From Ferguson to Lee: the issue of race in America
Photo by Abby Hassler
Shots fired, people crying, sirens in the night, tear gas and broken glass. These are the sights and sounds of Ferguson, Missouri. In the suburb outside of St. Louis, the eyes of the nation turned towards the end of a life and the beginning of a conversation about the lingering issue of race in America.
On Aug. 9, 2014 Michael Brown, 18, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer. The officer, a white male, encountered Brown when he and a friend were walking in the middle of the street, according to USA Today.
A Lee University student, who chose to go by the name of Nicole for this article, saw this event shake her hometown.
"The cop who shot Michael Brown lives near my family in St. Louis. They released the information about the cop the day that I was heading back to Lee," Nicole said.
On Aug. 15, Darren Wilson was identified as the officer who was involved in the shooting of Brown.
"They didn't release the name [of Darren Wilson] until about a week after the shooting happened. The reporters and media were around a lot for just a few days after they released the name. The cop and his family had left soon after the shooting,' Nicole said.
The days following the fatal event would usher in protests and rioting in Ferguson.
"There have been riots happening since the shooting and some of the schools in the area had to close for a few days after this event because of the riots," Nicole said. "People have become very outspoken about racial issues in St. Louis after this incident. They say that it brought to light some of the unspoken racial issues that have been in St. Louis for a long time."
According to the Washington Post, the aftermath of Brown's death would cause many to speak out about the racial tension that erupted due to the nature of Brown's death. Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton made his way to Ferguson to plead alongside Brown's family for peaceful protest.
"The event [the shooting of Brown] has led to some people [in Ferguson] being more openly racist, while others believe that racism isn't that big of a deal and this was just a coincidence," Nicole said.
The event in Ferguson has drawn many comparisons to similar occurrences like the shooting of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old, who was killed by security guard George Zimmerman in February 2012, reported by CNN.
Wayne Solomon, assistant professor of sociology and religion, who recently presented a lecture entitled "Racial Unrest in America," as part of the Celebration 2014 seminars, discussed the sometimes-volatile protests that were staged in lieu of the tragedy.
"Racism has correlating effects, because the group that is being victimized, the groups that are the victims in this society, yes they're suffering, but what about the correlating effects in terms of the group that is perpetrating all of these evils, when they should be putting their time into much more beneficial things that could help the society to improve," Solomon said.
The continued chaos that included vandalism of multiple businesses, looting, and violence between police and protesters prompted a statement from President Barack Obama. The President issued a message "urging for calm" and noting that The Department of Justice would investigate the incident along with local authorities, reported USA today.
Coming from an academic background of sociological study as well as African American studies and time spent as an active pastor in The Church of God, Solomon spoke on the issue of the Brown shooting in relation to racial tension in America today.
"Sociology trains us to understand the society from varying perspectives, really sociology by definition is the scientific study of human society," Solomon said. "People are not born racist, so it means in the process of socialization, no matter how young we find people portraying these behaviors, it's in the process of socialization they picked it up," Solomon said.
When discussing what can be done to move forward in reference to race relations in America, Olayinka Adedayo, senior Lee student and former miss diversity 2012-2013, as well as current World African Student Association member, said that everyone needs to do their part in changing the current situation.
"People don't want to talk about [racism], they are embarrassed by it, but this [event in Ferguson] is not going to resolve it. This is just going to create more awareness and if it's taken up, can help resolve it," Adedayo said. "It has to be a 50/50 thing, it's not just about a protest, it's about actually facing the issue of racism, but if it is not [faced] it will just be the same way it has been before."
In his lecture, Solomon discussed how skin color is still a dominant factor in the way we "approach" one another in the social world. It is not simply a matter of prejudices between black and white; instead, the problem of racism is a problem within humanity that goes much deeper than the surface of one's skin.
Solomon referenced the Bible verse Acts 17:26 in his lecture which says, "and [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth.'
"The problem of racism in America is part of the whole problem of sin in the world," Solomon said. "We have forgotten God has made us all of one blood, we find reasons to separate ourselves, and if everyone was the same skin color we'd find another reason to create divisions between us; it [racism] is not a skin problem it is a sin problem."
