(U-WIRE) STILLWATER, Okla. – Before Thursday, many of the editorial board members had never heard of the “Jena Six.” We didn’t know about self-segregated high school campuses or nooses hanging from trees.
Most of us – specifically the six white of seven total members – believed that racism was, for the most part, a thing of a past.
Sure, we had heard stories of racism. We read them in history books in high school, but we were shocked to hear that racism was happening to people close to our age a mere 600 miles away.
Are we so naive to think racism does not happen anymore? Is this sort of thing happening in our own community? Are we ignoring racism as it happens in our city? On our campus?
But during our discussion, the one minority member spoke up. An American Indian, he knew about racism.
Although the events of Jena High School took place nearly 600 miles away, the effects can be felt here.
In fact, many of us admitted to having bigoted relatives: a “senile grandma” or a “set-in-his-ways grandfather,” people whom we adore despite their outdated beliefs. We were used to making excuses for them.
It’s time to stop making excuses. It is time we all re-evaluated our ideas, drop the stereotypes. It is 2007, not 1957.
Our generation has the ability to support the civil rights activists fought for in the 60’s. We might not be able to put an end to granny’s ignorance, but we can instill it in our family, our friends, our peers and eventually our children.
If our generation does not put an end to racism, we risk losing everything activists have won in the past.
Equality for all races can be our generations contribution to the civil rights movement.
We can inspire change. We can delete stereotypes. We can make 1960’s activists proud.

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