Posted on 04/19/2017 5:26:11 PM PDT by TigerClaws
The Student Government Association passed resolutions to support reparations for black students, causing varied response from senators and students.
Resolution to Support Reparations
The resolution aims to send a message to the university that it should acknowledge slavery is “a debt that will never be paid.” The resolution also called for a special task force to be established by WKU to research test-optional admissions and geographically-weighted admissions and for all black people to have full and free access to WKU, including free tuition.
“This is something that I think is more importantly about sending a clear message than it is about actually trying to strive for the institution to actually give out free tuition to everybody,” said one author of the bill, Senator Brian Anderson.
The other author of the bill, Senator Andrea Ambam, said universities like to claim diversity without acknowledging the negative effects of slavery and segregation on black students. Ambam said past racial disparity has evolved into economic disparity in today’s society, making it difficult for black youth to attend college.
“If you really care about diversity, if you really care about inclusion, if you really care about making this campus safe and accessible to everybody, having the student government’s support of reparation for black students would be amazing,” Ambam said.
Several senators disagreed with the bill, saying free tuition for black students would still have to be paid by others — whether by fees on other students or by taxes paid to the government.
“It will disadvantage other people from getting the same education,” Senator William Hurst said. “I am not discounting that there is an obvious disadvantage to African-American students, but this resolution would discriminate against other populations.”
Senator Lily Nellans said the propositions of the resolution might feel unfair, but in reality it would just give black students the same benefits that white students have had historically.
“A lot of times equality can feel like oppression for those who are losing their advantage, but that’s not a reason we shouldn’t fight for equality,” Nellans said.
After much debate, the resolution ultimately passed 19-10-1.
Ambam told a Herald reporter Wednesday she and Anderson recognized the resolution put forth “a lofty request,” referring to its call for all black students to receive free tuition, but she believes it is important to start the conversation.
“I have no doubt that it started up conversation already,” Ambam said. “To me, that’s the first step.”
Regardless of the administration’s response to the resolution, Ambam said she plans to continue trying to encourage conversation around the issue.
“The point of a resolution like this is basically to make a huge statement saying that the Student Government Association recognizes the impact that slavery has had on black people today and that changes need to be made,” Ambam said.
One student, Carter Gross, commented on the Herald’s article about the resolution posted on Facebook and said he wonders if the SGA will consider giving free tuition to Native American students to compensate for settlers pushing them off their land, or to Asian Americans to compensate for the racism they have suffered in America, or if “this is just virtue signaling at the expense of other students to make the SGA feel good about themselves.”
Student Rachel West replied to Gross’s comment and said she believes the resolution’s proposition is a good thing.
“This is the first step for change for many communities,” West commented. “Do not speak on behalf of them. Sometimes it takes one brave soul to step forward so that others will follow.”
Several students and others took to social media to react to the resolution:
Maybe just take away the right to vote from White Men for 20 years.
The only thing that MIGHT shut them up is if they get to hold us in chattel slavery for a couple of hundred years.
They wanna play this game, let’s roll! Most Black nationalists take pride in the belief that the abient Egyptians were dark skinned. They enslaved the Hebrews for 1000’s of years. Whatever Whitey owes in reparations is chump change compared to what’s owed to every White Christian and Jew. The accrued interest on this 5000+ yr old debt that was never repaid far surpasses the principal.
Every person that took part in this should ave been Expelled Immediately
...this resolution would discriminate against other populations...
They should look to Democrats for any compensation. They are the party that perpetuated slavery and the buying and selling of them. The party of Jim Crow.
Their governors personally blocked college doors stopping admission. Their sheriff’s in cousin with the Democrat KKK terrorized assaulted, and killed blacks. They came kicking and screaming into the era of civil rights.
I have relatives who served in battle in the Civil War to free them from the Democrats. They suffered and some bled. Maybe the NAACP should send our family a check.
If I “identify” as half black do I get a 50% discount? </sarc>
The insanity running rampant these days is quite disconcerting. Not so much for myself but for my kids and any future grandkids that may come along.
There were thousands of black slave owners.
There were thousands of whites who owned no slaves.
First step: they should raise tuition at this school on all non-black students to start paying reparations. Double, triple them - who cares???
First step: they should raise tuition at this school on all non-black students to start paying reparations. Double, triple them - who cares???
oh boy. ‘every black’ didn’t have a US history of slavery and the US is not responsible for every downtrodden soul in the world with a grudge. If an honest conversation about slavery is to be had, before even broaching the million Europeans kidnapped into slavery, maybe it could start with why blacks owe blacks reparations:
http://latinamericanstudies.org/slavery/perbi.pdf
reparations is this. we will send you back to africa. we will revoke your citizenship and you can never come back to this nightmare of a country you constantly complain about.
“White genocide is coming.”
Only if you’re a stupid white snowflake who never trained and own no weaponry.
Ok; I’ll bite.
I allow all students who voted for this to pay me reparations in the amount of one million each because I had to see this nonsense in the news. (doing my best snowflake impersonation) I was caught off guard and wasn’t in my safe place when this news hit me so I deserve reparations for the anguish it has caused me.
When can I expect my first check?
A special kind of stupid - and these people are going to be awarded college degrees.
Their solution is also racist - blacks are too disadvantaged and stupid to make it on their own as compared to the “superior and privileged” whites, therefore, need special programs in order to make it. If that isn’t the very definition of racism, what is?
Free blacks also owned slaves. And it was other Africans that sold the slaves from Africa. And blacks in the north were not slaves - they were free. How do we determine who is descended from who when doing these theoretical “reparations?”
Your basic liberal argument: "If you disagree with me it's because you're just not as good a person as I am and don't care about people" so they don't have to actually defend their position logically and intellectually.
That’s another good point. The descendants of black slave owners would also get reparations. So would immigrants that never had a slave ancestor. All based solely on skin color. And what of people like Obama, who calls himself black but is half white, and his white side were once slave owners. Ridiculous.
My father remembered signs in windows ‘No Dogs or Irish Allowed.’ Should I and the rest of my large Irish Catholic clan submit reparations claims?
I’m wondering when African-Americans are going to pay reparations to the Jews.
There, fixed it for you!
Regards,
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