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Show OPINIONS VOLUME LINSSUE 9 I II ■ ► OCTOBER 3, 2011 IA The unbearable blackness of being One student's musings on the conversation of race in Utah By FELICIA JOY Opinions Writer Recently I was involved in a discussion about experiences of racism among some friends on campus. A white girl interrupted the minorities who were speaking and said, "I'm so sick of you guys complaining Racism would probably go away if you just didn't talk about it so much." Without any hesitation, my group of friends responded simultaneously, "No, it won't." Racism will not go away if minorities stop talking about it. Moreover, non-minorities speak of racism so selectively, that minorities feel a sense of urgency to participate in the discourse that affects our lives daily whenever possible. I have been told by a lot of white people that maybe there's a bias or a negligence or an ignorance towards black people in Utah, but it is not near as bad as the racism that one would encounter on the east coast or the south. I've had Caucasians relate to me their experience being the only person of their race at a job or at school. They tell me, "I know what discrimination is like." They also tell me that it's not as bad as I think. Having lived as a black woman in Utah, on the east coast and in the south, I'd like to explain what I feel is the difference. Much of the racism I encountered on the east coast and in the south was so blatant that you could not dismiss it as anything else. When I experienced dismissal or disrespect as a result of my ethnicity, I was also in a diverse community where others like me could empathize. They were able to encourage me and reassure me that the instances of injustice were, in fact, unjust. When something happens that is obviously discriminatory, there's almost a comfort in the ability to know that it has nothing to do with you, but with someone else's myopic worldview. I use the word "comfort" quite literally because being the "only one" is lived with a certain amount of discomfort. On the east coast, for example, Martin Luther King Day is a big deal. People aren't just talking about it on panels in college but on the front porch, around the dinner tables and at the parade. While people here in Utah take the day to say, "Look how far we've come," the southern response would probably be, "Yeah, we ain't far enough!" The east coast might take a look around the valley and say, "Yeah, define 'we'?" In this age of political correctness, most people know better than to say and do what will get them sued. Much of the racism that I have confronted here in Utah has been so subtle it's easy to internalize and justify. I will think things like, "I One of these things is not like the other. And it's not going away, so we'd better talk about it. know they judged my work unfairly but perhaps they than, the white males who every famous black female don't like me as a person were in most of my classes. on television. I know how and it has nothing to do with From that semester to this to answer questions like, being black." When I talked day I am more paranoid and "What's the black perspecwith a white psychologist thorough about citations and tive on the death of Michael about my experiences with bibliographies than anyone Jackson?" I have learned a lot of people here, she told I know. I had never heard how to constructively conme, "You seem to have a of the phrase, "token black front other students who problem of very black and person," until college and have justified my success white thinking." In response, found myself disoriented in my program with the exI told her that I literally have by my constant labeling as cuse that affirmative action some very black and white such. I was alienated and put me here. There's been a experiences. excluded from study groups curious rise in the usage of I started at this university and review sessions even the "N word" this semester when I was fifteen. I'm the though my excellent grades and I rarely hesitate to tell first black woman to gradu- were well known. I learned the person who used it that ate with a philosophy de- quickly that if I were to at- if they continue to be so gree in the entire history of tain a degree, it was going to lacking in self-awareness, the school, which is strange be quite a lonesome under- one day, someone someto think about. My very taking. where, will probably beat first semester I got called I'm older now. Looking them within an inch of their into professor's offices on a back, there were things I life. I figure it's nice to weekly basis with concerns accomplished wwagainst warn people. that I had plagiarized. Never odds that now seem pretty There are maybe some once was I found guilty of enormous. I've adjusted folks who after reading this it, because I never submitted to the kinds of quirks you article will think, "Yeah, but any work which was not my find in a lot of mostly white I'm not racist." Maybe this own. However, I concluded places. I've gotten used to thought will be followed by, from these experiences that I racial jokes, listening to "I have a ton of black friends, was not supposed to write as justifications for slavery or or black family members." well, or in some cases better being told that I look like This reply always startles me GILBERT CISNEROS/UVU REVIEW in two ways. First, the underlying tone is, "I'm not racist, because I happen to know and enjoy other people who are not of my race." This is a sentiment that can usually be expressed by the privileged alone and it just sounds silly. Secondly, the black friends being referenced might say, "There's a difference between friends and friendliness." Unfortunately, a lot of white people think they are on better terms with the black people they know than they actually are. There's this funny phrase recently developed in academia called, "post civil rights." It's funny cause it feels like the leftovers in the fridge that look fine on the outside but you don't trust it enough to nuke it or ingest it because of what's lurking in its depths. To me the phrase smacks of careful avoidance, because I feel like we aren't "post" anything. There are more black men ages 18-25 in prison than in college. Segregation, environmental exploitation, latent white supremacist thinking and discrimination in almost all social systems flourish in ways that aren't civil or right or, least of all things, in the past. Acquiring my degree in a white, male dominated program has been difficult. My survival kit for hard days consist of Tupac albums, calling my friends from out of state and developing a healthy balance of anger and patience for the meanness that targets me so often. There's a palpable tension resulting from my presence in classrooms the first few weeks of class. There's a lot of staring and, on my end, there's a lot of smiling. Overall, though, there is hope inside me - not that racial problems will be over, but that people around here will more readily accept the fact that they aren't. Terror on the toilet: one man's journey for safety when nature calls By CAMERON SIMEK Opinions Writer Bathrooms: a simple bastion of safety in our lives. That one small trip at home, is a small reminder of your safety and the conveniences of a modern life. That same trip in public, for some, becomes an epic test of one's strength and determination. The bathrooms at UVU are certainly clean. In fact, I would say that of the bathrooms I've used in my time, the level of cleanliness here at the home of the Wolverines is superb. I almost never feel dirty while going about my business, and I notice that there is custodial staff in there frequently making sure everything is indeed next to godliness for our students. Cleanliness is definitely not the problem here. I know it sounds a little ridiculous, but the thought of using the bathroom in public terrifies me. I feel unsafe having to perform my duty around others. Even if the CONTAC T. This is an equally traumatizing experience for everybody involved. entire restroom is empty, I fear the possibility of intrusion. I feel immobilized and my performance anxiety keeps me in discomfort for most of the day. This isn't simply about me, though. Fear of a restroom GILBERT CISNEROS/UVU REVIEW intrusion affects many of us. Restrooms are one of the few spots on this campus where privacy is the ideal standard. But that privacy isn't being protected as well as it should be. The bathrooms on campus, instead of provid- ing privacy, provide students with a grotesque show - probably one they would prefer to never see. Simply put, the bathrooms on campus are not safe, and offer very little in the way of privacy for students. Yes, there are doors, and yes the doors have locks. The problem is that there are stall doors on campus that don't lock. Those that do lock don't actually hold the door closed. There is one bathroom I've used where the door doesn't even try to close. It merely hangs there, taunting you with the false hope of privacy, but providing nothing to protect you from prying eyes. The men's room on the second floor of the business building is the culprit. The first time in that stall was a horrifying experience for me. I stepped inside, and began preparing to take care of my business. I went to lock the door, and noticed something off-putting. It didn't close. Well, it did, but there was a gap of at least two inches between the door and the lock. It couldn't possibly lock, and I decided that instead of giving the other gentlemen in the bathroom a show, I would take my business elsewhere. To my surprise and dis- OPINIONS EDITOR ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR OPINIONS DESIGNER jrboyce@gmail.com felicialartey@gmail.com tjmendenhall@q.com JOHN-ROSS BOYCE FELICIA JOY TARALYN MENDENHALL may, however, I found that there aren't many stalls in the restrooms that work. In fact, there is only about one stall per bathroom that provides any security during your intimate times. This is an unacceptable number. There can't be just one place where privacy can be guaranteed when nature comes calling. The odds of managing to get that trustworthy stall every time are quite slim, and eventually you will be forced to use the one that doesn't lock. Holding a door closed with your foot while trying to balance on top of a toilet, all the while taking care of your digestive duties is a difficult task, and one that no student should have to endure. I don't think it takes much work to make sure that all the stalls work properly. Maybe just properly calibrating them at the beginning of the year would solve all these problems. Until then, I know I won't feel safe in the stall. |
