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story image 1 Professor Thomas Rashid, a faculty member at FAMU, was the keynote speaker at Thursday's "From Africa to America" lecture. Rashid was filling in the for Muneer Fareed, who was unable to attend the lecture due to an airline delay. Photo by: Kenny Luba
Students contemplate racial inequality
Student groups observe Black History Month with racism discussion
by Sara Guiffre
February 16, 2004
With the cancellation of the discussion on Apartheid in South Africa that was supposed to take place Thursday due to the delay of scheduled speaker Muneer Fareed's airline flight, various locals took over and presented the topic of racism to over 100 people in the Oglesby Union Ballroom.
Naielah Ackbarali of the Muslim Student Association served as moderator for the new topic, "From Africa to America."
The event began with a reading from the Koran. Then, Eman Karaman, president of the Muslim Student Association, explained that in light of Black History Month, the sponsors wanted to put on an event to raise the ideas of racial equality in students' minds.
"We're not here to just listen to the speaker, but for the ideas," Karaman said. "The main reason we are here is to learn something. We need to go beyond our biases and our ignorance. I really have mad respect for those who attended our event tonight."
Latoya Joseph, a member of the FSU Chapter of the NAACP, spoke briefly of the NAACP's founding day and the impact the NAACP has had on America and FSU.
"On Feb. 12, 1909, there was a call for the struggle of civil equality for blacks and whites in America," Joseph said. "Six people answered that call, and it turned into the NAACP. We have over 500,000 members now, with 1,700 branch chapters. In 1974, several FSU students felt the need to create a FSU chapter, and so it was."
After another speaker recounted his recent visit to South Africa, Larry Green of the Progressive Black Men came out next to introduce the guest speaker, Thomas Rashid, a professor from FAMU.
During his lecture, Rashid spoke of his dislike of racial identifiers.
"These names that we are given -- African-American, Caucasian-American -- we take things for granted," Rashid said. "Many of us don't challenge these things that we have been given. These names label us and define us. You're not white. I'm not black. There's a power that's dividing this humanity."
Rashid used a personal experience, recounting how he changed his name as an example.
"We have been named by Caucasian people," Rashid said. "We are still naming ourselves after white folks. All of these labels divide us up, and breeds what we call racism. Obedience to God is the only thing that makes you different."
Rashid used religion as one of his primary lecture points. Rashid was raised a Christian but converted to Islam in the 1970s.
"They (Caucasians) use Jesus as God. Why do they paint him white with blue eyes?" Rashid said. "They use it as a tool of superiority against blacks."
Rashid said that these racial barriers must be overcome for the good of humanity.
"We have to respect each other and get along as brothers and sisters," Rashid said. "We are one humanity. We are one family."
Naielah Acknarali closed the event and spoke of how we must "battle racism and unite together."
The event was co-sponsored by the Muslim Student Association, Lamba Tau Omega sorority, the FSU Chapter of the NAACP, Theta Nu Xi Multicultural sorority, the Progressive Black Men, Amnesty International, the African Student Association and Students United for Peace & Justice.