Prove your humanity


APU creates a safe space for students of all races to discuss ways to move beyond racial division

Azusa Pacific’s Black Student Association (BSA) partnered with the department of Theology to host a panel and a dialogue where students of all races discussed racial injustice, black pain, minority marginalization and “white guilt” on March 27 in the Cougar Dome.

The panel consisted of biblical studies professor Justin Smith and theology professor Jacquelyn Winston, as well as three students: Senior criminal justice major and BSA president Kenberly Ferguson, junior liberal studies major Kayla Kimball and graduate M.Div. student Wesley Parker Reed.

The purpose of the panel was to get a wide range of opinions on the topics discussed, as each panelist comes from a different racial background with different experiences.

One of the questions addressed to the panel was, “Should we care about racism?”

Ferguson said that in some of her classes, she sees the tiredness on the faces of her white peers when they talk about race.

“When people say that they’re tired of talking about it…I get that you want to move on, but you can’t move on to reconciliation unless you understand,” Ferguson said. “I encourage people to have an understanding first. We can’t move to the next part of the conversation until you understand that. Be tired of that. Be tired of the pain that actually happened.” Kimball also responded to the question, speaking about “white privilege.”

“Usually, this is a question asked by white people, because we can afford to ask this question. We don’t have to think about it everyday,” Kimball said. “But this is a conversation thrust on people of color whether they want it or not.”

Reed spoke about his own experience concerning white privilege.

“I am a young, straight, healthy, able-bodied white male. All of this creates a world for me where I have the privilege of experiencing life in an easier way than most of my friends of color,” Reed said.

Noah Jackson, a senior political science major, agreed with Reed. Jackson said he almost didn’t attend the panel.

“I had the privilege of opting out of this conversation, but I didn’t, and I’m so glad,” Jackson said. “The biggest thing for me is to put myself in positions where I can hear others’ stories. It’s so easy to live without it because I have that luxury, but I think that that’s a commitment I need to start making.”

Brandon Douglas, a junior psychology major, said that he thought it was important to hear the stories of other people of color.

“I think a lot of people came to this to get things off of their chest that they wouldn’t normally, but I think that’s also a commitment we need to make to keep telling these stories,” Douglas said.

On the panel, Winston shared some of her extensive background in dealing with civil rights issues.

“I’m in my sixties, my father was a civil rights activist. My whole life was spent in a setting of racial issues. I was always usually the first black person in any set. But I’m always able to talk about it because God gave me the strength to get beyond that,” Winston said.

She spoke about the two sides of the issue and how each side should deal personally with the topics addressed.

“There’s a need to look at the issue of white privilege and not carry the guilt, but to admit it, and then there’s going to be a need for you to ask God to not be complicit in that,” Winston said.  “Then there’s a side of those who are people of color who are not from the dominant culture who need to forgive. The reason we need to forgive is that if we don’t forgive, we let racism win. We take on the identity of victim instead of victor. Learning to forgive is taking back your own power. Here’s the thing: we need to forgive, but we do not need to forget.”

In response to Winston’s statement, Smith addressed the white people in the audience.

“[Winston’s] talking about forgiving, but, well, what about the apology? We need to understand…race is systemic. One of the most traumatising elements is realizing that it’s all a construct,” Smith said.

Winston spoke about the systemic “normality” of race, particularly whiteness.

“Racism by and large does not portray itself as ‘race,’ but it portrays itself as ‘normal.’ If you aren’t like the ‘normal’ of society, then you’re ‘dangerous’ and you’re the ‘other.’” Winston said. “Racism is about getting and maintaining power. Therefore, the way you create the system in order to maintain and keep the power is to tell yourself that there isn’t a system, but that this is what normal, healthy Americans do, and that’s why it is this way.”

Kimball said that by staying away from people perceived as “other,” we miss out on seeing the full image of God.

“Every person is made in the image of God and represents him in their own unique way,” Kimball said. “You can’t have the full image of God without including people of all races, genders, ages, and abilities.”