A message from ASCC President Evans Kaame      

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD 

We the people of this college, community, and the nation have been impacted by the wave of horrific events of unrest sweeping across the nation, beginning with the COVID-19 global pandemic and now the tragic death of George Floyd in the hands of police officers–those who have sworn to protect and serve the community. As student leaders, we share your grief and uncertainties. Some of us are wondering, why are thousands of people protesting and expressing their concerns in different cities across the nation?  

Therefore, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD is the theme to explain the reasons for the protests and unpack the long history of injustices that the minorities have been experiencing. 

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that our political system has been less functioning to meet the demands of creating a just justice system which has resulted in an exponential increase in incarceration that restoration.  

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that the justice department needs absolute change and complete reformation to serve our society equitably.  

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that our history has been distorted to reflect the reality of our justice department. 

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that there has some reluctance in changing the policies that drive the police department’s priorities when they issue stops, searches, and arrests.   

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that injustices have been prone to the minorities due to unconscious biases, economic status, disproportionate representation, lack of adequate legal assistance, and the reinforcement of one race is superior and just than the other. 

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that a significant population of the minorities have been incarcerated. 

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that the Private Prison System in America is detrimentally impacting the lives of the minorities and those with less economic status.  

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, that we all as a society has been reluctant to acknowledge the existence of these impacts and take the responsibility to address them and be willing to create change from ourselves, to our families, communities, and the nation. 

RACISM IS ALIVE 

All Lives Matter Vs Black Lives Matter is not the issue but the reactions that are evidenced when injustices are done in the limelight over the Black people due to racism.  

RACISM IS ALIVE when citizens who exercise their First Amendment protesting that BLACK LIVES MATTER are labeled as domestic terrorists. 

RACISM IS ALIVE when it takes protestors to initiate the arrest of those who killed Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black people. 

RACISM IS ALIVE when BLACK LIVES MATTER Protestors are threatened by the head of state to invoke the Insurrection Act because they don’t matter to the system. 

RACISM IS ALIVE when minorities are perceived as a threat in the stores, streets, cities, etc. 

RACISM IS ALIVE when people of color call for change and are perceived as radicals and troublemakers in our institutions.  

RACISM IS ALIVE when one race is perceived as wrongdoers.  

The roots of racism are historic and systemic; woven into the fabric of our country. As people of color, we experience racism in all its many forms. We want people to acknowledge it and be willing to talk about it, willing to make changes, so we, as one nation, can move forward.  

AS SOMEONE WHO LEANS TOWARD HOPE, I strongly believe in humanity and in the conviction that racism is solvable. Our generation has seen the racial inequalities experienced in our society today—and now those who believe in change are stepping up to voice their quest for reformation. No single instrument can measure our progress toward ending racism. However, I assure you that you have the power and capability to influence others by doing what is just, right, and good for others. We have a long way to go, but we will get there.  

We all possess the virtues of love, respect, and compassion–the determinants of our behavior in treating others. It is through love, respect, and compassion that people from different backgrounds are taking to the streets en masse across the country to demand justice for those who cannot. I believe in these virtues. Together, we can address these challenges. Together, we can create a society in which every individual feels they belong and have a place to exercise their inalienable rights and privileges enshrined in the Constitution. 

Let your voice be heard.   

Sincerely, 

Evans Kaame, ASCC President