Why all PWI’s should be waving the flag for ‘Black Lives Matter’
We live in a country where a flag hanging the words Black Lives Matter is deemed more problematic than the killings of Black lives at the hands of police.
A photo that recently surfaced from the University of Vermont has had a lot of people talking over the past few days. The striking image is one of a Black Lives Matter flag that was temporarily displayed on the university’s campus.
In an Instagram post, the University of Vermont explained why it felt there was a need for the flag to hang. The post read: “This weekend, #UVM’s Student Government Association is sponsoring a #BlackLivesMatter flag at the Davis Center to show support when so many are struggling with the violence and search for justice in this country.”
The flag must’ve caused a lot of controversy on campus, because within 24 hours of its arrival, it was stolen from its flagpole. A simple, yet powerful gesture once again disbanded at the hands of privilege and discomfort. But it appears the institution’s student government did exactly what it set out to do: make people uncomfortable.
And while the flag is certainly a positive step in the right direction, some have called for the university to go a step further by tackling campus diversity.
It does, however, beg a very important question: Could the Black Lives Matter flag serve as symbolism against racism on college campuses and beyond?
This is inspiring ! University of Vermont mounts “Black Lives Matter” Flag on campus pic.twitter.com/HcbFN6IJto
— The HBCURoundTable ™ (@HBCU_Roundtable) September 23, 2016
Contrastingly, white supremacists have used symbolism of their own through the Confederate flag and disguised their racist attacks behind the guise of having a black president. It’s a consistent theme conservatives have used over the last 8 years to make the case about America’s so-called progress, even as we lose black lives almost everyday.
What the university’s bold move really says is that America may finally be ready to put its racist shortcomings to bed — but not without first healing its long existing wounds.
Without implementing further action, UVM may prove to be no different than other PWI’s that lack a safe environment for African-American students. Because after all, many students of color will continue to enter classrooms that do not reflect people who look like them. Those students may also still face racial discrimination and hostility at a place where they are expected to learn.
Despite sending a bold statement in support of racial equality, the University of Vermont still has some work to do of its own. According to a 2014 report on the University of Vermont’s website, the African-American undergraduate student population was only comprised of 1.1 percent, or 107, African-American students. Its graduate program, with a total of only 14 black students, rounds out just a little higher at 1.8 percent. And while diversity and racial sensitivity certainly needs to be addressed at the University of Vermont and other predominantly white institutions, you don’t make progress without taking the first step.
History shows us that you can’t enhance your understanding by refusing to learn. In fact, poor performances may only force you to repeat it. For far too long, America has failed to address arguably its most important domestic issue: systematic racism and white supremacy. Mostly because it’s a subject too many are still uncomfortable delving into.
Perhaps it would require the relinquishing of power. It’s what makes the ‘Black Lives Matter’ flag waving right next to the American flag so powerful. It’s a daily reminder of the privileges whites are afforded in a country still not fully welcoming to all. In 2016, we still live in a country where a flag sporting the words “Black Lives Matter” is deemed more problematic than the unjust killings of black lives at the hands of police brutality. And that’s problematic, especially when the intent of college is to educate.
This fall alone, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, an increase of approximately 5.2 million students since 2000. In 2014, 40 percent of the population between the ages of 18 and 24 was enrolled in college. It is because of this significantly large population achieving the same goal that institutions of higher education are the perfect place to have this conversation.
But we have to do it right.
Imagine the sound of nails scratching across a blackboard. It’s painful, uncomfortable and uneasy, yet eventually it goes away. But imagine what life would be like if that uneasy feeling never went away. That’s exactly how it feels to blacks when people scream, “All Lives Matter.”
Privilege heals any temporary discomfort, forgives America of any wrongdoings that has historically benefited the white cis-gender male. But here is where the major difference lies. When blacks speak on injustice, discrimination and racially-targeted experiences, we don’t have the privilege of ignoring this screeching sound of discomfort, because it’s embedded into our everyday lives. To ignore this or combat it with rhetoric such as “I don’t see color” or “All Lives Matter” simply undermines these experiences.
By raising the Black Lives Matter flag, the University of Vermont is initiating a difficult conversation, but will other predominately white institutions follow?
The back-to-back reports of blackface and racial undertones at the University of North Dakota are not new; social media has only exposed it more. But what can we expect when too many institutions are still stuck in their old ways, simply touting diversity through advertisement and not upholding it in any tangible, meaningful way? After all, it wasn’t until October 2015 that the University of Mississippi finally removed its discriminatory Confederate flag from its campus.
So because of how life-changing these experiences are for African-Americans, here is a call to action.
Predominately White Institutions: Will you stand up to the challenge and wave the Black Lives Matter flag proudly? Will you dare take it a step further and incorporate African-American history and culture into your institutional curriculum? Will you make African-American issues university-wide issues?
If you’re truly as committed as you say you are, the answer should be a resounding yes.
