African stereotypes. These harm us in so many ways that some of us feel the need to distance ourselves from and deny our backgrounds, to put up a mask and assimilate the American culture at all costs.

We often meet with other Africans and discuss these misconceptions that affect our daily lives. The uncomfortable situations we are often thrust into can simply be amended by people educating themselves and picking up a book or doing research about the continent of Africa.

There needs to be a lot more opportunities for enlightenment about Africa on St. Edward’s campus. To accomplish this, non-Africans need to take the uncomfortable steps to join these discussions.

SARAH VALENUELA /HILLTOP VIEWS

So, we are extending an invitation to everyone to come whenever we have an event. Because Africa is not a country, we are not all poor and there’s a lot more to us than the media presents.

a message from the African Students Organization

Editor’s Note Hilltop Views reached out to several other student organizations for a statement, but did not recieve a response.

12 Every week, the editorial board reflects on a current issue in Our View. The position taken does not reflect the views of everyone on the Hilltop Views staff.

exponential number of species and subspecies of plant and animal life allow for a diverse, sustainable ecosystem where each player makes a distinct contribuThe point of our tion. race issue is not to cast Ecosystems are deliblame. We don’t want to cate and rely on this diverpoint fingers at the unisity – removing even one versity or at each other for piece can throw the whole being non-inclusive, biased, balance off, and although or outright racist. The point the earth is resilient and is to facilitate a conversawill eventually adapt, it’s tion about race that is open, important to make the effort informative and engaging. to preserve our environRacism is institument. tional, and institutions are Societies function composed of people who in a similar fashion. When are always changing. Rath- one or several cultures is er than pigeonholing diver- silenced or made invisible, sity as a struggle then, the the whole society suffers. aim of our campus dialogue Institutions become monoabout racial issues should chromatic, and instead of be at finding more construc- relying on several lenses tive ways of respecting and to inform them, societies understanding each other. become dependent on only Discussions about one narrow, dominant slice race invariably approach of experience. uncomfortable territory.

The human experiWhen we talk about race as ence is so much larger and a society, we usually talk varied, and all of us are about it as a detriment. We capable of learning about talk about how it causes life from multiple points of misunderstandings, how it views. bars people from opportuniSharing stories, ties and how it divides us. mythologies, concerns and We rarely talk about how it problems unique to our own enriches. experiences is essential to But diversity is what improving the state of relamakes the world rich; the tions at our university, our

nation and in our world.

As students at a university, we have a responsibility to engage each other in conversations about our experiences. We need to talk about race and culture, and not just in a generic “we represent dozens of different states and countries on our campus” kind of way.

A truly representative and diverse campus does not only seek to enroll foreign and minority students; it celebrates them.

The Black Student’s Alliance and the Multicultural Leadership Board have helped create and sustain a more active conversation about race on campus, but dialogue is still sporadic.

Other departments should be encouraged to contribute to this discussion as well, even if their primary goals aren’t improved cross-cultural relations or understanding.

At a Catholic university that promotes compassion and respect, learning to listen to each other should come easily to us. We should take advantage of the space we have to talk about race relations and

SARAH VALENZUELA/HILLTOP VIEWS

OUR VIEW learn about others’ lives.

None of us is colorblind, and assuming so is a cowardly way of relinquishing the privilege of confronting each others’ ideas and lifestyles.

We have to be willing to acknowledge our own prejudices in order to overcome them, which might feel a little like pulling teeth at first because they are so deeply rooted in our identities.

But in order to achieve real understanding and peace, we need to dive deep into the issues that affect the fundamental

aspects of our beings.

We should cherish and promote a diverse cultural landscape rather than assuming we are all the same, and that entails some profound, and at times, painful probing.

True exploration is uninhibited. It is messy and it is necessary. It takes some curiosity and courage, which you probably already have plenty of if you’re a university student.

After all, to take on your world is to be an educated traveler on every front; not just a tourist.

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By LILI HIME

MORE THAN A HASHTAG: WHY 'BLACK LIVES MATTER' MATTERS

Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Eric Garner. And that’s to name a few drops in an ocean.

In the wake of these tragic deaths and others, it’s a wonder why something as trivial as a hashtag like #BlackLivesMatter should matter.

Yet #BlackLivesMatter is more than a hashtag. It’s a call for justice and equality. It’s a call for all people to recognize institutional racism in this country and the marginalization of black lives in the recurring events of police brutality.

The racial equality movement has the same call that rang out with Rosa Park’s historic “no,” the same call that bellowed across the nation in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

However, dissenters have refused to even address the concern for safety by replying with the hashtag #AllLivesMatter. This response has received national attention, both positive and negative, and it’s a lot more inflammatory than it sounds at first.

The All Lives Matter hashtag poses the seemingly innocent question, “Do all lives matter?” Of course. The answer is so blatantly obvious that it begs the label of a rhetorical question, a question so painfully apparent that its hashtag should seemingly be supported without doubt.

However, the counter-movement fails to understand that no one is challenging whether all lives matter. Black Lives Matter activists’ hashtag is not a call to invalidate non-black lives; it’s a plea to validate black ones.

Black Lives Matter addresses the question, “Do black lives matter in this country?” With racial tensions on the rise, the answer is not so clear.

And if black lives do matter, why does our society turn a blind eye to the countless black lives lost?

Consider this: Your house is on fire, smoke billowing out of the windows.

When firefighters arrive on scene, you point them to your home, yelling for help, only for your neighbors to jump in front of you. The neighbors steal the attention of the firefighters, demanding that their houses need help too. One neighbor has no working plumbing, another has roof damage, and a final neighbor just needs a new paint job.

In no way is your request for help to put out the fire demeaning the quitevalid work other households need. However, your house is the one on fire at the moment; yours is the one experiencing destruction. Like no one else’s home, yours is the one that needs immediate attention.

With this metaphor in mind, the All Lives Matter hashtag acts as if specifying a group in a movement’s name is to demean others. It acts as if the hashtag reads only black lives matter when in actuality, the Black Lives Matter movement means that black lives matter too.

However, there is a bigger issue here. While innocent-sounding at first, All Lives Matter is at its core an age-old silencing tactic, a distraction from the real issue and is absolutely disrespectful to the very real concern for safety that black people feel in this country.

So just like the Black Lives Matter hashtag means something greater than a trend on social media, the All Lives Matter hashtag’s meaning is more than a harmless, color-blind statement. #AllLivesMatter is a refusal to acknowledge the existence of racism in this country — a refusal so strong that it decimates the fears of a people.

It is the slogan of a nation that fails to recognize the suffering of a race.

It is the slogan of a nation that disowns the suffering of its children, children like Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin.

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THE HEART BEHIND THE BADGE

By Elizabeth Gonzales

I am a proud member of the blue family. For 23 years now, my dad has walked out of the house everyday wearing his uniform proudly with only one goal in mind: to protect.

My dad, Sgt. Robert Gonzales, has been protecting not only our family, but the city of Houston for 23 years. I have always lived in fear for my his life and even more so now.

I make sure to kiss my father every time he leaves the house. I make sure to always end every phone call with an “I love you” because I truly do not know if that will be the last goodbye I get to say to him.

My father and many other law enforcement officers can no longer walk in uniform without receiving nasty stares, being called awful names and fearing for their lives in public.

More often than not, police officers are dealing with people who have broken the law, and I have almost lost my father in the line of duty.

On Feb. 15, 2001, my dad clocked a speeding car turning too fast from a surface street onto a service road and attempted to flag the driver over. The car was not slowing down, so he walked over, trying to make eye contact with the driver — briefly taking his eyes off the exiting traffic.

As he approached the car, another speeding car exited the freeway into the lane occupied by my father and the vehicle he had stopped for speeding. Trying to avoid a collision, my dad ran to the left, but the car switched lanes as well.

The car violently hit my dad. He flew onto the roof of the car, then was thrown onto the hood and slammed onto the pavement, snapping his pelvis in half.

“As I was put on the board by paramedics, my entire spine cracked, which scared me. I moved my feet to see if I was paralyzed. Luckily, I was not. I asked my partner, prior to being loaded, to pick up my wife and bring her to the hospital,” my father vividly remembers.

This long recovery process affected not only him but me. I laid by his side every night for two months when he was bound to a hospital bed. Do you know what it is like to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Do you know what it feels like to almost lose your father?

One of my father’s most gratifying cases occurred on his first year on the job. A rape victim, who was visibly shaken, was able to describe the suspect and details of the incident. My father went to the location and found the suspect along with the weapon that had been used. My father was able to make the arrest and file charges for rape.

“I joined [the police force] to help people, but you soon learn many people do not want your help,” he said. “Officers change

COURTESY OF ELIZABETH GONZALES

Sgt. Robert Gonzales and his children Nicholas and Elizabeth at the Navidad en el Barrio event in 2013.

people's lives without knowing on a daily basis, but we usually see people at their worst times.”

The rhetoric that has been spread on social media and news outlets has completely made police out to be the bad guys. My father believes the emergence of video cameras allow people to quickly record usually only police officers’ reactions and not the initial, provocative actions that led to that reaction.

“Now granted, there are or have been those officers who cross the line, but I have never personally seen it occur in my presence my entire career,” my father said. “Those officers are not thought of very highly by our own and usually end up fired and/or jailed.

But by far, those that do are very few.”

My father is my role model, my hero. My father is someone who I aspire to be like. My father is not the pig or racist, but a loving, hardworking and selfless man. My father is a public servant. He lays his life on the line for your life.

Who do you call when you’re in danger? My father. Who do you call when an emergency happens? My father. Who is there for you when no one else is? My father. Although you may spew hate about my father and the men and women he works with, law enforcement officers protect you without hesitation.

Before you spew hate, please remember that he is a father, son, husband and friend before he is an officer. Please remember that when you spew hate, you are only creating more hate. Please remember that a handful of officers do not represent the whole population of officers. Please remember that not only do blue lives matter, but all lives matter.

For every officer in blue, this one is for you. Thank you for being brave, courageous and strong, despite what others may think of you. Thank you for serving your community. Thank you for giving your life to others so they can live a life without fear.

15

true diversity strengthens campus community

By TERI L. VARNER Does it really matter if your professor is the same racial or ethnic background as you? The answer will probably depend upon the student you ask. For me, absolutely! When I was an undergraduate student at Eastern Michigan University, I knew most if not all the black faculty on campus.

The racial identity of my instructors mattered.

Although EMU is more than three times the size of St. Edward’s University, research confirms that many students tend to gravitate toward faculty members who look like them or of the same race or ethnicity in search of empathy for common cultural experiences and mentoring, according to a study conducted by two black professors, Kimberly A. Griffin and Richard J. Reddick.

Faculty diversity is an issue at most academic institutions and it has been this way since the unification of black and white schools.

The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court introduced state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. Nearly 62 years later, the politics of education persists. There's not a public or private university in this country that would say that they're content with where they are on minority faculty hiring. The question that persists is, why?

It is true the expectations of faculty outside of the classroom are enormous.

However a “diverse” faculty member probably has triple the amount of extra obligations than a faculty member who is white and male.

In “Sista Docta: Performance as Critique of the Academy,” Dr. Joni L. Jones provides a harrow-

Numerous scholars have examined the hardships and inequities encountered

by African American women who work in historically white universities. Other scholars have investigated the political and social structure of predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and offered recommendations for cultivating more inclusive academic cul-

ing account of the demands placed on a young black female professor working toward tenure at a large research university. Women of color are few and far between in senior positions in academia. Feelings of isolation and tokenism and issues relating to mentoring and teaching load, professional development, service responsibilities and committee work for faculty of color in the academic world is tremendous— often to the detriment of research and publication that would lead to their own advancement in rank and power.

tures for faculty of color in general. African American females, in their pursuit of tenure and promotion at PWIs, are faced with arduous external and internal challenges that can be overcome through a resilience to succeed.

Despite the expansion of the overall population of the US professoriate, the growth of African American and other faculty of color remains sluggish— particularly at the rank of full professor. Academia has traditionally been a predominately white maledominated profession.

While I do not speak for the

other “sista doctas” here at St. Edward’s, I can relate to the daunting challenges faced by academic women of color as we navigate the often hostile terrain of higher education, including hiring, promotion, tenure, and relations with students, colleagues, and administrators is real.

It is especially exhausting without allies. By allies, I specifically mean those faculty members who are willing to speak up and take action on behalf of their “diverse” colleagues. These allies need to apply what Dr. Omi Osun in her lecture, “6 Rules for Allies (2010)” rule #2: Be loud and crazy so black folks don’t have to be.

Speak out. Speak up. If you are male – you be the one to tell your department chair that the women’s salaries in your department must be brought in line with the men’s salaries. If you are white, you be the one to advocate for the qualified graduate student of color applicant over the qualified white graduate student applicant.

To provide this support, higher education leaders must remain cognizant of the negative socialization experiences that are faced by women and faculty of color. I do believe that St. Edward’s is making a concentrated effort to have a diverse faculty population. I also want to encourage the students to seek out faculty members that are allies until more diverse faculty members are hired.

16

C O U RT E SY O F P H I L OA K L E Y

cesar chavez

1966 LABOR DAY MARCH

St. Edward’s University received a special collection of previously unpublished color photographs at the beginning of the school year which document part of the historic 1966 Labor Day march from Rio Grande City to the Capitol in Austin.

On part of the march, the group stayed on the St. Edward’s campus. Despite the objection of many, the university president allowed the group to stay.

Among the photos are snapshots of the iconic civil rights leader Cesar Chavez on Congress

Ave. with South Texas farm workers who had made the entire 490 mile journey on foot.

These photos are important not only because they depict Chavez’ burgeoning role as a national leader, but because they vividly display the struggle that so many Mexican-American farm workers lived and died by, and still do today.

These photos were taken by a journalist who had the foresight to attend a monumental strike that the majority of the establishment had written off.