Interview 9: An actual BSM member
I managed to finally land an interview with someone that has stayed active in BSM. How awesome is that???
Key Points
-Predominately white background (but he’s not white), white family, white community, white school.
“I didn’t get a chance to explore my ethnicity. My parents always told me I was native and black, and I did not really have to deal with. BSM helped me explore my identity. I believe your race first thing people see.”
“Advocate for people by using my own identity”
BSM been a member since freshman year, the first organization that I’ve joined.
-“There’s always something new happening in BSM and trying to keep up with things”
-He joined the first year class council, then joined other groups within BSM.
“What I tried to do was move up slowly, I dont think a lot of the people get to see the behind the scenes.”
Potential
“No, I dont. I think we have a big issue of making our students feel welcomed. For so long, we have been as the black student movement and we’re exclusive to black students.”
Educating
“Uploading, why it’s important. Passing it down generation to generation.”
“Often times in society we say “if you’re this way then you’re right and if you’re this way you’re the wrong.”
“Just because we’re different (black people) does not make it wrong)
Issues
-Historically, blacks have always cultivated a response for their segregtion, slavery, civil rights movements, institutional segregation, BSM,
-“I feel like there’s always a need to respond to how we’re treated in this country. “
-“I think it’s most important to educate yourself on this history of black in this country (He went to a white school and did not get to obtain this education).
And using our own privileges as an educated student to make lives better for not only blacks, but for all people that face similar struggles.
Reaching happiness
“Personally, I believe you reach happiness through freedom”
Where there is happiness, there’s an opposite value.
“I feel for too long blacks have been faced with the opposite value.”
“Knowing that you aren’t someone that’s just passive in certain moments.”
Unity
-“I think on our campus there’s the whole african versus african american.”
-“The whole, I’m better because i’m from america vs living in the motherland.
-“First and foremost you are black.”
-“The greek community is pretty standoff-ish.”
-”The only people that come to greek events are people that are apart of greek events.
-”Different organizations moreso cater to different affinities ..
“You can create your own subgroups, it’s not not an option.”