Attend a Lamar Memorial Lecture Series
Social: Reflections on event. (300-500 words) - 20 points.
Earlier this semester, Mercer invited guest speaker Sam Oni to talk to the student body on behalf of the Lamar Memorial Lectures Series. Sam Oni was the first African American student at Mercer University, and spent the majority of his speech discussing the issues regarding segregation and racial discrimination that still occur today. One of the more notable occurrences against Sam was the instance in which he was refused to attend a southern baptist church in Macon while he was a student here due to him being a person of color. It was startling to hear Sam say he was wrongfully turned away from Tattnall Square Baptist Church, as it is a close neighbor to those in the Macon and Mercer community. As Sam spoke, I couldn’t help but feel hurt for him; here he was, the first African-American student at an incredible university, being turned away from his safe place. Chuch, of all things, should be a welcoming environment for all, no matter what the circumstances. Though Sam was neglected and treated wrongfully by the people in Macon, he did not speak with anger or resentment. Rather, he spoke with passion and had an uplifting hope for our future as we work past this as a community to ensure love and support to everyone of all backgrounds - no matter what gender, sexuality, or race they are. He spoke of how he dreamed of equality for all, and while being turned away from the church was disheartening, it encouraged him to pursue answers to prevent this from happening to students in the future who wish to worship the Lord whenever and wherever they want, regardless of their race. Since I am also a person of color, I found Sam’s speech both encouraging and enlightening, as it taught me to keep working despite the odds.
