Staff Editorial: Racial awareness cannot end when Black History Month is over
As Black History Month comes to an end, we wanted to give a final tribute to the ways in which we need to and should be defending, recognizing and appreciating Black history and Black lives, each and every day.
The way that Black History Month has traditionally transpired is as a passive recognition of Black history. There might be the occasional Instagram post recycling a Martin Luther King Jr. quote, or a Powerpoint presentation skimming the history of the civil rights movement, but pre-2020, there was little done in the broad media or education to genuinely highlight and uplift Black voices and identities. Enter May of 2020, however, and attitudes towards the Black Lives Matter movement and understanding Black identities as a whole revolutionize.
On May 28, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd’s murder served as the catalyst to a more widespread understanding of police brutality and the violence that Black people face. Protests erupted across the United States in the summer of 2020 and the face of the Black Lives Matter movement began to shift radically.
The Black Lives Matter movement was born out of a need for widespread awareness and action taken regarding racial violence and injustice after the murder of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black boy, in 2012. Eight years later, awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement skyrocketed and transformed in the public eye as massive protests congregated and moved through anywhere from major cities to smaller towns and residential areas.
As these movements grew and became more accessible in their location and widespread nature, engagement in the Black Lives Matter movement began to change across the board. Rather than reposting a black square with the intention of spreading awareness surrounding police brutality without any action, it became more important to become involved in concrete action. Education, conversation, advocacy and platforms were viewed differently. It was no longer enough to be “aware” of racism—it was necessary to be actively anti-racist.
We have seen these actions and attitudes transpiring on Geneseo’s campus very clearly in recent history. A prominent conversation of how Geneseo engages with anti-racism erupted last spring after a tribute to George Floyd was painted over on the painted tree in the Sturges quad. Many students felt that the school had not taken a strong enough stance against this act, and that their commitment to anti-racism was more performative than active. While this conversation died down in the months following the event, it is vital to keep up this awareness and engagement in order to accomplish genuine allyship, appreciation and engagement with the Black Lives Matter movement, both in Black History Month and moving onward into our everyday lives.
At Geneseo, there are many ways to get involved with and start this conversation. The school hosted events throughout February, uplifting the discoveries and academic voices of BIPOC in disciplines from astrophysics to business. Additionally, the school sponsored many panels and dialogues focusing on topics surrounding Black history and the Black Lives Matter movement, covering topics such as Black women’s health and racist policies in Rochester. Recordings of these events are available on Geneseo’s website and can be a fantastic resource for understanding Geneseo’s attitudes and conversations surrounding intersectional education and awareness of racism.
Continuing onward out of February, there are services and outlets for BIPOC and education surrounding anti-racism and the protection and acknowledgement of Black identities. The Office of Multicultural Programs and Services provides resources for finding local programs of support for BIPOC and other minority students.
Umoja House is a new Living Learning Community (LLC) developed with the intent of “creat[ing] an engaged intellectual community where students of diverse backgrounds can come together in a supportive environment to celebrate their identities while nurturing their leadership skills.” Multicultural programs, such as the Black Student Union (BSU) and Latin Student Union (LSU), host a multitude of events that provide engagement and platforms for BIPOC students.
The Multicultural Organization Space for Activities, Inclusion and Collaboration (MOSAIC) provides a space on campus to “promote cultural awareness across campus and to allow students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to explore different cultures and talk about their findings in a comfortable and supportive setting.” These spaces and resources are available for students of all backgrounds.
The resources at Geneseo should be more accessible to students and should not rely upon individual research and interest to provide visibility, and conversations regarding diversity and anti-racism need to be more integrated into all spaces on campus. These resources deserve more recognition and support from the school in order to adequately provide the spaces needed for BIPOC students. That being said, there are many services and resources available for those who need them.
Conversations about Black history and identities cannot end when February does. It is imperative to the life of Geneseo and to the riddance of systemic oppression as a whole to continue this conversation, and to continue genuine active engagement in order for us to try our best to support and uplift Black voices and identities.