Racist sentiments still alive in new millenium

By Susan Anderson

I think that the idea of a "multicultural" dorm is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard. From where I stand it appears as though this desperate attempt to promote multiculturalism does nothing less than promote division amongst the races. Here's why.

On Oct. 7, 2000, the New York Times ran an article by Frank B. Wilderson entitled, "Breathing While Black, The Whole Town Goes to Jail." I read the article only as part of an assignment for my English II class in which we have spent the bulk of our studies focusing on racial issues. This class has done much to open my eyes to racial issues I was otherwise ignorant of, and this article in particular provided me with some startling information.

The article illustrates an evening in which 10 percent of the black population in Tulia, Texas (30 percent of the adult black population) was "rounded up, dragged from their beds in underpants and see-through negligees, paraded in front of the media to be photographed, booked and convicted ... Each person was convicted of being a crack cocaine dealer. All on the testimony of one (white) 'undercover' agent." To make matters worse, this "undercover agent" is described by social workers and law enforcement officials as a "hot tempered man obsessed with guns" and a "compulsive liar."

As I read this article, I was, I must admit, only mildly disturbed by the case. I immediately brushed it off yet another horrible yet long since passed blemish in our nation's history. However, I was horrified when I realized the date this event took place - July 23, 1999. While reading the article I had assumed, while taking into consideration the sub-human treatment of the supposed "cocaine dealers," as well as the less than lawful treatment of their cases, that this event had taken place no later than the 1960s. Realizing the recency of the event put things, quite obviously, into a whole other light. This realization led me to recall a conversation I had had with an associate of mine earlier this year.

This man is a former Los Angeles Police Department SWAT Sergeant who continues to teach SWAT tactics classes to policeman across the nation. Through his work he was invited to participate in an annual conference held in San Antonio Texas. While there, he had the "pleasure" of dining with several members of a Texas police department. He said he was dumbfounded by the conversation that took place between the men. According to this man, they sat bragging about the "niggers" they had pulled over and beaten, speaking as though this were some great accomplishment that they strove for daily. After hearing this story I was equally dumbfounded.

I suppose that I am lucky. Growing up in Los Angeles, I have had the opportunity to be exposed to people from all different backgrounds. I have come to not only respect people for their differences, but to celebrate them. It is this life education that I believe is responsible for my ability to see past racial lines. I have always viewed such blatant racism as a thing of the past, a problem dealt with by my parents and their parents, a problem handled and solved. While I was aware that "racists" still existed, I never dreamed that such horrible things could still take place on such grand scales, without being brought to the public's attention and, later, to justice. I was disgustingly naive. I am no more.

It is this realization through education that I will be a more productive and full member of my society. Education is everything, and, as my life has shown me, racism bears no exception. The only way to successfully rid our society of racism, if that is even possible, is to educate. This brings me back to the concept behind "Unity," Santa Clara's multicultural dormitory.

While we attend one of the nation's most prestigious universities, our campus is in no way free from racist attitudes. I witnessed this first hand when I told several other girls in my class that I would be attending a KAPPA fraternity party, hoping that they would want to join me. Two different girls responded similarly, saying, "Aren't you scared?" I had no clue what to say, and, being literally dumb-founded, said nothing. I simply walked away in utter astonishment, losing an immense amount of respect for each individual while at the same time feeling sorry for them.

I look back and think, "Scared?" Are there honestly people at this school that think that every black man is a rapist or a murder, or at least someone holding serious criminal potential, someone to be avoided at all costs? The truth of the matter is, there are. This sickens me, as I hope it does you. However, this is not a lost cause. Santa Clara claims to hold the goal of instilling competence, conscience and compassion in its students. One way that it can do so is by abolishing the idea of the multicultural dorm. It does not take a rocket science to realize that the presence of minorities in Unity is at least double that in any other dorm on campus. One way to educate is through exposure, and the segregation of its students does little to promote that.

While Santa Clara may not be able to directly affect the ignorance of the Texas policemen I mentioned earlier, Santa Clara can affect the outlooks of its own students. As we often hear, we need to take "baby steps." Maybe getting rid of Unity is one baby step we might consider making. Maybe it's not.

The point is that we consider the baby steps we might take in our own lives and as a university to promote awareness on our campus as well as our greater community. While many of us may be quick to assume, as I once did, that racism is a thing of the past, the truth is that it isn't. As the hackneyed saying goes, "the truth hurts." My question to you is: What are you going to do about it?