RALEIGH, NC n VOL. XIII, ISSUE 15 n THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM n FEBRUARY 20, 2013

NUBIAN MESSAGETHE SENTINEL OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AT NC STATE UNIVERSITY

Student’s Shoes Laced With Controversy

Kierra LeggettEditor-in-Chief

Black Power Issue

Morrison’s “Gym Red” Air Jordan Retro One Sneakers were released for sale on Dec. 31,

2012 at a retail price of $130. | Kelly Darden

Freshman Justin Morrison was detained in the Atrium by Campus Police on Feb. 6 when another student reported he was wearing stolen sneakers. | Kelly Darden

Profiled continued page 3

Freshman accuses Campus Police of Racial Profiling

PROFILED?

Justin Morrison, a freshman majoring in civil

engineering, has accused Campus Police of racial

profiling, after they detained him in the Atrium

on Feb. 6 because of the $130 sneakers he was wearing.

“I was in the Atrium with a few of my friends and

we were eating lunch, nothing was going on, when out

of nowhere two [white] cops came up, put their hands

on my back and told me to put my hands behind

my back,” said Morrison. “Everyone in the Atrium

stopped what they were doing and stared.”

Morrison, who said he was “humiliated,”

cooperated with campus police, and placed his hands

behind his back. According to Morrison, when he

asked the police why he was being detained, one of the

officers replied, “The pair of shoes that you have on

right now.”

Confused, Morrison told his friends “Don’t worry

about it, because I know I didn’t do anything. I’ll talk

to y’all soon.”

He was handcuffed by police inside of the Atrium

and then escorted outside to a police car, where he

was frisked. While being escorted to the car, Morrison

2 |February 20th, 2013 NubiaN message

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Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of the Nubian Message.Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan: Dr. John Henrik Clark: Dr. Leonard Jeffries: The Black Panther Party: Mumia A. Jamal: Geronimo Pratt: Tony Williamson:

Dr. Lawrence Clark: Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon: Dr. Wandra P. Hill: Mr. Kyran Anderson: Dr. Lathan Turner: Dr. M. Iyailu Moses: Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are STILL on the journey to true consciousness.

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COPYRIGHT 2011 BY NORTH CAROLINA STATE STUDENT MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

LocationsAvent Ferry Complex

CAldwell HAlldH HIll lIBrAry

engIneerIng BuIldIng IIHArrelson HAll

wItHerspoon student CenterwolF vIllAge ApArtments

KIERRA LEGGETT | EDITOR - IN - CHIEF DEERRICKA GREEN | MANAGING EDITOR

STAFF WRITERS: CHRISTOPHER LYNN CHELSEA GARDNER

SHAWN MURRAY AMANDA MCKNIGHT AARON THOMASDEVONTE KEITH

ALFRED ANDERSON TRAVIS GATLINGKELLY DARDEN

Feb. 20 | MOnetary KOntrol

Join the ladies of the Kappa Omi-cron chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. and the Mu Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. as they discuss investment tips and saving plans for college students. Business Casual attire preferred. 7:08pm, Riddick 315

Feb. 20 | Wild-Out Wed. Viewing Party

Come out and support NCSU’s own A.B.R. as they perform on BET’s 106 & Park Wild-Out Wednesday. Refreshments included.6:00-7:30pm, Talley Blue Room

Feb. 23 | Blacks in Wax Live Museum

Join us as we remember and honor those who fought for equality and justice. 10:00-1:00pm,Witherspoon Student Center

Feb. 23 | 26th Annual African American Quiz Bowl

Cash prize, raffles and door prizes!1:30pm, Sankofa Room

Upcoming Events

Letter From The Editor The Power of Your Black Hand

To All My Nubian Brothers and Sisters,

What’s Up?

My junior year of college has been a

year full of self-discovery and a deeper

connection, love and sense of pride in the

fact that I am black.

Obviously, the fact that I am black is not

something that’s new to me, however the

appreciation I feel for the color of my skin

is.

Though I’ve never been ashamed of

being black, up until now, I’ve also never

really been excited about it.

While many would consider the color of

my skin to be a crippling factor in today’s

society, I don’t.

Instead, for me, the color of my skin is

a reminder of the second-class treatment

that for centuries, black people have been

powerful enough to overcome.

The color of my skin is a reminder of

the oppressive laws and practices that for

centuries, black people have been powerful

enough to overthrow.

The color of my skin is a reminder of

the struggle for equality that for centuries,

black people have been powerful enough to

fight for, and continue to fight for on a daily

basis.

The color of my skin is a reminder that I

come from a race of powerful people and as

cliché as it may sound, it is a reminder that

I have the power and responsibility to be

powerful too.

That is why in this week’s issue of the

Nubian Message, as we continue with our

celebration of Black History Month, we

have decided to focus this paper on power,

more specifically Black Power.

Each article in this week’s paper analyzes

the relationship between African Americans

and various forms of power, whether it is

the struggle to obtain power, the power of

knowing ones history, or the ways in which

our power is jeopardized.

The purpose of this week’s Nubian

is not to claim superiority of African

Americans over other races, nor is it to bash

other racial groups. Its purpose is to elicit

conversation and critical thinking about the

various interactions of power among black

people.

The purpose of this week’s paper is to

remind you of the power of your black

hand.

-Kierra Leggett

NubiaN message February 20th, 2013| 3

Profiled continued from page 1

Morrison revisits the exact place in the Atrium where he was detained on Feb. 6. | Kelly Darden

Composite sketch of suspect in Dec. 3, 2012 Avent Ferry

Complex armed robbery.

said he continually asked for further

clarification about why he was being

detained. According to Morrison the

officers responded, “We don’t really

know all the details.”

After being frisked, he said he was

transported to the Campus Police

Station where he was interrogated.

“They took me to the interrogation

room, and the first thing they asked

me was about the shoes I had on and if

they had anyone else’s DNA on them,”

said Morrison.

Morrison said he wasn’t sure how to

answer that question because you can

get DNA from just walking around,

so he asked the officer what he meant

by that question. “The officer told

me it was a ‘yes or no question,’” said

Morrison, “But, I didn’t really answer

it because if I answered ‘no’ and they

found DNA on it, I’d get in trouble, but

if I said ‘yes,’ they’d say ‘Oh well we got

the guy.’’’

Morrison said that after further

questioning him about where he got his

shoes, Campus Police questioned him

about an armed robbery that occurred

at Avent Ferry Residence Hall on Dec.

3, 2012. The victim of the robbery

reported having an expensive pair of

sneakers stolen.

Morrison, who ordered his sneakers

online, retrieved his e-receipt from his

smartphone, proving to Campus Police

that his size 11, “Gym Red” Air Jordan

Retro One sneakers were not stolen.

“I ordered the shoes when they

came out, so I had the confirmation

number in my e-mail” said Morrison.

“I showed that to them [Campus

Police] and they still questioned me

about who I hang out with and talk to,

even after they saw that I actually paid

for the shoes.”

Lt. David Kelly, the Public Relations

Officer for Campus Police, offered an

explanation for why Morrison was

detained.

“It stemmed from an incident that

occurred on Dec. 3, in which a student

in Avent Ferry was robbed,” said Kelly.

According to Kelly, among the items

stolen from the student was a “very

unique pair of tennis shoes,” which the

victim noticed Morrison wearing in the

atrium on Feb.6, thus prompting him

to notify Campus Police.

“I normally buy sneakers that are

really different,” said Morrison. “Those

sneakers were real different, they were

all red, and I’ve never seen anyone

with them.” According to Morrison

the victim of the Dec. 3 robbery said

similar things regarding the novelty of

the shoes.

Morrison’s sneakers were not

released for sale until Dec. 31, 2012,

which has led him to develop his own

theory as to why the victim reported

him to Campus Police. “Those sneakers

didn’t come out until 28 days after the

robbery happened,” said Morrison. “My

friends and I think he just wanted the

shoes.”

Morrison said once they concluded

with their interrogation, Campus

Police asked for permission to search

his room, which he granted them.

Kelly would not elaborate on

why Morrison’s room was searched,

saying those details were “part of the

investigation.”

Morrison, who missed an afternoon

biology class as a result of his

detention, said that after searching his

room, officers left without filing any

charges. It was then that he telephoned

his parents to let them know what

happened.

“My parents were mad about the

way [Campus Police] went about doing

[detaining me],” said Morrison. “They

should have asked me off to the side

instead of putting me in handcuffs in

front of everybody and embarrassing

me. They’ve now put a name over my

head as like a criminal. The people in

the Atrium who I didn’t know are going

to think I’m a criminal. People are still

asking me ‘Aren’t you that guy who got

arrested in the Atrium?’ and I have to

respond, falsely arrested.”

Despite Morrison’s qualms with

the way the situation was handled,

Kelly said that Campus Police was

“within protocol to place the subject

in handcuffs” considering that he

was at the time being detained under

suspicions of involvement with an

armed robbery, and Campus Police

didn’t know if “he had a firearm.”

In an e-mail sent to Chancellor

Randy Woodson, Morrison’s mother

Deborah wrote, “ My son did not

choose to go to N.C. State… to be

stereotyped and humiliated because

he is black, has a thin mustache, and

wears expensive shoes. Where is the

justice in this? We need an explanation

of what makes this right, and how your

institution justifies that your handling

of my innocent son was right.”

Woodson has responded to

Deborah Morrison’s e-mail, by reaching

out directly to Justin, one week after

his detention. “The Chancellor told me

that he was sorry it happened and that

there wasn’t really anything they could

do about it,” said Morrison. According

to Morrison, Woodson also told him

that the incident was “unfortunate.”

Though he appreciates the

Chancellor’s gesture, 19-year-old

Morrison feels more could have

been done to appease him. “It didn’t

really satisfy me, because I felt like

[the incident] was downplayed,” said

Morrison. “It just seemed like he didn’t

think it was that big of a deal.”

The Chancellor was unavailable

for comment on this story by press

deadline.

While racial profiling against

African American males is something

that Morrison, who has no criminal

record, has heard about, the Eagle

Scout and honor student said his

recent encounter with Campus Police

has opened his eyes to the ugly truth

surrounding the problem. “I’ve

definitely heard about it, and that

incident—it definitely solidified it and

made it more real.”

Kelly would not comment on

Morrison’s accusations against

Campus Police, nor would he provide

a comment on whether or not NCSU

students should be concerned that they

could be racially profiled by Campus

Police.

“Those sneakers didn’t come out until 28 days after the

robbery happened. My friends and I think he just wanted the

shoes.”- Justin Morrison

News

4 |February 20th, 2013 NubiaN message

From Black Panther, to Howling Wolf

Amanda McKnightStaff Writer

NCSU Professor Tells of His Radical Past

Follow the Nubian Message on Twitter @nubianmessage

Dr. Rupert Nacoste is a former

member of the Black Panther

Party for Self Defense (BPP).

A tenured professor who has been at

N.C. State for more than 25 years, Nacoste

joined the BPP, which was co-founded by

Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966,

during his teenage years. These years in

Nacsote’s life coincided with a time when

the nation was in a tailspin with race

issues, war, and class struggle. As he likes

to tells his student’s, “It was a hell of a

time.”

According to the FBI, the Black

Panther Party (BPP) “is a black extremist

organization” but obviously, to those who

lived the movement, it was not viewed that

way.

“People think the Black Panthers were

some sort of group that was all about hate

but it wasn’t, it was about self-defense,”

said Nacoste. “Most [BBP members]

believed in Dr. King’s message and what he

fought for, [but] they did not believe in the

same strategy or tactic. It was if you come

in my neighborhood I’m not going to turn

the other cheek, we will defend ourselves.”

According to Nacoste, the BPP was

created in response to all of the tragedy

happening in America and abroad. “At

the time everything was going on,” said

Nacoste. “The Civil Rights Movement, the

Voting Rights Act [1965] and James Brown

saying ‘I’m Black and I’m proud.’”

Nacoste was reared in Opelousas,

Louisiana the heart of the Jim Crow Deep

South. Opelousas is also where he first

joined the BPP. When Nacoste joined the

Party, for him “it was all about getting

connected, being apart [of the Party] and

having the information.”

After turning in his membership

dues, Nacoste began receiving The Black

Panther, the official newspaper of the

party. During its peak The Black Panther

had a circulation of 250,000 copies.

Like many of the Party’s members,

Nacoste said, “I may have been a bit of

a radical.” Perhaps a testament to his

radical youth, Nacsote recalls questioning

his teachers on their teaching style,

after reading a book given to him by his

brother.

“My brother who was in the Navy

brought me back a book by Eldridge

Cleaver, member of the Black Panthers,

called Soul on Ice,” said Nacoste. “My

friend remembers me challenging the nuns

in school and asking why they weren’t

teaching the history the way it was.”

Nacoste, who attended Catholic school,

was the first person at his school to sport

an afro. “The nuns were not happy,” said

Nacoste, “and these were black nuns.”

As with any sort of political movement,

many young people involved with the

BPP had to deal with their parent’s

often dissenting opinions about their

involvement with the Party. Nacoste on the

other hand faced no opposition from his

family.

Nacoste said his parents said, “Hmm…

okay,” when at age 15 or 16 he used the

money he earned from his own job to join

the BPP. “My father had already been part

of the Civil Rights Movement in many

ways,” said Nacoste.

Nacoste’s father was a local politician

and had filed to be on the ballot the day

after the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The BBP dissolved in the early 1980s as

a result of internal disagreements. While

a major focus of the BPP was to promote

self defense among blacks, Nacoste has

concentrated his efforts on promoting

neo-diversity, something he has done with

the release of his book, Howl of the Wolf.

A self-published collection of papers

from Nacoste’s “Interpersonal Race and

Relations” class offered every semester,

the stories are weaved together and speak

to the experiences that students have had

dealing with race, gender, ethnicity, etc. on

N.C. State’s campus.

Nacoste’s book will be featured at this

year’s Spring Diversity Dialogue on Wed.

Feb. 27, from 3 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. in

Talley Balllroom.

Dr. Rupert Nacoste giving a speech at the N.C. State Wake Up! It’s Serious Rally against racism on Nov. 17, 2010. | Technician Archives

Lifestyles

NubiaN message February 20th, 2013| 5Lifestyles

Spring Diversity Dialogue featuring

“Howl of the Wolf”

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

3:00 PM-4:30 PM

Talley Student Center Ballroom

This interactive student-to-student dialogue will share stories of

NC State students from their “Interpersonal Relationships and Race

Course.” While describing awareness and interactions with a broad

range of diverse thoughts, ideas and people, the dialogue will

explore the question, are our students prepared to be 21st century

leaders in global communities? Offering valuable insight on current

thought and ideology from this generation of students, this is an

of the book, “Howl of the Wolf.”

Wake Up It’s Serious: A Campaign for Change, University Scholars Program, and the Poole College of Management

SpringDiversityDialogue

The Significance of the Fist

1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our black Community.

2. We want full employment for our people.

3. We want an end to the robbery by the white man of our black Community.

4. We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.

5. We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent

American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the

present-day society.

6. We want all black men to be exempt from military service.

7. We want an immediate end to POLICE BRUTALITY and MURDER of black people.

8. We want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails.

9. We want all black people, when brought to trial, to be tried in court by a jury of their peer group or people from their black communities,

as defined by the Constitution of the United States.

10. We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. And as our

major political objective, a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to be held throughout the black colony in which only black colonial

subjects will be allowed to participate for the purpose of determining the will of black

people as to their national destiny.

Black Panther’sTen-Point Program

*All Panthers had to follow the Ten-Point Program, as well as have the points memorized.*

Often referred to as the “Black Power Salute,” the raised fist is a symbol of

solidarity and support.

6 |February 20th, 2013 NubiaN messagePerspectives

The Miseducation of the CaucasianNot all “Caucasians” are Caucasian

DeErricka Green Managing Editor

The common idea that “Caucasian” functions

as a true synonym for “white” is false.

Sorry to burst your bubble, America.

A mathematical principle goes that squares are

always rectangles, yet rectangles are not necessarily

squares.

The same principle can be applied to white

Americans: Caucasians can be white, but because

someone is white, it does not mean they are Caucasian.

This widespread ideology is one reflection of the

critical mis-education that has occurred in our society

for centuries, and continues to this day.

Nell Irvin Painter, author and historian, is just one

scholar that has spoken out on this subject. In her essay

“Why Are White People Called ‘Caucasian?’” presented

at the Yale University Gilder Lehrman Center

conference in Nov. 2003, Painter unearthed the roots of

this terminology back to the 19th century.

The concept of a “Caucasian race” was first

developed around 1800 by Johann Friedrich

Blumenbach, a German scientist and anthropologist.

Blumenbach named the people after the original

inhabitants of the south Caucasus region, the land

separating the Black and Caspian seas. Including

more than 50 ethnic groups, such as the Georgians,

Turks, and Armenians, the Caucasus region is situated

between Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Anthropologists like Blumenbach classified the 50

ethnic groups into three main categories: Caucasian,

Indo-European, and Altaic.

Blumenbach and his colleagues considered

the Altaic peoples an embodiment of ugliness, as

mentioned in his book On the Natural Variety of

Mankind (1795). However, those falling under the

category of Caucasian people, especially Georgians,

Blumenbach praised for their beauty; he believed them

the ideal model for all white

people, based solely on

facial appearance.

“The Caucasian variety,”

he wrote in Natural Variety,

“I have taken the name of

this variety from Mount

Caucasus, both because its

neighborhood produces the

most beautiful race of men,

I mean the Georgian; and

because all physiological

reasons converge to this,

that in that region, if

anywhere, it seems we ought

with the greatest probability

to place the autochthones (birth place) of mankind.”

The term “Caucasian” became used as a collective

representation of all individuals Blumenbach and his

colleagues regarded as good looking, including the

demographic of white people with features such as

thin, narrow nasal passages, small mouths, pointed

facial appearance, and minimal jaw protrusion.

As a result of these criteria, Jews, Slavs and Africans

were considered less attractive, a practice that has since

evolved as Western culture developed and advanced.

With the creation of this term, Blumenbach

critically helped to establish the superiority of true

Caucasians. Since, then the term has floated away

from its geographical origin, as most Americans that

identify as “Caucasian” do not trace their ancestry to

the implied region. But the idea of the “the Caucasian

race” has lived on, as has its claims of racial superiority

and beauty.

Today, because “Caucasian” has become

interchangeable with any number of “white”

populations, the indication that these populations

exhibit the idealized physical appearance while others

are the epitome of ugliness is still being disseminated.

The logic that white people present the best physical

appearance, as well as Blumenbach’s assumption that

because of this “beauty” humans ought to assert the

Caucasus region the birthplace of mankind is not only

absurd (considering scientific study reveals that our

species first appeared in Afrika), but inherently racist.

The superior connotations of the term “Caucasian”

along with the geographical incongruity of using that

term to describe all white people are two main reasons

the use of the term is false. Use of “Caucasian” to apply

to all white people is also ironic.

Members of the “Caucasian race” for centuries

promoted racial typology by imposing titles like

“Negro” and “Indian” upon ethnic groups; they tried to

control the identities of these people by being inclusive

towards some individuals, while exclusive to others,

ultimately in efforts to diminish movements aimed at

achieving self-determination for people of color and

other bigoted gain. Suppressing and manipulating the

identities of these groups worked to limit knowledge

of the power they possessed for a time. We have since

fought to regain power lost.

Today, society thinks of people of color as left with

fragmented senses of culture and history because of the

efforts of those that promoted racial superiority, like

Blumenbach and his “Caucasian race”. However, it is

ironic that the group that tried to control the identities

of our ancestors also left their members with a false

sense of identity because they continue to call their

entire population “Caucasian.”

For generations, members of the “Caucasian race”

maintained that without a sense of ancestral identity,

other ethnic groups were powerless to combat racial

typology. By this thinking, it seems that not only did

someone pull the plug on “Caucasians” centuries ago,

but that minorities are not the only groups being mis-

educated.

“Caucasians can be white, but

because someone is white, it does not mean

they are Caucasian.”

The star represents the middle of the Caucasus Region, where Caucasians orginate from.

NubiaN message February 20th, 2013| 7Perspectives

Chelsea Gardner Staff Writer

Christopher LynnStaff Writer

Power in Numbers

The Los Angeles Police Department is

looking for a man 6’0, 270lbs, light

brown complexion, black hair and brown

eyes. Should I be scared that I fit this

description? Though I am Christopher

Lynn, I am not Christopher Dorner.

The LAPD, known for their “shoot

first” mentality, shot and wounded three

innocent people in their quest for Chris

Dorner. Instead of routine traffic stops,

the LAPD opened fire at anybody driving

a pickup truck resembling Dorner’s.

While Dorner drove a blue Nissan Titan,

someone driving a blue Toyota Tacoma

and a black Honda pickup were shot at.

The LAPD offered a $1 million for the

apprehension of Dorner alive, while they

shot at every moving pickup truck.

Those familiar with the history of

the LAPD knows that their recent antics

involving Dorner are nothing new. The

LAPD’s most renowned leader, William

H. Parker, has been called, “Los Angeles’

greatest and most controversial chief of

police.” Parker began his role as police

chief on Aug. 9, 1950, revolutionizing

the LAPD into the most infamous law

enforcement agency in the world.

Los Angeles, unlike the South, didn’t

have the absolute de jure segregation

(separation by law), but it did enforce

strict racial policies that banned African

Americans and other minorities from

renting and buying in specific areas years

after the Supreme Court ruled them illegal

in 1948.

The catchphrase  “getting caught on

the wrong side of town” originated in Los

Angeles because of this. Parker’s eagerness

to carry out traditional racial borders

that prohibited African Americans from

going too far out of their neighborhood,

superseded his desire to carryout the

actual laws of the land.

This legacy of corruption has trickled

down to present day LAPD enforcement.

This corruption is not only expressed to

civilians, but also within the department.

Sgt. Wayne K. Guillary, a member of

the LAPD, placed a letter of “personal

appeal” on the Los Angeles Urban

Policy Roundtable website. Guillary

expressed his growing concerns about

racism in the department saying,“There’s

still much work to be done. Some may

say that nothing has changed with the

leadership in the LAPD. Trust me I have

been in the fight with the organization

regarding social and racial injustice

within the LAPD. Currently, I am the

only outspoken African American within

the organization that possesses the moral

courage to confront and ask questions

unflinchingly about race, racism and

discrimination in the LAPD. Yet still, I

have paid a humiliating price inside the

LAPD for preserving and believing in the

importance of ‘I have a Dream.’”

Joe Jones, a former LAPD officer,

constructed a “manifesto,” similar to

that of Dorner, reinforcing allegations

of racism, saying “I understand why he

snapped.”

Jones told a story of his worst

experience at the department. In the early

1990s, just getting off-duty, he walked to

his car in West Hollywood. It was parked

near a red curb when a sheriff ’s deputy

approached him. He pulled out his LAPD

ID to signify, “I’m not an issue for you,”

but the deputy’s reply was to “prone me

out” at gunpoint.

With such racial injustice programmed

into its procedures, even within its own

department, the LAPD is doomed to

implode. As the old saying goes, a house is

only as strong as its foundation.

I never imagined I would feel

singled out in college, especially

at one with approximately 34,000

students. However, I now realize

this experience can and will occur

no matter the size, diversity in

students, or other various factors. On

numerous occasions, I have been the

only African American in my class.

Growing up, I was the only African

American female in majority of the

advanced courses. At first, I was

bothered by the predicament because

most of my African American peers

seemed to let the possibility of failure

stand in the way of taking challenging

courses. As time went by, I grew

accustomed to the situation because

I knew that I wanted to be at the top

academically and this was the only

way to get there. I knew as soon as I

got to college, I would never have to

face this classroom experience again.

This was an obvious fallacy, as I have

yet again stepped into the role of being

the “only one.”

It was not until recently that this

“only one” experience made me

feel uncomfortable. During a class

discussion, regarding race, several

students provided feedback on the

n-word and things “blacks” get away

with saying to each other that other

races cannot say to “blacks.” Yes,

the term “blacks” was used as the

description and, I personally felt like

there was some bite behind it. During

the discussion, I couldn’t help but

think, if someone is not an African

American, how can they possibly tell

me what I should and should not be

offended by? You have never walked

in my shoes. Nevertheless, this was the

first time I experienced what many

minorities have expressed feeling in

their classes.

At that moment, I literally felt like I

had a stamp on my forehead that said,

“you must constantly defend, explain

and represent your entire race.” When

this situation occurred in class, I felt

like everyone suddenly realized that

I was the only African American.

Before this, I don’t even think they

had any regard that the ratio was as

such.

When I am literally the only one

in a class of approximately 40 or more

students and race is being discussed,

I instantly feel compelled to speak on

behalf of every African American.

Moreover, I feel like I am constantly

put on the spot to explain my race. I

feel like I have to have a rebuttal for

anything anyone says about African

Americans, because if I don’t – who

else will?

As many of you may know, it is a

daunting task because some people

say things that could be deemed

inappropriate or just out-right

irrelevant and pointless. However,

unlike them, I don’t get a choice to not

speak…I have to. It is a conflicting

situation because I don’t want the

responsibility but I owe it to myself

to speak. If I don’t speak, I will walk

around all day wondering what I could

have said to feel at peace with myself.

On the other hand, if I decide to say

something and become passionate

while speaking, people start to think

I’m too sensitive or everything offends

me. There is no happy medium.

Since this experience, I have

wondered how I would be able to deal

with more situations like this in class.

I cannot rely on power in numbers

because I am the only number. The

numbers will not always be there. You

can look in the classroom and see this,

solely based on the number of African

American students and faculty. As

the “only one,” you have to empower

yourself to make the right choice for

you.

Ultimately, I do have a choice and

I should not be singled out even if it

is unintentional. If I want to express

myself on my own behalf, then I

will. No teacher or student should

practically beg me to respond because

of my race or ethnicity. Therefore,

before I speak I have to remind myself

that I am an individual and everyone

is entitled to his or her own opinions.

Sometimes the ratio is not fair, but it

comes with the territory of being the

“only one.”

I Am Not Chris Dorner, Please Don’t Shoot

8 |February 20th, 2013 NubiaN message

The Power of the Patriarch Not Just Planting Seeds, But Watching Them Grow

Devonte KeithStaff Writer

One of the prominent

themes in black fami-

lies is the absence of the

father. We hear in the media as well

as in music how black children have

to grow up without fathers and the

struggles black mothers encounter

raising their children alone. Many

times we think of our mothers as the

anchor, as well as the push that keeps

us going, but where exactly does that

leave our fathers?

Contrary to the popular belief

society has developed, I grew up with

both my mother and father, and con-

tinue to have both equally involved

in my life. When I was younger, I

honestly believed all families were like

mine: a mother, a father, and maybe

even some siblings, but as I grew older

I began to realize that not all families

were. My father told me that his father

raised him to be a man that not only

started a family, but also took it upon

himself to make sure the family was

taken care of by no one but himself.

In our music and media, we see

that a lot of people grew up in single

parent homes. Although there are

people that have made the best out of

the situation, there are also those who

found a negative role model or a nega-

tive means of filling the void of not

having a father in their lives. Many

rap artists including J. Cole discuss

their lives growing up without a father

in their lyrics. As you follow their sto-

rylines, sometimes you may see that

they made the best of the situation,

but the road to the top was not always

an easy one. In fact, shows such as

the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air depicted

scenes of Will growing up, content

without a father in his life. However,

later on we see how much anger and

sadness he felt when he began to feel

that his father didn’t want anything to

do with him.

The power of the black patriarch

is sometimes overshadowed by the

power of the black matriarch due to

the simple fact that no one can ever

take a mother’s place. However nei-

ther is more important than the other.

There are so many important lessons

I learned from my father that I prob-

ably wouldn’t have learned from my

mother, or even listened to for that

matter. My father taught me how to

tie a tie, coordinate my outfit colors,

maintain good hygiene and basi-

cally shaped me into a bright young

man. I’m not saying that my mother

couldn’t teach me the same things,

but there are certain lessons that have

to be taught by men, and some by

women.

In the society we live in now, the

power of the patriarch is slowly dying

out because of fear of responsibility.

This strengthens the stereotype that

black children grow up in broken

homes, which may lead to destruc-

tive behaviors and more negative

black statistics. I couldn’t imagine life

without my father and I don’t

even want to think about it. The

lessons he taught me will be taught

to my children, and my children’s

children as a way to keep the power of

the patriarch strong within the black

community.

close to everythingfar from typical

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Vonte and his father at his highschool graduation

Vonte, age 3 with his father Richard Keith