Holding Each Other Responsible

In my experience, it has always been an expectation to have your family’s back when the world at large is against them. It is also my experience however, that family must also be the ones to hold each other accountable when the family as a whole is threatened by the actions of an individual.
At HBCUs specifically, the issue of holding each other accountable for how we affect the HBCU name in general has been lost upon us in recent times.
Our own former Band Director, Nathan Haymer, for example, has been involved in his own controversy that has, for all intents of purposes, brought a shameful image down upon the university and the reputation of HBCUs in general.
Of course, the investigation pertaining to Mr. Haymer is still ongoing, and until such a time where all of the facts have been shown and a definitive consensus can be reached in regards to his innocence, we as a campus will continue to lend him our support.
This being said, there are many other instances where other HBCU officials, and members of the black community in general, have been caught red handed in their wrong doings, and have escaped the fire with a relatively untarnished image attached to their names.
The reasoning associated with this thought varies depending on age group and university affiliations, with some individuals feeling that the issue not personally affecting them equates to the transgression not being severe enough to be spoken on. From my point of view, this is an unacceptable stance to take.
A huge problem in the black community is that our own people have gotten into the habit of sweeping the issues that plague our people under the rug, all in the name of preservation of reputation. This is evident in cases pertaining to finances, mental illness, and especially sexual assault in our communities.
We see these things going on in our own communities, with families being broken and our youth being psychologically traumatized, and we say nothing for the sake of maintaining perception. And, while the image that is painted may be visually appealing at first glance, it is still a lie, and one that far too many are okay with living in.
Being black men and women in the world today, there are so many stereotypes and stigmas already against us, and for far too long, we have been the main ones building on these false perceptions.
So to have our HBCUs, which are supposed to be places where black students can have the best chance to grow into productive and strong members of the black community, embroiled in controversy the way that they have been recently, is unacceptable.
The world is a cold and viscous place, and for African Americans in particular, we already have to work twice as hard to get half of what many of our caucasian counterparts get by default. Right or wrong, this is the reality in the United States in 2018.
As I previously mentioned, I look at HBCUs as one big family, and like any good family member, no one wants to see their family hurt or slandered. I understand this sentiment, and I can empathize with it. However, if we aren’t going to check ourselves and hold each other responsible for how our family as a whole is represented, then who will hold us responsible?
I want to see black men and women in the world winning and achieving greatness, maybe more than anything else in the world. However, there is a right and a wrong way to go about doing things, and I want us to win the right way.
Many may say that this stance is naive and that no one else plays fair and by the rules. To this, I simply ask, “Why is what everyone else is doing the standard?” We have a responsibility to be true to ourselves, and to be true to each other. So either we do this the right way, or what was the point in doing it at all?