By Simone E., Editor-in-Chief
It’s been awhile since I’ve written a KKKolumn and I think it’s time. #2 This story is a bit old, but I still remember it and laugh about it to this day. During the summer one year, I attended a church camp with my roommate. It was a great camp, and I spent a lot of time with God and friends, but that’s not the point of the story. At the camp, there were cabins in which you would often sleep with those from your university, in addition to another school. Sometimes you made friends, and sometimes, after closing prayer, you just came home, ignored each other, and went to bed. If I’m remembering correctly, this was a year where my roommate and I ended up not being able to fit in the cabin room with others from our university, so we stayed with others. This wasn’t a problem, and I remember us looking forward to meeting other people. The first night was great. We were the only black girls on the side of the room we stayed in, but that didn’t bother us. We were also both natural, so did we get weird looks when we pulled out our oils and bonnets? Yes, but it’s to be expected. We had great conversations that night before going to sleep. The second night was also great. I got a question about why I had so many lotions and why I needed a bonnet, but again, no problem, I simply explained why. Do I lack patience when people ask me questions (in general)? Yes, I do. But, I was determined to be nice, and focus on the whole purpose of going to the camp: to get closer to God. So a few nights pass, and we had just gotten done with the final dance celebration. We came home and started packing up a bit so we wouldn’t have to rush in the morning. I began talking to my roommate about possibly getting braids or cutting my hair off. I told her I didn’t have a lot of money to do all that though, so maybe I’d do a wig or something. I was stating this jokingly, and my roommate knew that because I had already booked an appointment to get my hair braided. Suddenly, one of our bunkmates spoke up. She said, “well it can’t be that expensive right? I mean, I heard it was really cheap to get your hair done.” I paused and remembered the spirit of the Lord before saying, “haha where did you hear that it was cheap to get our hair done? Because I always drop at least $100 or more to get box braids and that’s pretty cheap depending on who does it or where I get it done.” She then proceeded to say that she knew someone that was black who she knew “for a fact” only paid “like $50” for her “weaves.” She then wanted to know more about “weaves” in general because she just didn’t understand why we didn’t just wear our hair out. She would “kill” to have hair like ours. I mumbled under my breath that I was sure she did want hair like ours. I then turned around, looked my roommate in the eyes, and conveyed that I was done with the conversation. My roommate then told the girl that weave is very expensive and that it’s actually pretty rare for people to spend so little on it. However, the girl insisted. She just knew it was cheap and that it wasn’t the same quality as the “extensions” her friends use. I told her that maybe she should do her research. I think at this point, she could tell I was irritated (which is a surprise, because I exercise total control of my facial expressions) because she pivoted to the fact that she loves all people and that she has plenty of black friends, but she just never asked that question before. She then said that she was an expert on hair oils because she knew someone black or something (my memory is a bit hazy on that part because I started zoning her out). The conversation ended after a pregnant pause before she added that she’d be traveling to Africa soon and that she can’t wait. Yes, this is a true story.
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by Erykah H., Staff Writer
I believe that everyone is important to our society. The recent shooting in Bakersfield, California at the Thousand Oaks Bar allowed me to realize how valuable life is. If everyone works together to benefit from the overall tenderness of the world, we will see improvement day by day. We can start the process on our campus by following these simple instructions. To get straight to the point, I’ve compiled a list of actions and thoughts that every UTC student should consider to make our campus feel safer and friendlier. I call this the AmERYKAH Method. Daily Changes Smile more: Smile to make yourself more approachable. Everyone has somewhere to go and there are so many of us. You can make someone’s day by smiling at them. You do not have to speak, and everyone is capable of a little smirk here and there. With exams and the new year approaching, this method is the quickest way to improve someone’s day. More than 30% of us smile more than 20 times a day. Less than 14% of us smile less than 5 times a day. Smiling does not have to be prescribed by a doctor and is free for everyone with no insurance needed. Some scientifically proven side effects may include: stress relief, pain relief, stronger immune function, relationship builder, lower blood pressure, and longer life. Shake A Hand: This approach is a little more hands on…get it? Everyone can participate and it will increase socialization between different people. Handshakes decrease the possibility for a negative outcome in the conversation. The history of the handshake dates back to the 5th century B.C. in Greece. It was a symbol of peace, showing that neither person was carrying a weapon. A neuroscientist author for Huffpost writes, “Through the handshake, we establish the level of trust between ourselves and the other individual. We divine earnestness, truthfulness, and we measure the depth of friendship or deceit in the other party.” Men and women can enjoy this interaction together. Challenge yourself to shake one person’s hand each day. Talk: Just talk. This is not a desperate means to an end. For this campus to really seem connected like the “Blue and Gold Family” we are, everyone should feel comfortable enough to spread a quick sentence or two with a stranger. Compliment someone, ask questions, share a joke, or ask how someone’s day is. It may seem weird at first, but if everyone attempts to warm the campus with these daily exchanges, our campus will be more inviting to faculty, staff, and, parents, and incoming freshman. Some benefits of talking are: networking opportunities, new friendships, learning from others, and increasing amiability on the campus. Mindset Adjustment Ignore the Differences: Would you like to hear a fun fact? Everyone is different than you. You will never find someone who is exactly the same. We – as a collective – focus on color, politics, religion, and looks way too often. The primary problem is that we let it dictate our behavior. I encourage you to adjust your mindset and focus on the things that matter and ignore how you are different than the people around you. The AmERYKAH Method will grow every day. You can stay up to date with the actions to make this campus a better place by starting now. There are enough people in the world who are negative and will try everything to deter you from what matters. I am a freshman and my impression of UTC so far are that students are not kind. A victim’s family – Alaina Housley – of the California shooting, is advocating for people in the US to learn to be present, enjoy your loved ones, and be kind to one another. Their motto is: Voice of Song, Voice of Strength, Voice of Spirit, Voice of CHANGE. Use the free tools above to make a change in Chattanooga, and more importantly, begin to make a change in the world. This is America. We only get one. by Dominique M., Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Have you ever felt like you needed to change your outfit ten times before a meeting? Have you ever felt like your hair was too unprofessional? Have you ever felt like your voice would never be heard? Well, welcome to my confessions of being a black leader at a predominantly white institution. Growing up in a predominantly black city made my transition to this university quite different. I walked onto this campus expecting to join several organizations and apply for several leadership roles, which I was able to accomplish. However, what I was unprepared for was the looks, the comments, and the overall stereotypes I faced while taking on these positions. The looks that I received were unfamiliar to me. I can recall the first meeting that I walked into where I was the only freshman and I was the only student of color. I was not aware of the time what business casual was, so I tried my best. Walking into the room with dark black jeans, a cream sweater, and black boots, I was already questioning how I looked, what I would say, etc. But the first remark I received was muttered under a smug breath about how the student couldn’t believe I had been invited to the meeting. Her commentary was coupled with a stare that never seemed to leave my body before I found my seat. After finding my seat, I began to embark in the discussion. Time after time I gave a comment and surprised looks formed on each person’s face around me. With each look and each snide comment about a student being surprised I actually knew so much information, I got fed up. So after walking out of the meeting, I wanted to give in so badly to my emotions and cry because I felt inferior, ashamed, and genuinely unhappy. But, in that moment I refused. I refused to be a product of their stereotype. More often than not, it is easy to give up and give in to the negativity that is around you. But, true power is found when you persevere. If every powerful person of color rebuked their intelligence and their voice, then our society would truly be limited. So, I say all of this to encourage you to speak up in uncomfortable situations. Especially in situations where you are the leader of an organization, you should never feel less than. Words to encourage yourself are important, but the words to encourage others beyond you speaks volumes. by Deborah K., Staff Writer
Let me start off by saying I was not really looking forward to rooming with a Caucasian, so I tried to request a friend of mine who is also Black to be my roommate. But I was told I could not get a Black roommate because the Honors College chose this academic year to start a new rooming system (a Brock and a HAM student per dorm) that they follow with freshman honors kids. So, I decided to work on not being freaked out with the possibility of spending an entire school year with a Caucasian roommate. After freaking out about my situation a bit, I grew curious to know what the experience will be like - since I was raised in an all-Black home and had Black friends and family and the only previous interactions with Caucasians being with my teachers, schoolmates, and classmates I had to work with. Move in day was weird and uncomfortable. I was leaving home for the first time, and I could come to terms with missing my family easily after a bit of meditation. But meditation could not fix the fact that I was moving in with a person I’ve never met before who is also a different color than I am, no matter if it was 10 minutes or 20 minutes. I should probably say this: I am not racist, my parents are not racists and I was not raised to be racist; however, universally speaking, living with a person that does not have the same experiences as you, the same upbringing or is the same color as you can be very difficult. So, move in day was uncomfortable, and Sarah (my roommate) did not make it easier. When I first saw her blond hair and blue eyes, she smiled, but only to say hi to my parents and me. Maybe she was nervous and sad because she had to say goodbye to her family, but to me she was just as weirded out to be rooming with a Black person as I was to be rooming with a Caucasian. So, it has been three months and a few weeks and living with Sarah has not been as weird as it was at the beginning. But make no mistake, we are not super tight or best friends. Yes, we have three classes together, and yes, we can hold conversations but nothing more and nothing less. The experience I was curious about was helpful. I guess. I learned that Caucasians - well Sarah - tend to lose hair a lot and it gets everywhere, really everywhere and she keeps her shoes on while in bed among other stuff. However, Sarah is a really cool roommate, even though I had to get use to her asking why I wore a “net” on my hair to bed (it was a bonnet) and if it will be weird if she got a durag and wore it to class. by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief
I’m currently in a class called Politics of Authoritarian Regimes, and something that my professor said, jokingly, while we were discussing elements of totalitarian regimes, is that we would need to pay close attention to what he was about to say because we were about to experience it ourselves. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think of authoritarian regimes, I think of Russia and North Korea and compared to those countries, we are still a thriving democracy. However, there are a lot of concerning similarities and some changes that President Donald Trump are in favor of that could move America towards an authoritarian regime. This is not a research paper, simply my thoughts based on some readings I’ve done throughout the semester. What is an authoritarian regime? An authoritarian regime is a regime type classified by the rule of a single leader, small group or single political party. There are severe limits imposed on political opposition and there is also often suppression of the people. Leaders of the regime exercise a high degree of control over social and economic activity and there’s little governmental transparency. Now, there’s different types of authoritarianism and they can be classified on a scale, but I’m just going to focus on authoritarianism in general and broad terms. So, let’s think about this for a second. Authoritarian regime leaders also exercise control over the media and who holds positions of power in the government. Many have argued that the way President Trump has attempted to fill the government with Republican allies, and has done so successfully, that he is beginning to exert similar control over the government that an authoritarian dictator would. He has expressed respect for dictatorships where citizens were forced to respect for their leader: he said, about Kim Jong Un, that, “He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” Of course he later recanted the statement, but this was not the first one made of the same sentiment. President Trump is known for his “us versus them” narratives that he utilized during his campaign. Sometimes dictators utilize these narratives and other fear tactics which include making up threats to the nation, to ensure loyalty. President Trump has always called Hispanic people “criminals” or Muslim people “terrorists” and has essentially been talking down a vast majority of minorities that allows him to unite people to him due to possible fear of whatever they have fear of (i.e. rapists, taking away jobs, terrorism, etc.) This is a similar tactic, to call upon a famous dictator, that Hitler used to unite the nazis to him. It was an “us versus them” that worked in his favor, and according to the election, seemed to work in President Trump’s favor as well. Continuing with this is his slogan, “Make America Great Again,” speaking to nationalism and patriotism which a lot of dictators, past and present, utilize to, again, ensure loyalty to the country and to the regime/dictator. North Koreans genuinely believe that their country is the best, that they have the best military power, and that other countries are suffering in a way that they can’t relate to. This is due to the fact that they’re shut off from the world and they are not allowed to have similar internet access that Americans do, but if they truly believe that they are living in an amazing country with a dictator that loves and supports them, why wouldn’t they follow him and his orders? America hasn’t gotten this far, but I don’t think it’s too far off to say that there are a lot of blind followers of Trump who truly believe that America is the best nation with the best ruler who has their best interests in mind. Something else that authoritarian leaders utilize is their military. Militaries are institutions sometimes used to suppress the people, and America doesn’t have that, but the celebration of military power is something that is present in a lot of authoritarian regimes, and just the other week, Trump wanted to have a celebratory march for the military. This can be done to ensure that citizens know the extent and power of the military, but it's more important to let other countries know of the power that the nation has in order to ward off threats. This again ensures citizen loyalty (our country is the best and we can’t be beat because we have the best military). You may ask, but we have elections? I can vote for who I want so we can’t possibly be authoritarian. Unfortunately, the presence of elections is not an indicator of democracy. There are a lot of hybrid regimes (regimes with elements of democracy and authoritarianism) that have elections. Sometimes the elections are free and fair (not often), but the elections in America are not always free and fair either. There were countless examples in Georgia and Florida in this recent election where ballot boxes were “broken” or votes were “found” later and uncounted. I’m sure there are a few other examples, and again, feel free to comment below where you disagree because this is not a research paper. This is something that I’ve noticed and wanted to see what others thought about it. I think that we may be heading towards authoritarianism. We may end up being a hybrid regime along the way, and honestly, it doesn’t seem like we’re far off. Picture from: cnn.com by Adeola I., Staff Writer The end of every year brings a time of concentrated reflection. With the end of the 2017-2018 academic school year, I am certain that we have all learned something new. Whether that be realizing which relationships to end, which major to switch to, or which campus organizations we want to commit to, we have all left this year different than when we were handed our syllabuses.
All of us will be facing new frontiers. Some of us will change our major, career plans, or intentions. The further I progress through my collegiate career, the more intentional I am about what I commit myself to, including particular courses, organizations, and friendships. I’m slowly beginning to realize that the “real world” is here already. I am already living in it. It does not suddenly fall upon me when I walk across the stage at graduation. Are you in the “real world” yet or are you still pretending you exist in some protected box that people have told you college is? If you are unsure of your answer, it may help to take a step back and begin asking yourself what your intentions are. As we continue on this pursuit of knowledge and skills, I encourage you to keep in mind that these few short years here in college are just as “real” as our lives will be after being handed out diplomas. by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief When I was younger, I watched The Cosby Show almost every day. Not only was it funny, but it showed me a reality for black families that was possible. I grew up with a nuclear family (a couple and a few children), but I realized at a young age that that wasn’t always considered “normal” for black families. It was also not normal for it to be shown on television. Not only that, but they were abnormally rich, for any family, with a dad who was a doctor and a mom who was a lawyer. Everybody on the show was attractive, which is not always seen for people of color, and they had problems that every family has on a daily basis. The show told me that I either wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, and I only wanted to marry either one, and I wanted a family that was similar to what I’d watched so many times: black and successful.
I wanted to hang out with Ruby and date Theo, and I often compared my dad, who is not a doctor, although just as funny as the character, to Dr. Cosby. My mom was just as stern and beautiful and Mrs. Cosby, attorney at law, and even though my brothers and I don’t always get along, I compared the bond to that of the siblings on the show. Now, I realize that the show is separate from the real Mr. Cosby. I’m not even sure if he’s married, nor do I care. But when I first heard about Bill Cosby’s transgressions, and then I further heard that they would no longer air The Cosby Show, I felt betrayed. The TV network Bounce has decided to air the shows now, but at the time, when I found out that I would no longer be able to watch the show that I love so much, I couldn’t believe it. I felt, for some reason, that he was targeted—that someone had used his crimes to take down such a powerful show. I knew Stephen Collins, from 7th Heaven, confessed to sexually abusing young girls and they still played his show on television. So I was confused. It’s taken a while for my to fully come to terms with the fact that, not only are things not always what they seem, but that I shouldn’t put so much stake into a television show and the idiots who create them and still manage to commit crimes. Nothing excuses his crimes, or even the crimes of Stephen Collins, but there’s no point in being offended. I should just enjoy what I can, when I can, and hope it’ll get better eventually. by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief
As I was walking down Cardiac Hill one day, I saw something interesting. I’m sure you all know about the “Chalkening.” To briefly catch you up, a few years ago, an SGA senator chalked some provocative political language, i.e. the drawing of the “wall” that Trump wants to build, and being that she was supposed to represent the student body, many students were alarmed and offended. Additionally, after the incident, students chalked “Black Lives Matter” in the same place and that was immediately erased. This was also controversial. It’s been almost two years since the Chalkening, but when I was casually walking to my class, I looked around and saw chalk on the stairs with sayings such as “pro-right,” “right to life,” and “abortion is wrong.” The person that drew my attention to the chalk, though, was wearing a suit, had a bucket of water and a mop, and was at the bottom of Cardiac Hill seemingly mopping the stairs. After asking him what he was doing, he responded with, “I’m not going to let someone tell women what to do with their bodies,” as he was getting rid of the chalk. So, what is free speech on this campus? There is currently a policy that prohibits chalk on campus without express permission from the University. I’m wondering if, whoever chalked the pro-right abortion propaganda, got permission from the University. And if they got permission, is it an infringement upon their rights if the student began mopping it up without permission of the students who chalked it in the first place? What is the answer to these questions? I don’t think there will be an answer for awhile; however, I do think that we, as students, have to continue to question these things. We have to work to educate ourselves so we that can be sure of what we believe. We need to know what free speech means to us, individually. by Dominique M., Assistant Editor-in-Chief
In the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of interacting with students who I normally would be unable to. The conversations that we have had stemmed around racism, reverse racism, white privilege, and black student associations. However, one experience in particular stood out to me. I was discussing my role in the Black Student Alliance on campus with a fellow student, how we advocate for black students on campus, and give them a safe space to be themselves. The student stopped me in mid-speech, and discussed how we need a white student union too. Historically, PWIs, like UTC, were meant to disenfranchise minorities because they were geared towards only incorporating white students. Although we have had much progress, there is always room for improvement when it comes to being inclusive towards minorities. Therefore, I disagreed with him that we need a white student union on campus. Rather than having a civil conversation about our differences in opinion, he proceeded to call me racist and he delineated how I was furthering segregation with BSAs. So, what really is the purpose of a Black Student Alliance? Simply put, the purpose of such an organization is not to exclude anyone or to further the idea of racism by separating ourselves from the general population. Rather, we seek to empower black students by seeing others who look like them succeed in a safe and comfortable environment. It is not always comfortable looking around a classroom and not seeing anyone who looks like you in the room. Moreover, it is not always comfortable to constantly be in settings where people may not understand you. Thus, the Black Student Alliance comes in to play. Another important reason why we have these organizations is because black students need advocators on this campus. Community is a vital part of any student’s college experience and the Black Student Alliance seeks to make that a reality for them. When someone feels apart of something bigger than themselves it is harder to walk away from that community. Moreover, when you build bonds, you rarely want to lose them. Sometimes it can be hard to build these bonds with fellow students when you are just listening to a lecture, so organizations that are advocators for students seek to actively create these bonds. In doing so, community is continued throughout the black student population and there is more incentive to stay in school. So, next time, when you are questioning why a certain group seems to be getting more “privileges” than others, try to take a step back and think about what that really means. Everyone wants and needs a sense of belonging and comfortability and BSAs are just one example of giving students this. by Dominique M., Assistant Editor-in-Chief Macy’s Day Parade. Steaming turkey. Family surrounded by the table. By now, you are probably envisioning Thanksgiving and all that comes with it. What if I were to replace your ideals of this holiday with the actual meaning of the holiday? The celebration of death. Fresh land for the taking. European settlers praising their “new” America together. Does hearing these descriptions change your notion of the holiday at all?
For many people, it is hard to separate what we currently do to celebrate certain holidays from what their actual purpose is. Moreover, even when we do find out the rationale for holidays like Thanksgiving or the 4th of July, we tend to overlook it. After all, why should you have to change your traditions when you feel like the reason why they started isn’t your fault? Basically, should you be held responsible or even stop your celebrations because of the hellish activity that happened prior to you enjoying it? I wonder if maybe that could be our privilege at work that prevents us from even thinking of the past. If we think back to elementary school, I’m sure we can all remember creating a turkey out of a handprint and dancing around the classroom with feathered hand bands. But, what I don’t remember is learning about the history of the holiday or even how disrespectful it is to parade around in someone else’s culture. Should we be more angered at the school systems for preventing this information into our tiny childlike heads or should we be angry for the teachers who were unwilling to show us the truth? It is no secret that America has a long-standing history of covering up things and refusing to acknowledge our history. Not only is that reflected in our education of generations, but it is reflected in just about everything we do. From the covert forms of police brutality to the disparities in sentencing for minorities, a large problem has continually prevailed. So when we are sitting in our happy homes on Thanksgiving afternoon enjoying a meal that was thoughtfully prepared, should we feel ashamed? Should we be thinking about the thousands of natives that were slaughtered in the name of a new world? Should we be in a such a state of bliss when they were in such pain giving our “founders” what they wanted? When pondering these ideas, does it make you wonder about what else we aren’t being taught and what else we aren’t being told? I challenge you to look at your textbooks and inquire as to what is being left out. After all, a conflict is always told in three ways. One way is one person’s interpretation. Another way is the opposing person’ view. Finally, the third way is the truth. So, ask yourself: which way am I being taught? No longer should we just accept what we are given; rather, we should be researching on our own to discover what is truly being hidden. When you choose to ignore the inquisitive voice in the back of your head, I want you to ask yourself if you are neglecting yourself of a much needed lesson or if you are neglecting those who will continue to be disenfranchised by the ignorance that you are allowing to prevail. After all, “nothing is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”. Just ask Dr. King. |
Author's NoteWelcome to The Torch: Reborn, your multicultural newspaper. Archives
December 2018
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