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Last updated: Thursday, May 24, 11:59 a.m.
Opinion

Op-Ed: Tasteless student drawing makes light of lynching

By Laila Sholtz-Ames
Posted on Feb. 22, 2010, at 2:20 a.m.

We are more than halfway through Black History Month and I, like many people at the University of Maine, will admit I did little to celebrate. Last week, I couldn’t help but take notice of Black History Month when a student in Hancock Hall, the dorm I am a resident assistant in, drew a picture on a whiteboard of a black person with a noose around their neck and the words “Happy Black History Month” underneath.

Apparently, someone doesn’t know the significances of Black History Month nor lynching, so I will explain both.

Black History Month is not about serving chicken, collard greens and gumbo. It’s not about turning on a Jay-Z or 50 Cent song and it’s not about getting a 20 percent discount in the bookstore for books written by black authors.

Black History Month started in 1926, originally lasting for just the second week of February, as a way to celebrate and commemorate the history and societal contributions of black people. During the 1920s, when segregation was still prevalent, Black History Month gave black people a chance to be proud of their history and culture during a time when appreciation was not easily found.

Today, it’s an opportunity to learn about African culture and traditions. But this month, instead of seeing people interested in black history, I’ve overheard a group of kids laughing because a black guy they know doesn’t like fried chicken. Last week, I heard a girl say one of her classmates never speaks up in class because “he’s a minority and can get away with doing that.” But we live in Maine, and I find all too often people are not interested in learning about other cultures.

Whoever drew the picture should know lynching is no laughing matter. Lynching began soon after the Civil War ended as a way for southerners to control former slaves. It soon became more popular in the early 20th century, when southern states created segregation and Jim Crow laws.

During the 1960s, numerous advocates for civil rights were lynched. According to a study by the Tuskegee Institute, 3,437 black people and 1,293 Caucasians were lynched between 1882 and 1968 for fighting for equal rights for people of all races. While lynching is not nearly as big an issue as it was decades ago, it is still no laughing matter.

A South Carolina law says, “Any act of violence inflicted by a mob upon the body of another person and from which death does not result shall constitute the crime of lynching in the second degree and shall be a felony. Any person found guilty of lynching in the second degree shall be confined at hard labor in the state penitentiary for a term not exceeding 20 years nor less than three years, at the discretion of the presiding judge.” This law was enacted when five teens lynched a black teen in 2006.

Maybe whoever drew that picture thought it was funny, that it was a joke, but they don’t realize the history — the thousands of people who have lost their lives from lynching.

Perhaps I overreacted. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be harmful, but I think we could all do a better job learning about each other, opening ourselves up to new ideas and really exploring other cultures and ways of life. We are only hurting ourselves by creating racial barriers.

Laila Sholtz-Ames is a senior journalism and anthropology major.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010, 2:20 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.

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  • Kayla

    I don’t think you overreacted. I also think that your decision to write a concise, informative op-ed rather than lash out speaks to your maturity, which is another rarity on college campuses. Thanks for this piece.

  • J. Swist

    An overreaction by the same author who called swine flu an overreaction. Hmm.

  • Sharon

    I dont think that you overreacted and I appreaciate you taking the time to address this issue. I graduated from UMaine in 2003 and am Black. I can tell you that my years there were full of incidents like this and the feeling that the overall population, students, faculty and staff were uninterested in learning about other cultures especially Black culture and history. Up until my senoir year attendance at the Black History month ceebrations planned by BSU was abysmal. I see that not much has changed and that saddens me.

  • Abraham

    Let me get this straight. This young woman (a great writer,) a student, and an employee of the University is forced to witness a hate crime (most likely directed at her) in the form of the most violent symbol of American racism … a lynching. The Maine public, whose tax dollars support the University, finds out about this racist act only when the victim seeks to educate the perpetrators of it and their allies through a very sensitive and intelligent piece of writing. The University, through the Office of the President (who should be immediately fired) and other administrative officers (who should be censured) says and does nothing public to support this student and employee in the face of the hatred and criminal act which she has been forced to confront. Why is there any question as to the cause of racist and sexist behavior at Orono when the silence of this young woman’s Alma Mater and employer demonstrates the University’s quiet acceptance of such behavior. Instead of trying every angle to constantly get yet another million dollars for new engineering programs, UMO should seek to gain at least a little social justice for victims of racism such as this young woman by spending one tenth as much time seeking finding, condemning, punishing, and immediately expelling the perpetrators of such violent deeds. (MLS 1996)

  • Rachel

    I agree. Whether the person who drew it intended it to be or not, the drawing on the whiteboard is a threatening gesture. No one should have to deal with this sort of thing at work; I don’t think she overreacted at all.

    I do think it’s unfair to assume that the University is somehow complicit in this event by not doing anything. There may have been some action taken, but it may not have been publicized.

  • Jun

    Excuse me, but are you black?

    If so then you probably should have celebrated, but if not then why would you feel bad about not celebrating?

    Also, that is terrible that you observed that drawing, but what can you expect from a school filled with hicks?

    I hope you reported that picture and that the student was reprimanded because that sounds like a serious hate crime to me. I’m well aware of the ignorance of many of the students here, but that crap needs to be dealt with fast.

  • Jun

    It is not unfair to accuse the university of compliance should they fail to do anything about this, and here is why.

    If the university is made aware of an event such as this, a harassment based on race, and chooses to do nothing. Then the university is accepting of the act.

    The university will be fully responsible should this deviant ever do something worse than his drawing, because they knew of the behavior and did nothing to stop it.

    Immediately, by not acting on this issue with swift punishment, the university is neglecting the well being of its minority students.