Racism still exists at MSU, across U.S.

After being at MSU for four years, I’ll walk across the stage at Breslin Center and into another chapter of my life in May.

I can honestly say this institution has made a woman out of me. But that’s the point, right? People are supposed to grow and mature through education.

We sit in ISS and IAH classes that seemingly have nothing to do with our majors. We’re there to learn more than facts — these classes enable us to be more informed individuals so we can be productive citizens in the world. We spend thousands of dollars a year at this school not only for classes but for an experience.

I’m talking about the “We are one” experience. The one that gives us goose bumps when we come together and rally for MSU. It’s the, “I don’t know ‘bout you, but I bleed green, and I’ll shout ‘Go Green, Go White’ until the day someone sprinkles my ashes across the Atlantic” experience that keeps us together.

And when we see schools — even rival ones — experience a tragedy, we join forces with other colleges and universities to grieve because we’ve all had that same collegiate experience. Shedding tears for them means we’re all connected, no matter what colors we wear.

But as a black student on this campus, I haven’t always felt like I was one included in the “We are one” slogan we Spartans love so dearly.

Instead of one, 7.4 is the number that is in the forefront of my mind. I am a part of the 7.4 percent of black students on this campus. I am a part of the about 15 percent of ethnic minorities enrolled at this school, according to data from the Office of the Registrar.

And when you do the math, that leaves 85 percent left.

Coming to this university, I knew I would be one of few minorities here. I thought I was prepared for being the only black person in my classes. I thought that with the intellect and charisma I know I have, I would be able to speak eloquently about race and maybe even be persuasive when telling the 85 percent that racism is real.

In classes, I wanted to shout it and I wanted people to feel where I was coming from. I found that although many agreed with my stance, rarely did they speak against racism.

The people who claimed to be so “liberal” showed the most indifference toward race issues. They didn’t want to get too uncomfortable when talking about the issues.

Maybe they thought keeping it “hush, hush” would make it disappear from their minds. In reality, most things at this university and in this world cater to the white majority. Most people don’t have to think about race.

Whether you want to believe racism exists or that it’s a figment in people of color’s imaginations, it’s here and it’s real.

The complacency of the majority is the main reason racism exists. If you have the power to evoke change and you ignore it, that makes you as bad as the bigots and racists in society.

Don’t forget the recent Jena Six trial or the racial inequities stemming from Hurricane Katrina.

Don’t ignore issues you think don’t affect you. If the football slogan “We are one” is real, let’s make it true off the field and in our lives as well. Let’s rally for each other’s causes.

Jessica Haynes is The State News nation and world editor. She can be reached at haynesj4@msu.edu.

Published on Tuesday, January 15, 2008