Will it ever end???

[naturalbeauty08]

I want to bring to light what is happening at my Alma Mater Penn State University. There has been racial tensions brewing for a while there (all of which were brushed under the rug by administration). These tensions came to a head when a Black Caucus leader received a terrifying death threat. It was very explicit and the author of this threat knew some personal things about the target leading to the conclusion that she has been watched by him/her.
My question to everyone on here... do you think we as a Black people will ever be safe in America? What moves do you think we need to make to ensure our safety? And moreso do you believe that we are even free at all? Do you think we have it better than our parents and grandparents had?
I'll state my own answers to these questions soon.



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...Taking control of my beauty... loving me for me...

[serenity_24]

Keep your friends close and your enimies closer.

Even though we would benefit from separating ourselves economically from white society, we would still need to associate with, and get to know them in order to stay one step ahead of the game. As long as we have to be participants in any sort of game, we will never be free, but it's when you stop playing the game that you become the most vulnerable. It's a lose/lose situation if you ask me and we've got the short end of the stick.

Racism will always be a factor in any society because one group will always feel the need to be dominant while the other group will be resentful of the oppression.

And yes, we do have it better than our parents. If you don't have to walk down the street wondering if this is the day you will get sprayed by the hoses or bitten by the dogs, you definitely have it better than your parents.

[naturalbeauty08]

Hmmm... do we have it better than our parents?? I'd agree that we have it differently than our parents but not better. Yes we don't have to worry about hoses and dogs and lynching (physical) but we do have to worry about institutional racism. Other ways were found to keep us down... inferior schools, pollution in our towns, etc. Racism is no longer as apparent but it's ugly head is still very much there.

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...Taking control of my beauty... loving me for me...

[sphinxpoet]

Racism is still dominant but now it has been thrown in with Classism! With this second divide it is only logical that racism become more institutionalized.

Sphinxpoet
A brief comment until I can speak more on the issues that concern me and my people

[DreamCatcher]

Originally posted by naturalbeauty08:
My question to everyone on here... do you think we as a Black people will ever be safe in America? What moves do you think we need to make to ensure our safety? And moreso do you believe that we are even free at all? Do you think we have it better than our parents and grandparents had?
I'll state my own answers to these questions soon.

I typically don't respond, but since I work/live at the university, I wanted to say something.

Do we have more freedoms? Yes. Are we safer? No, I don't think so. When my parents were my age, they KNEW who their enemies were and they could protect themselves better. Today, people have become so good at "hiding" themeselves and saying just the right thing so that they don't appear prejudice, that you never know who you can really trust.

If you have any friends or family who are interested in coming to Penn State, tell them not to. It's not fun to be on campus fearful of who might be after you or watch people who know of the injustices act like they could care less. I'm trying to find another job so that I won't be the next one to receive a letter like that.

It's like I was telling my boyfriend--There are tons of reasons not to like me, but me being black shouldn't be one of them.

D.C.

[Diarra]

Small world!I also used to go to Penn State.

I have been trying to figure out a way to get Spanier ( the president of the school) finally react. Is there anyone that has connections with big newspapers (New York Times, CNN, whatever...). It is not enough to just talk about it. We need to do something. As we speak, I am looking through my address book to figure out how we can expose this problem. Any input ?

[naturalbeauty08]

I've contacted a grassroots organization who is used to dealing and combatting these types of issues. I also will try to contact people in the New York Times. In the mean time we can always write our opinions to Spanier. His email address is presidnt@mail.psu.edu His mailing address is 0201 OLD MAIN : UNIVERSITY PARK, PA 16802 and his # is 1 814 865 7611
This is not the first of racial attacks at Penn State I've found out. Spanier chose to ignore the others but had to deal with this one because some Black Legislators caught wind of what was going on.

DC I agree that racism is more hidden now. It is no longer acceptable to call me a nigger outright. In my opinion racism has become more vicious. Since they can't blatantly harm us they do more internal... subtle things. At least when it was blatant we had something tangible(?) to stand against and fight as a community. Since "it" is hodden now we've become fragmented b/c many times we don't know what to fight.

Question for the two fellow Penn Staters... if you don't mind, what are your names? We may know each other!

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...Taking control of my beauty... loving me for me...

[Diarra]

Hello again,

Being a sisterfriend, I cannot give my name like that and all ! , As far as emailing Spanier, waste of time, I have done it many times before and it did not change a thing ( I am still going to do it though). What needs to be done is touch him where it hurts ( his pockets!), I belive the Black Caucus has already been involved but this is not enough. I think US news may be very happy to hear about something like that. Since they publish every year college rankings. To everyone. I know this may not be the hottest topic on this board, but I urge you to react to this. We are always complaining that as a black community we are being mistreated. It is time we pull our forces together and do something. Please give any information or contact that might help.

Thanks

[Ania]

Originally posted by Diarra:
Hello again,

Being a sisterfriend, I cannot give my name like that and all ! , As far as emailing Spanier, waste of time, I have done it many times before and it did not change a thing ( I am still going to do it though). What needs to be done is touch him where it hurts ( his pockets!), I belive the Black Caucus has already been involved but this is not enough. I think US news may be very happy to hear about something like that. Since they publish every year college rankings. To everyone. I know this may not be the hottest topic on this board, but I urge you to react to this. We are always complaining that as a black community we are being mistreated. It is time we pull our forces together and do something. Please give any information or contact that might help.

Thanks

As far as attention goes. Penn State has a lot of progressive students with great organizational skills. I have seen the protest during the blue and white game. Also, the well organized rally stayed on the news all day. Last, you have received a response from Joe Paterno(sp) and the alumni, so don't give up.

Even though I do not go to Penn State, I attend the University of Pittsburgh and the black population has also received threats. Keep up the good work! Don't worry, the black population at Penn State has made an impression-Penn State is now under the microscope.

Sorry for spelling errors.

Ania

I went to Pitt back in 86-88. Hit me up by email.


MsRevlon1908

[RighteousOne]

For anyone interested in what is going on at Penn State, visit the following website http://www.geocities.com/psuvillage

[naturalbeauty08]

Hey Righteous... who designed this site?? Do you go to PSU?

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...Taking control of my beauty... loving me for me...

[Ania]

Originally posted by DONNA:
Ania

I went to Pitt back in 86-88. Hit me up by email.


MsRevlon1908

I emailed you.

[dog dog bang bang]

I say we aren't going to be free until we realize we have to stop being subservient to the system at hand. we think that these nickel and dime jobs we have in our professinal fields are what makes us better within ourselve feeling we broke the system. Sike! The system will and shall be broken when we as a people realize the problem and solve it. And the problem at hand is that we don't felloeship enough with each other to see what our strengths are in every corner. We get caught up in having nice things (which is not a bad thing) over looking our soon to come dowm falls. Down falls-- people are mad at you for achieving and them not believing they can, people don't want to be someone great in the eyes of those who need to see greatness, etc... But, the way we can solve the problem is by, Creating balck america within but without white america. we are running the majority of these companies with our ideas. i feel like this, we have always been the oppressed the people of GOD, we can change anything arond if only we as a whole can recognize that but we need to let others know and not say, "oh I don't want to deal with it." I know some of my frat brothers from Penn State, but anyway I think more blacks should encourage our kids to attend black universities, maybe if we can star there we can hit some of the younger minds. But, when we get there what do we say, "Man I bet you don't have these problems at white schools", a downfall statement.

[The Original Ape]

Take'em to court, and advertise like crazy!!!
Nothing works betta than gettin' in their pockets and bringin' 'em negative publicity.

[This message has been edited by The Original Ape (edited May 02, 2001).]