Following a video that was
posted showing The University of Oklahoma's Sigma Alpha Epsilon engaging in a
racist chant on a bus, Charles M Blow posted an editorial to The New York Times with his insightful
opinions on the matter.
College students,
millennials, are considered to be a part of the most diverse, enlightened, and
tolerant generation thus far which is why the video shocked the masses, but
Blow claims he was not surprised by the hate displayed by the members of SAE.
Blow establishes his credibility not only because he is a man of color but also
by providing statistics supporting his argument that white millennials are no
less prejudice than any other generation of whites. He points to statistics
stating that 89 percent of millennials “do believe
that everyone should be treated the same no matter their race” but believes the
downfall in this statistic is that all millennials are grouped together without
separating the white millennials from the rest.
Blow takes an
interesting angle when he questions how much influence the fraternity systems
have in our policy making up "85 percent of
U.S. Supreme Court justices since 1910, 63 percent of all U.S. presidential
cabinet members since 1900 and, historically, 76 percent of U.S.
senators". His point being that if those trends continue, it could be
people like those sitting on the bus chanting racial remarks leading our
country in the near future.
I believe the
purpose of this editorial is to show the reader, regardless of age or
race, that hate and discrimination is something that our country still
struggles with, and it is something that needs to be addressed. While I agree
with Blow's viewpoints on hate, I do not agree that millennials are just as
prejudiced as other generations. I believe my generation truly is more
accepting of diversity, even if we still need to work on it.
I will leave you with a quote from Charles M Blow that really struck me. He says:
"This is why the vileness displayed on that bus matters: It was a reflection of the distance that must still be covered, and the rigidity of racism and the casualness of hate. It can wear a smile and be set to a tune...What happened on that bus was bigger than just that bus; it was a reflection of where we are."
