Cowards in Our Midst/Not Nearly Enough

Cowards in Our Midst/Not Nearly Enough

The following three editorials on racial issues on campus first appeared in The Nubian Message, North Carolina State University's African-American student newspaper, which was first published on November 30, 1992.

The excerpt included below comes from an editorial published by the Message staff entitled "Cowards in Our Midst." Both the Darkchild column and the "Cowards" editorial address student affairs at NCSU. As the mystery columnist describes, the general optimism that accompanied the previous spring's election was only matched by the opening of the African-American Cultural Center (AACC) in 1992. After the euphoria of a retreat of the African American Student Advisory Council (AASAC), Darkchild insists that "this is not the time to wax sentimental on the profundity of our current situation." Instead, the mystery author encourages readers to demand action of their newly-elected leaders and not to become complacent. 

Next, the other editorials address similar issues. Brandi Livingston's column posits that "schools are teaching inequality," as, for example, NCSU does not allow courses in African-American literature and history do not count for core credit. Also, in the "Cowards" editorial, the Message staff takes a similarly strong stand to the Darkchild editorial. This article encourages African-Americans to eschew both silence and "noise" that produces no substantive action. In all three editorials, the Message staff advances their case that the election of prominent African-American student leaders did not ensure reform nor did it indicate a "post-racial" era.

Nubian Message Editorial Staff, Darkchild, Brandi Livingston

Darkchild, "Not Nearly Enough," The Nubian Message 8, no. 4 (September 28, 2000), 8. Digitized by the Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

Nubian Message Editorial Staff, "Cowards in Our Midst." The Nubian Message 8, no. 4 (September 28, 2000), 8. Digitized by the Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

Brandi Livingston, "Brandi's Two Cents," The Nubian Message 8, no. 4 (September 28, 2000), 8. Digitized by the Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

2000-09-28

Madison W. Cates

English

document

Those who will not stand up for their fellow black brothers and sisters on campus, those who fear being labeled as too black or too militant are in the opinion of this paper, cowards.

Those who are willing to step up and voice their opinions, unafraid of the consequences that may arise are probably not cowards. Nevertheless, if you are one of those who pride yourself on your un-cowardly nature, you may be contributing just as much if not more to the problems of minorities on campus as those very cowards in our midst and those who choose to remain silent.

Noise is just noise unless it sends a “message” that can be deciphered and understood by those who are listening. To be willing to speak is not enough, one has to bring the ammunition of fact and the lucidity of logic in order to be taken seriously. Too many times our student leaders have no other solution but to restate the problem. Then it becomes too late because others will find a solution for us. As is usually the case, our community is placed in the position of reaction and protest, railing against the problems in which we ourselves not only do not have the answers for but did not even bother to initially confront.

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