What would be the basis?

In response to Shelly Blundell’s article titled “Separation is self-imposed,” Black United Students is a cultural organization dedicated to uplifting the African-American community. Throughout the past and still today, African-Americans have had to deal with being the minority and having to feel inferior to their superior forces. Black United Students strives to show the African-American community on this campus that they don’t have to feel low, that they can succeed despite their many obstacles and that they have what it takes to become successful in a world filled with people that are constantly looking down upon you.

We recognize that you are from South Africa and you are an “immigrant,” but in America you are viewed as a white. People will not know where you are from unless you let them know. When people look at me, they know I’m African-American.

For example, people will not look at you and deny you for a loan because of the color of your skin. The police will not pull you over for being white, but they will for being black – it has happened to me. I do agree with you when you said we let the bigots win when we separate ourselves into separate groups, but we do have reason to do it.

The reasons why separate groups exist is to separate themselves from the majority because they share similar interests. One of the main reasons for BUS is to uplift the African-American community on this campus. Black United Students teaches the history of Africans and African-Americans to their community and others in order to show what our ancestors have gone through. If there were a White United Students, what would it consist of? What will be the basis? Would they teach their history to the community? Go ahead, teach White America their history. Teach them about how this country is not theirs, and how their ancestors robbed this land from the American Indians. Would it teach them about how their ancestors went over to Africa, and tore a whole country apart in order to make its citizens their slaves? Or would it teach them that their ancestors gave them everything they have by using manipulative evil tactics to get it? Go ahead, teach them this, and just maybe they will change. They just might start a “Back to England” movement out of a result of their new-found education. When you think about it, there is already a White United Students Organization, it’s called Kent State University and every other university that makes up the United States. No matter where we go in America whites will be the majority — whites dominate society.

Black United Students never said whites cannot be a part of what we are about. Our constitution states, “Membership is open to all students at Kent State University … A member is one who identifies either in kind or in principle with the underlying philosophy of Black United Students” Who said whites couldn’t be a part of BUS? We never said that; we will gladly accept any nationality and accept them as our own, as long as they are willing to comply with our rules and regulations.

Kevin Gibson Jr. is the vice president of Black United Students. Contact him at [email protected]. LaDon Preach is vice president of Harambee. Contact him at [email protected].