Thoughts
On Virginia Tech
And Racism
By Jeanette M. Pollard
26 July, 2007
Black
Agenda Report
It
has been three months to the day that Cho Seung Hui began and ended
his murderous rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech University. While
that school was known for its engineering and technology programs, it
will forever be remembered as the place where young bright minds were
brutally cut down in the prime - no, before the primes of their lives.
There are task forces and
committees that have and will study what happened and how it could have
been prevented. I wonder if any of these task forces or committees will
look at racism and how it reared its head in this tragedy. Clearly,
the perpetrator, from all reports, had a long history of antisocial
and isolative behavior. Television clips of his great aunt in South
Korea report her as saying the young man displayed troubled behavior
even as a young child.
When Professors Giovanni
and Roy - both female and women of color, complained loudly about this
troubled young man's behavior to school officials, why weren't Giovanni
and Roy's complaints and concerns about Hui taken seriously by school
administration? Why could professors with virtually no formal mental
health training, recognize that this young man had serious mental health
issues, while those with mental health degrees and licenses, downplayed
his behavior? It was reported that Professor Giovanni demanded and had
this student removed from her classroom, due to her own observations
about his behavior, as well as classmates concerns. Giovanni apparently
followed the chain of command and took her concerns to her department
chair. The department chair, Professor Roy, then tutored the young man
one on one. No doubt Professor Roy saw up close and personal, more of
the dark side of Cho Seung Hui.
While the public may never
really know what happened on that campus, it is clear that communication
was a big factor in this situation. The question I must ask is: Did
the fact that two women of color complained have anything to do with
the lack of attention and action by administration, that might have
thwarted this attack? The reality of racism has taught those of us who
are both of color and female, is that our words are many times, not
taken seriously - if taken at all. Our perspectives are "pooh-pahed"
until legitimized by a white male or female. How many have experienced
this same scenario, day in and day out on their jobs? Far too many to
count, I'm sure. I am positive that had two white female professors
complained about Hui as did Giovanni and Roy, the actions by school
administration would have been intense and immediate.
Then there was the scene
of the first shootings in the dorm. When campus police came upon the
bodies of Ryan Clark and Emily Hilscher in the dorm, did they assume
it was a murder-suicide by a "rejected" Black male of a white
female? Is the real reason why campus police did not take maximum precautions
because these two deaths appeared to be the actions of one "crazy
n___?" Did campus police's lack of notification to others on campus,
violate the federal Cleary Act?
As it turned out, senior
Ryan Clark was killed because he took his job as RA - resident advisor
seriously. He heard the commotion and went to the rescue of one of his
dorm charges, and lost his own life - just doing his job.
Finally, there were the profuse
and repeated apologies from the local, national, and international South
Korean community. They apologized and expressed deep regret, almost
shame, that one of "their own," committed these acts of violence.
Even they understood how people of color are viewed in this country,
and rushed to let others know that "we're not all like that."
If it never happens again, for once the South Korean community got a
dose of what it feels like for Black people in this country to have
to carry the burden that invariably comes when a Black person commits
a crime. It's broadcast ad nauseam over the airwaves, and becomes the
talk at the water cooler, in the grocery checkout line, and other gatherings
where whites and Blacks are forced to co-exist. A lingering example
is the outrage whites expressed and continue to express over the O.
J. Simpson "not guilty" verdict. We as a Black community are
still paying for this one Black man ( who, by the way, was the "darling"
of white folks), who allegedly went off and killed a blond white woman
and a white man. Here was one Black man (but was he really?), who in
my opinion, got away with murder. How many whites have gotten away with
murdering Blacks and other people of color and never been arrested,
brought to trial, much less convicted?
When Jeffrey Dalmer killed
and ate all those young men, did the white community apologize for his
cannibalistic appetite? When John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy killed all
those men and women, did the white community apologize to the rest of
the world for these murderous members? When Timothy McVeigh plotted
and carried out the Oklahoma City bombing that killed men, women, and
children, did the white community feel the need to apologize to the
rest of us for this nut case? No. So why did the South Korean community?
Because they knew deep down, that racism is alive and well, and they
did not want to be collectively "punished" for the behavior
of one troubled young man.
Let us hope that at the end
of the day, the people at Virginia Tech, as well as the rest of us,
will see that while skin may be white, black, or yellow, blood is only
one color - red.
Jeanette M. Pollard,
RN, APRN, BC, M. Div, can be reached at [email protected]
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