The Rise of Garnet and Blue Complacency
It was thought to be the beginning of a regular school day at this particular institution of higher learning in a small rural town. The early dawn enriched by the cool crispness of the air was typical of an early March morning in the South. However, to the surprise of a young student photographer and many of his colleagues, all thoughts of a “regular” school day was interrupted by the remains of an effigy hanging from a tree in front of the home that was occupied by the president of this particular college. Prior to the arrival of the student photographer, the students of the college participated in a “ritual lynching” of an effigy that was a representation of the institution’s president for his conservatism and unwavering loyalty to the “ALL WHITE” Board of Trustees that governed this historical black institution instead of his constituency – the students.
However, on that March morning in 1956 marked the beginning of the evolution of student activism. This new movement was birth on the campus of what was then known as South Carolina State College today known around the global community as South Carolina State University. The student photographer was Cecil Williams and Dr. Benner C. Turner was president of the college. Can you imagine this took place four years before the infamous Greensboro sit-ins and yet many students of SC State do not know that loyal sons and daughters were the architects of modern student activism?
Fifty-one years of have passed since that early dawn morning and through the annals of time our cherished grooves and classic halls have stood witness to the Orangeburg Massacre and most recently the first debate of the 2008 Presidential Election. But with all these historical milestones what has happened to the rich heritage of student activism? Where does being a student activist or being a progressive thinker fit in an era of rude social behavior that is seen and imitated by those who view the programming that is offered by Black Exploitation Television? And it baffles me that 21st Century collegians allow social atrocities and injustices like the Jena Six to occur and still yet find the time to learn how to “Crank dat” or learn the other numerous dances that make “us” appear as the modern black face Sambo?
No longer do we feel that “we are all in this together” but now it’s “every man for his or her self.” At the start of this academic year amid the concerns and upheaval concerning housing it was commonly heard among our seasoned brothers and sisters that “as long as I have somewhere to lay my head then I’m good.” But what about those hundreds of students who did not have housing and were victims of the mismanagement caused by this institution’s administration? Yet, the first thing that majority of us as students and administrators use as a recruiting tool is that we are all members of the Bulldog Family and yet new members of our family are escorted out by the police with unanswered questions and there are those other members of our family that air our dirty laundry on the nightly local news. Just maybe this all fits in with the “New State of Mind?”
What if Fred Moore, Henry Monteith Turner, Samuel Hammond, Henry Smith, Delano Middleton, Cleveland Sellers, and the numerous other students who made up the Orangeburg Freedom Movement decided that risking their education that their parents paid for and more importantly their lives for other people but mainly for those generations yet to come was not worth it? What if they all operated under the “every man for his or her self” mentality?
Its amazing how the SCSU Chapter of the NAACP struggles to have an active and involve membership but over fifty years ago there was a South Carolina law that made it illegal for faculty members of this institution and similar colleges across this state to be members of this civil rights organization but the faculty members did not let that stopped their activism. Dr. Benner Turner discouraged the students of SC State from participating with the NAACP but yet that did not deter them from their movement of student activism.
In 2007 there no South Carolina laws or any known discouragement from today’s administration from joining the SCSU Chapter of the NAACP so where are the students? Why is every meeting after the first meeting empty? Most assuredly when “aspirants” attempt to join a fraternity or sorority they use FALSE information, this is evident when asked the question “What on campus activities are you most involved with?” Top answers for that particular question include being a member of the NAACP and/or Student Government Association. Paying your membership dues and SGA Activity Fee does not make an individual an active and involve member. However what makes an active and involve member is when that individual moves forward the vision of the organization and is actively advancing the organization’s agenda.
With the rise of complacency individuals become comfortable and settle for mediocrity never challenging the powers that be for the quality service and for excellence that is expected. One of sign of being complacent is compliance. During the years of the institution of slavery, the slaves were compliant due to fear of being whipped. What fears do we have that we can’t challenge the system be it local, state, or national? Settling for mediocrity now during undergraduate years may result in the settling of mediocrity, social atrocities, and injustices in the real world. We are the next generation, we are the next alumni of this institution, we are the next professionals, we are the next elected officials, and most importantly we are the future.
If I based our future off watching the negative images portrayed by the media or even entertain the discussion on whether someone is black enough to become the next President of the United States of America in the 21st Century I would say we are doomed. But we must make up in our minds to fight beyond the distractions and traps that have been set for us and pick up the baton in the marathon life passed by those student activists of the days of old and simply fight the power! The late Civil Rights activist Ms. Rosa Parks said, “When people made up their minds that they wanted to be free and took action, then there was change.” As collegians in order for us to see change in Bulldog Country, South Carolina, and the United States of America we must make up our minds that we want change and then take action! If we can be faithful to the meltdowns, parties, and the local clubs than why can’t be faithful to the NAACP, Student Government Association, and other progressive awareness groups because these are the organizations that allow us to enjoy the freedoms of life and we reap the fruits of these organizations’ labor. Wake up….
It was thought to be the beginning of a regular school day at this particular institution of higher learning in a small rural town. The early dawn enriched by the cool crispness of the air was typical of an early March morning in the South. However, to the surprise of a young student photographer and many of his colleagues, all thoughts of a “regular” school day was interrupted by the remains of an effigy hanging from a tree in front of the home that was occupied by the president of this particular college. Prior to the arrival of the student photographer, the students of the college participated in a “ritual lynching” of an effigy that was a representation of the institution’s president for his conservatism and unwavering loyalty to the “ALL WHITE” Board of Trustees that governed this historical black institution instead of his constituency – the students.
However, on that March morning in 1956 marked the beginning of the evolution of student activism. This new movement was birth on the campus of what was then known as South Carolina State College today known around the global community as South Carolina State University. The student photographer was Cecil Williams and Dr. Benner C. Turner was president of the college. Can you imagine this took place four years before the infamous Greensboro sit-ins and yet many students of SC State do not know that loyal sons and daughters were the architects of modern student activism?
Fifty-one years of have passed since that early dawn morning and through the annals of time our cherished grooves and classic halls have stood witness to the Orangeburg Massacre and most recently the first debate of the 2008 Presidential Election. But with all these historical milestones what has happened to the rich heritage of student activism? Where does being a student activist or being a progressive thinker fit in an era of rude social behavior that is seen and imitated by those who view the programming that is offered by Black Exploitation Television? And it baffles me that 21st Century collegians allow social atrocities and injustices like the Jena Six to occur and still yet find the time to learn how to “Crank dat” or learn the other numerous dances that make “us” appear as the modern black face Sambo?
No longer do we feel that “we are all in this together” but now it’s “every man for his or her self.” At the start of this academic year amid the concerns and upheaval concerning housing it was commonly heard among our seasoned brothers and sisters that “as long as I have somewhere to lay my head then I’m good.” But what about those hundreds of students who did not have housing and were victims of the mismanagement caused by this institution’s administration? Yet, the first thing that majority of us as students and administrators use as a recruiting tool is that we are all members of the Bulldog Family and yet new members of our family are escorted out by the police with unanswered questions and there are those other members of our family that air our dirty laundry on the nightly local news. Just maybe this all fits in with the “New State of Mind?”
What if Fred Moore, Henry Monteith Turner, Samuel Hammond, Henry Smith, Delano Middleton, Cleveland Sellers, and the numerous other students who made up the Orangeburg Freedom Movement decided that risking their education that their parents paid for and more importantly their lives for other people but mainly for those generations yet to come was not worth it? What if they all operated under the “every man for his or her self” mentality?
Its amazing how the SCSU Chapter of the NAACP struggles to have an active and involve membership but over fifty years ago there was a South Carolina law that made it illegal for faculty members of this institution and similar colleges across this state to be members of this civil rights organization but the faculty members did not let that stopped their activism. Dr. Benner Turner discouraged the students of SC State from participating with the NAACP but yet that did not deter them from their movement of student activism.
In 2007 there no South Carolina laws or any known discouragement from today’s administration from joining the SCSU Chapter of the NAACP so where are the students? Why is every meeting after the first meeting empty? Most assuredly when “aspirants” attempt to join a fraternity or sorority they use FALSE information, this is evident when asked the question “What on campus activities are you most involved with?” Top answers for that particular question include being a member of the NAACP and/or Student Government Association. Paying your membership dues and SGA Activity Fee does not make an individual an active and involve member. However what makes an active and involve member is when that individual moves forward the vision of the organization and is actively advancing the organization’s agenda.
With the rise of complacency individuals become comfortable and settle for mediocrity never challenging the powers that be for the quality service and for excellence that is expected. One of sign of being complacent is compliance. During the years of the institution of slavery, the slaves were compliant due to fear of being whipped. What fears do we have that we can’t challenge the system be it local, state, or national? Settling for mediocrity now during undergraduate years may result in the settling of mediocrity, social atrocities, and injustices in the real world. We are the next generation, we are the next alumni of this institution, we are the next professionals, we are the next elected officials, and most importantly we are the future.
If I based our future off watching the negative images portrayed by the media or even entertain the discussion on whether someone is black enough to become the next President of the United States of America in the 21st Century I would say we are doomed. But we must make up in our minds to fight beyond the distractions and traps that have been set for us and pick up the baton in the marathon life passed by those student activists of the days of old and simply fight the power! The late Civil Rights activist Ms. Rosa Parks said, “When people made up their minds that they wanted to be free and took action, then there was change.” As collegians in order for us to see change in Bulldog Country, South Carolina, and the United States of America we must make up our minds that we want change and then take action! If we can be faithful to the meltdowns, parties, and the local clubs than why can’t be faithful to the NAACP, Student Government Association, and other progressive awareness groups because these are the organizations that allow us to enjoy the freedoms of life and we reap the fruits of these organizations’ labor. Wake up….
No comments:
Post a Comment