664
PARTISAN REVIEW
My role in the activist student movement is a very minor part
of the massive student movement building across the nation. I am a
140-pound premed, for heaven's sake, so if a nerd like me can bring
fear into the hearts of provosts just imagine what a bunch of real, in–
timidating, committed students of color could do.
The student movement is often led by black students, because
we have been exposed to the ostracism, mistrust, misunderstanding
and hatred associated with trying to change society, merely by being
black in a racist society .
However, black students are only the most organized, not the
sole, group . Women, Chicanos, Asians, ethnic minorities and pro–
gressive whites have been involved in change; they just don't get
their pictures in the paper. Unfortunately, for blacks, we only get
our pictures in the paper when we protest or fail and not when we
succeed .
My response , and you may quote me, is "Kiss my black be–
hind!"
In
the BSU, to be attacked is to be effective, since most of the
attackers are the very people we are trying to change.
Anyone who actually knows me, has seen that I am actually a
very soft-spoken, polite, shy and studious young man. However,
this year I have been seen as aggressive and militant because I was
the chair of the BSU .
Don't get me wrong. I am assertive, loud and outspoken when I
need to be, but I wouldn't use those terms to describe my personal–
ity. Now, all of the middle-class white people reading this, say "black
man" and then the first five adjectives that come into your mind. I
suffer from the same stereotypes and caricatures forced upon all
blacks .
The fact of the matter is, that we, like any other political organ–
ization, use proposals , committees, petitions, budgets, speeches , let–
ters and meetings in our work.
However, what most students and
Daily
writers see are rallies,
protests and marches . Why? Because they are blinded by this racist
environment to see blacks as aggressive.
This distorted view is institutional racism at its best. No, we
didn't cry wolf, you all haven't experienced racism and therefore
don't know when it does and doesn't exist.
I am about to say something which will be misquoted and mis–
understood ... ready ... I do not like most white people. Now
don't get excited if you're white and a friend of mine or are actively
committed to helping people.
