By Donna J. Gough
Editor In Chief
I am often baffled how offices such as the Office of Minority Affairs, Ethnic Student Services, and the Hale Black Cultural Center have been allowed to remain even this long when black students, for whom the offices were created, don't attend programs created on their behalf. I work in African American Student Services and it bothers me to no end that our staff provided a wide variety of events and programs, only to see a whopping 10-15 people in attendance on average. More of us were in attendance for Edward James Olmos' presentation than for the program on African/Latino Unity presented by a black man the day before.
What bothers me so much is that black students love to complain about what they are not getting, how "da' man" is oppressing them, how they need all these programs, etc. But once these programs are created, students vanish like the wind. All of a sudden everybody is soooo busy when I see more black students spending their time socializing in the Ohio Union than in class, studying, or working.
I realize that many of our folks are enticed by materialism. I realize that the new mantra for today is "I am out for myself." I know this, hear it constantly, and even say it myself from time to time. But then I think about how different my life would be if programs like Black History Month were never created.
I would never know that my history goes back further than to my ancestors' enslavement. I would never know about any other prominent black people other than Martin Luther King Jr. I would never learn to appreciate struggle as a characteristic of life that teaches you humility, responsibility, and faith. I would think that white folks were superior, had all the answers, and I only needed to become like them to be accepted by them. Finally, I wouldn't have a place to be at ease around my folks, wouldn't have a means of teaching other folks about black history and culture, and wouldn't have someone on this campus advocating for my best interest.
Maybe the administration should get rid of programs such as the Office of Minority Affairs, Ethnic Student Services and Hale Black Cultural Center and let folks fend for themselves. You obviously don't need our help anymore and you have all the answers and resources you need to make it through the OSU plantation system.