Finally watching the video. Thoughts:
:24 - It's difficult walking through campus knowing that people ignore the complexity of your identity, and this is a problem? Does this guy (I presume this is Bennett) acknowledge the complexity of others' identity as he walks through campus? How does he do this?
:43 - Males in fraternities are driving through campus yelling the "n" word? No one has recorded this. Does this happen often? Which fraternities? How does he know that these are in fact fraternity members saying this? How does he know they are students? Someone wrote F-A-G on a wall? Where? When? Are we lumping homosexuals in with the racial issue?
:52 - It's in those horrible moments that you think, "At least they saw me!" What in the hell is this supposed to mean?
1:32 - Okay. An analysis of how black bodies are depicted in media. I understand this, but I'm not sure how this connects to the introduction. I'm not sure how this is going to connect to current institutional racism on campus.
1:35 - Yeah, it's pretty fucked up that a school would keep the building names of white supremacists and slave owners when the student body features black students. Okay, point one to the video.
1:48 - White students were kicking down the doors of black students after Obama was elected? In Tuscaloosa? Link?
2:05 - I'm no fan of the Confederate flag, but I don't agree that wanting to celebrate southern heritage is equal to an un-uttered form of the "n" word.
2:10 - Hey whaddya know, another black president has been elected in a white dominated community, but the black student is invisible and the whole institution is racist against blacks. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
2:54 - And whaddya know again, another claim of apparent racism (the frat guys didn't look at me correctly) that can't be substantiated.
3:10 - Who asked him that question? He's ELECTED.
What a shit video. Filled with unsubstantiated claims, fallacious reasoning, and emotional rhetoric. It's not that I'm denying that this is an issue at UA. Could be. I don't know. I'm not there. Just like Missouri. Black people could be tortured for all I know. But what I do see is a lack of evidence for these systemic problems that are preventing them from having a good experience at college that prepares them for success in life. Are they able to learn? Can they make the grades? Do professors support them? Do they have peer and social groups? Are they allowed to go to every school-sponsored event? What exactly is the problem? Why can't the SGA president give a concrete, substantiated piece of evidence to show that this is widespread problem that needs current attention?
But as K implied, at least it damages Tuscaloosa's reputation.
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