To the Editor:
Why am I surprised? I should be used to this by now, used to the subtle racism I see on Oberlin's campus nearly every day. But for some reason, I never cease to be amazed.
Last week's front-page article in the Review on the missing copies of the Voice was yet another shock and disappointment. The fact that the theft was blamed on the authors of the trembles our rage packet was one of the more blatant racist attacks I've seen in my two years at Oberlin. With no evidence or solid reason, it was mindlessly assumed that it was those damn "people of color" that were the nasty culprits, or as Scott Hennessey refers to them, the "cowards" whose reasons for anonymity are out of weakness.
Even worse, the Review didn't question this scapegoating, but perpetuated it. To quote from the article, "Zaimi (Voice editor) said he has confirmed that the issues were stolen `probably due to the article slamming trembles anonymous packet.'" No explanation of his suspicion follows, no questioning of the reason for the accusation. It is simply assumed that the copies of the Voice were indeed taken by angry and vengeful people of color.
Never mind the fact that the copies of the Voice could have been taken by anyone offended by any article in the issue, particularly since nearly every one was controversial in some way. Maybe it was those militant fascist vegans who took them, those evil hippies taking revenge on Benjamin Burney's article justifying the use of animal testing. Maybe it was someone overcome with rage by Samantha Sansevere's defense of Ebonics, or Nina Kahori Fallenbaum's demand for Asian-American Studies.
As I read the article in last week's Review, I remembered an essay that appeared in the paper several weeks ago. The essay was written by a white student complaining about how people of color "separate themselves" from the rest of the campus (again placing the blame on them for tense race relations in Oberlin). As absurd as this commentary seemed to me at the time, the twisted nature its logic is even clearer to me now. White people need to start taking a look at their own behavior and how it drives people of color away. If we don't stop demonizing our classmates, how can we ever hope for any kind of understanding?
Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 24, May 9, 1997
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