Photo by: Jasmine Tovar
Many millennials call themselves “woke.” But in, reality, they are merely what I call, “twitter woke.” It is important to understand that being black does not automatically classify you as woke and aware of the social injustices and systematic racism you face. White supremacy has corrupted the masses and its influence has unfortunately reached my black brothers and sisters. Other black people are aware of their oppression but only talk about it and recognize it as a problem instead of seeking to fix it. You can tweet all day about the injustices we face as African-Americans and the oppression we are placed in due to white supremacy. However, if you are doing nothing when it comes to physically taking action in the fight for justice, then you are fake woke.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an on-campus organization that educates its members on the injustices faced by African-Americans and actually takes steps to find a solution and advance our standing in a white America. If you’re black and want to be involved in an organization that seeks to progress your people by taking action, or if you’re not black and you want to gain a better understanding of the injustices black Americans face and what you can do to aid us in our fight for justice, attend a meeting and get involved. In the words of Joshua Roy, the president of SFA’s NAACP, “First we must educate ourselves, and then we must have a call to action.”
This week is NAACP Week, in which SFA’s NAACP will host a week of events relating to black culture and the progression of our people through education. To start off the week there will be a Black Card Revoked game show; an entertaining game with the premise of testing people on their knowledge of black culture. On Tuesday the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) will put on an MLK Celebration in the Twilight Ballroom to highlight black performers and artists on campus. On Wednesday there will be a 50 Shades panel on colorism and on Thursday there will be a panel on sexual assault. On Friday we will take a night to relax at Skate-O-Rama, and we will end the week with community service on Saturday. For more information on the events, follow SFA’s NAACP twitter page @sfasu_naacp.
Don’t just talk about the oppressions and discriminations you face as an African-American, work to end it. If you are not black, don’t just say you empathize with the struggles black Americans face, but seek to educate yourselves and learn how you can aid us in the fight for justice. Show up to one of our events this week and bring a friend. Come to the meetings and speak out during discussions. Share knowledge or ideas you may have on future events or ways we can progress as a people and truly reach equality and an end to oppression. Photo by: Jasmine Tovar