My parents are from the South. They grew up during segregation, lynching, the Ku Klux Klan, and Jim Crow. I was the first child born in the North. I grew up during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panther Party, the rise of the Nation of Islam, the riots, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and many more. My daughter is growing up through voter suppression, Stop and Frisk tactics, Stand Your Ground laws, and the elimination of the middle class to name a few. My family history is not unique. Most African-Americans my age with roots in the South can probably tell a similar story. This is our history; this is part of our American experience. Throughout it all one thing has remained constant, our ability to stay the course and persevere. "Do you want to take the blue pill or the red pill?" I'm a big fan of The Matrix. I own the trilogy and watch them often. This was the question that Morpheus asked Neo. Neo chose the red pill and it freed him from the Matrix. The question for us today is are we living in a modern day matrix? Have we become complacent and satisfied with self-gratification? Have we allowed ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of security? We have our houses, cars, careers, and all of the gadgets that we can possibly get our hands on. We have broken most of the barriers that existed in the sixties We have leaders in almost all aspects of industry. We even have an African American president. We also have ALEC, voter suppression, "Stand Your Ground" laws, and no reduction in Black on Black crime. Sometimes being socially aware and socially responsible means looking in the mirror and honestly assessing what’s on our radar as compared to what should be. Are we following our own agenda? Have we allowed the agenda to be defined for us? There are many theories as to why of all the murders of young African American men Trayvon Martin garnered national attention. Regardless of the reason I am happy that it did because it exposed the “Stand Your Ground” laws and the influence that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has on impacting public policy at the state level. We, in turn have held rallies, vigils, signed petitions, and did whatever we could to ensure that this case stays in the public eye. I personally was involved in the coordination of the 1000 Campus Vigil for Trayvon Martin. All of this work is necessary and vital. I am proud of the work that I have done and I applaud all those that have and are continuing to press forward until justice for Trayvon has been served. My concern is that I don’t see a concerted effort to look in our own back yard. It seems that racial profiling discussions are back on the legislative agenda. Last week Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) chaired a hearing on racial profiling in America – the first hearing on the issue in over a decade. Below is an excerpt from Sen. Durbin’s website:
“African Americans continue to face racial profiling on the streets and sidewalks of American cities. Since 9-11, Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and South-Asian Americans have faced national origin and religious profiling. And a recent spate of federal, state, and local measures has subjected Hispanic Americans to an increase in racial profiling under the guise of combating illegal immigration.” Durbin said. “Racial profiling undermines the rule of law and strikes at the core of our nation’s commitment to equal protection for all.” (The complete article is here http://durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=a8191909-fc81-4f66-bbb5-285e763f35e8). Ten years since the last one, wow. I wonder what’s been going on for the past ten years. I also wonder how many of us even knew there was a hearing. There are many issues and challenges affecting African Americans and other persons of color today. Some of them make the headlines but the majority of them do not. Throughout the past sixty years college students have played a significant role in bringing some of these issues to the forefront. On campuses today there are thousands of students having events, promoting initiatives, facilitating discussions, and so on focusing on social awareness and social responsibility. Although I do not have the empirical evidence to support my position, I submit that most of this good work goes unnoticed. I believe that if we create a mechanism for college students to communicate and share information, a “Marketplace” of sorts, they will be in a better position to collaborate and work collectively. It is for this reason that The “Marketplace” for Social Awareness and Social Responsibility was launched. |
EditorErnest R. Heyward is the Founder and President of the Marketplace for Social Awareness and Social Responsibility Inc. Categories
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