UC Can Beat The Hydra Of Racism Analysis

UC Can Beat the Hydra of Racism

“Long may she live, her children's pride, and grow and prosper far and wide.

At all time let our motto be: stand first and last for old UC.” The lyrics of the University of Cincinnati’s famous song, ‘Alma Mater’, aptly presents the devotion of each student to keep the flame of our school pride alive. Remembering these lyrics has never been as crucial as it is now, a time of deep sorrow and shame after the murder of Samuel Dubose. It has triggered questions of how forthcoming the University of Cincinnati has been in embracing diversity after racial segregation legally ended in the 1960’s. Many people believe that racism doesn’t exist at UC. I, however, believe that more directed efforts are needed to make this

What is racism? A working definition of racism by Dr. Joanne Belknap who was an assistant professor at UC is that racism is “prejudice plus power” (par. 5). When people act racist, they not only identify people using racial stereotypes, but also discriminate against them with their positions of power. This is why reverse racism does not work. Only those from the mainstream culture are in social positions of power with the potential for abuse. Racism compels conformity to the majority culture by discrimination against other ethnicities on the premise that their cultural beliefs and identifications are inferior. It goes against the inclusion and even the safety of different races, destroying any possible benefits of diversity. Racism is an evil which still exists as a remnant of slavery and segregation in America, even in progressive educational institutes like the University of

The Racial Awareness Project (RAPP) was started in 1986 by Student Affairs and Services to address racial issues in the community (“RAPP”). To create a well-rounded awareness on racial concerns, RAPP holds many intensive courses and workshops on diversity, inclusive leadership, communication and social justice and also has a RAPP alumnus program. The Office of Ethnic Programs and Services (EPS) is another commendable University initiative. Its missions are “to help students excel”, “to provide scholarships” for improving retention rates of diverse students, and “to serve the campus and community”. The EPS hosts cultural fests (like the World Fest) and has different programs like Bearchats (where international and domestic students teach each other about their respective cultures).(“Ethnic”) UC is also bringing in more international students and has numerous international co-op programs. Locally, UC has been helping out at Hughes High School, a nearby predominantly African American STEM high school. (University of Cincinnati, Self-Study 29) Initiatives like these encourage students to graduate and join UC to make an impact on the Cincinnati community. These are some of the many programs created by UC in the past to promote