Survival of the Fittest: Bridging the gap

As an HBCU, some may say it is significant to inform the students that attend the university on issues that may affect them either directly or indirectly. On Thursday February 11, the Pre-Law Society, Black History Club , and the Alpha Tau chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. teamed up and created a forum in their efforts to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the African American community . The five-panel forum ranged from Southern University Alumni and current students.
“I really enjoyed the event, I think it’s important for students like us to gain knowledge so that we do know how to behave in certain situations,” said freshman nursing major Jamila Addison
Some topics of discussion for the night include police brutality, the importance of knowing your rights, and how to behave when being pulled over by a police officer. Knowing your rights coin-cides with knowing the proper way to know how to get frisked, understanding and acknowledging if you are being racially profiled, what you can be charged with and knowing what your Miranda rights are.
“The problem is that a lot of the younger generation doesn’t know their rights. They don’t know what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do when it comes down to being stopped,” said keynote speaker Daniel Landry.
Three out of five African Americans have been subjected to racial profiling or police brutality. Many problems arise when an African American is being racially profiled and they begin to be-come nervous, this makes the police suspicious of illegal activity, the best thing to do is to remain calm.
Third Panelist. Burnell Williams, shared his experiences about the numerous times that he has been racially profiled, arrested, and even incarcerated.
“It’s about respect. A lot of people do not understand that,“ said Williams.
SGA member, Xavier Diamond, was included as a panelist and he shared his thoughts on racial profiling.
“ You see we live in a stereotypical society. Us as a black community must recognize that just as we fear another race, they fear us too. What we have to do is do right, live right, and encourage your brother and sister, ” said Diamond.
Black History Club President, Corinne Vaughn encourages SU students to be on the lookout for more events on celebration of Black History month.