Denise Simmons, educational leadership and technology assistant professor, spoke as one of the guest speakers at the Black Leadership Summit held in CSC Comanche, on April 26. Photo by Makayla Burnham
Our view: The Black Leadership Summit is a necessary vehicle for change on this campus, and arguments about its necessity are missing the point and unfairly attack the students who benefit most from the summit.
Although some students may feel the Black Leadership Summit isn’t necessary or is counter-productive, the summit provides an invaluable platform for black student leaders on our campus to learn new tactics for making change and having their voices heard.
There’s no argument that racism is still a problem in our society – even on our campus. However, all too frequently, young black activists are criticized for how, when, and why they choose to speak about the injustices they still face.
While the summit could create more division within the campus, what definitely creates division is challenging the summit’s right to exist, in turn challenging the right of our black student leaders to learn and create positive change on our campus.
The summit is not about dividing our community or creating any hostility, it is simply about increasing discussion on issues that matter. For those who question the summit’s credibility, we implore them to look inward and examine why they feel the need to put the actions of our black student leaders under a microscope more so than the average student.
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