With the divisive discourse plaguing our country it is our duty as students and collegiettes to inform ourselves and become integral members of the greater dialogue happening on our campus, in our country, and even all around the world.
An organization on campus, called the Power of We, plays in important role in bringing awareness to our campus. This organization is passionate about the diversity on our campus and the inclusion of people from all places, races, and creeds. They believe that together we will create a more meaningful dialogue on the campus and as we graduate and go into the world.
In order to facilitate this, the Power of We is launching a new conference series entitled “Shared Spaces.” The first event in the series is called “How Do We Honor the Past + Overcome Its Darkness” and it is on October 11th from 6-8 p.m. in the Turnbull Conference Center of the Florida State Campus.
The goal of the conference is to discuss the history of the United States and how it is causing such a divide within our country. Further discussions will make an argument that although the history of the United States is mostly written in blood, our history should not be a source of division, but rather have the potential to be a source of unity for all people living in this country.
Discussions like this one are especially important to our campus due to the recent controversies regarding statues found around campus. While some people argue that we should not honor those who have owned slaves, others argue that once we start erasing our history we are losing a valuable source of lessons and we begin to lose touch with the progress we as a country have made. The Power of We strives to find a middle ground between these two valid arguments. They assert that there is a way to preserve our history, while also recognizing the darkness that shrouds our history.
Courtesy: Facebook
On a more macro scale, the topics discussed at this conference are still extremely applicable given the current political climate we live in. As seen in Charlottesville, Virginia when the protests erupted in mid-August as a result of the city’s decision to remove a Confederate statue. Though this was a decision that was voted on by citizens of the city, the final decision still proved to be a point of contention for people who tend to favor a more preservationist view on such statues.
It is important that as we graduate, grow older, and become more involved in the world that we are also able to help find a middle when contention such as this arises. Make sure to attend the panel and discussion to learn how to be a more empathetic surveyor of history and a more impactful member of our global community. Information for this event can be found in the links above and also on Facebook.