"Student leader unburdens self on issues of equality"-January 22, 1988, page 3, The Occidental

"Student leader unburdens self on issues of equality"-January 22, 1988, page 3, The Occidental

This is a follow up from the previous week's article that had the responses to the Black Student Alliance's question about how impactful Martin Luther King, Jr. was in their lives. O'Keefe says that King spoke not only for black people, but also for white. He believes that King's message is one that places the need for action on the oppressed. Essentially, O'Keefe feels that black students at Oxy must follow this message (along with all other people of color in the nation) and stnad up for themselves/integrate themselves. He sees racial tension at Oxy as nearly non-existence, excepting his argument that the black students seek support within the community of other black students and "make little effort" to integrate themselves into the mostly white student body. Due to this, he suggests that "they have no right to claim they are victims of racism" (3).

O'Keefe, Garet

The Occidental

Associated Students of Occidental College

1988-01-22

2015-11-03

Tatz, Erin

Rights resides with Occidental College Library. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Special Collections.

O'Keefe, Garet. "Student leader unburdens self on issues of equality." The Occidental. January 22, 1988. pp, 3.

CTSJ 320 Culture and Community

Occidental College

Newspaper Article

This opinion piece is striking in its invalidation of racism on Oxy's campus outside of black students isolating themselves. The author blatantly suggests that black students at Occidental have no claim to being victims of racism, as he points to their lack of effort as the source of their issues. I find this piece to be boldly ignorant, and judging by the fact that the BSA insisted that the entirety of O'Keefe's opinion be printed, I assume that they would agree.