The Nevada Sagebrush

At the beginning of February, University of Nevada, Reno students Mike Spadino and James Hogg replaced their personal Facebook profile pictures with a photo of them posing as famous historical black figures.

Spadino and Hogg are members of M.E.N. (Motivated, Extraordinary and Noble) of Distinction, a UNR club that focuses on community service. They posed as Jackie Robinson and Booker T. Washington, respectively, in honor of Black History Month. Spadino and Hogg, who are both white, were told, “News flash — you are not black, and you still think you are black,” (according to club member Sean Tory) by disapproving peers. Reactions to these students’ noble efforts exhibited the persistent racism that not only exists in society at large, but on our very own campus.

Although black young men primarily compose MOD, the group does not discriminate against men of other races. But some people in the UNR community failed to see that just because someone isn’t of a certain background doesn’t mean they don’t have the right to support that background just as fervently as someone who is.

It’s this very ignorance (assuming that people of a certain race should act in a certain way) that keeps racism alive — a mindset that needs to stop right here on college campuses, a place that brings together people of all races, interests and backgrounds.

Many articles have been published in the last decade in large news organizations such as CNN and the Los Angeles Times essentially saying that American citizens largely believe racism in the United States is a thing of the past. Views such as these ignore the truth that it still thrives because of a lack of education.

As humans, it is in our nature to stereotype anything we encounter — it’s how our mind prepares us for what’s about to come. But it takes becoming educated and informed to overcome these stereotypes.

We need to take it upon ourselves to learn about the history of other histories and ethnicities in order to become more well-rounded individuals. On campus, students should be required to take a diversity course that teaches us what race, nationality, ethnicity relations, and racism truly mean.

This cultivation should start in K-12 education. Since these are often ignored issues in schools throughout our childhood, and naturally have little chance of truly understanding it as adults.

But it shouldn’t stop and start just because our calendars tell us that it’s (insert race, ethnicity or gender here) History Month. Enriching ourselves should be a goal we wake up with every day. It should be a permanent bullet point on our daily to-do list.

There is a list of Black History Month events on page A1 of this newspaper. So far throughout this month, campus groups have put on more than 15 Black History Month events, and there are still about 10 scheduled in the remaining eight days of February. Take advantage of these remaining events and attend whichever you have time for. Enrich yourself.

As college students who choose to be in an atmosphere filled with peers from all different backgrounds, we should be the forerunners of stopping racism and setting the example for the rest of society.

The Nevada Sagebrush can be reached at editor@nevadasagebrush.com.

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