We live in an era of unabashed prejudices. The equivocation of our speakers defines our politics versus true leadership. The world we live in outside is still polarizing, and it does a complete job of making my voice feel less powerful. NCC students need to find courses developing leadership qualities to combat the polarization.
The Office of Student Affairs sent an email evidencing this with the subject line, “Hate propaganda found on campus.” Below is a quote from former Black Student Association (BSA) president Morgan Harmon, ’23.
“We are hurt, sad and disappointed, but most of all we are tired. Tired of being witness to the same racist behavior. Tired of not feeling safe,” said Harmon. “We are seniors in college and have seen these racist incidents since our freshman year in 2019.”
Harmon said this in 2023; it’s 2024 now, and I’m in my first year. Systematic oppression still leaves us hurt, sad and disappointed. Even all of this white centering still feels normal on campus or in our elections.
Even these ideals of the Lost Cause haven’t been put to rest fully in our political realm.
What can we do?
Being a leader requires you to use your voice to fight these misconceptions.
I get that it’s difficult, but it’s not uncommon. Activists have been doing this for a long time. This Includes the whistleblower who passed away recently after exposing Boeing’s failures in maintaining the safety of the people they serve on their flights.
Sir Walter Nelson, ’24, had this to say about the Boeing whistleblower and his connection to leadership:
“…the fact that he was able to stand up and say, ‘Hey, we should look into this’, it took courage, and in the end, it took his life, but he leads people to look into this company and pay attention to what these companies are actually doing. His taking of this stance might also lead to more people exposing behaviors that are not right.”
True leadership
Stepping away from the election leaders and whistleblowers and focusing on the people around us, a common theme I’ve heard from marginalized communities is that their one month to matter in the prolonged concept of history is ‘over’.
Although a heritage month can be ‘over’, that never will mean it’s time to stop celebrating cultural icons. My greatest desire is to celebrate history in full across all disciplines. We deserve to know about the resilience of our predecessors in times of horror.
History may often seem horrid, but history is continuous. Understanding and shining the necessary lights on our past can promote a better future for all. Instead of stigmatizing the learning of history that focuses on the struggles, we should look towards developing true leadership habits.
Being a true leader requires change locally and putting yourself in the shoes of the marginalized. It’s one thing to see the oppression, it’s another to be marginalized by it. True leaders can work with a community of diverse ideas and resiliently defy the horror of the world’s history by combatting the oppression we all face.
