The Perceptions We Have

By:  Megan Grossi

We just finished up February and now March is with us, in all its coming in like a lion, going out like a lamb glory.  Prepare to celebrate Read across America Day on the 2^nd, Pi Day on the 14^th, World Water Day on the 22^nd, and International Women’s Day on the 8^th. Yet what I’m more interested in is the transition from Black History Month to Women’s History Month. We should consider what’s been going on at Salem State and in the country overall to bridge these two events together.

On February 8^th and 15^th, the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs corroborated with Black, Brown and Proud, the Multicultural Student Association, the Latin American Student Association, and the Urban Arts Theatre to present the screening of The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution. The documentary was amazing and powerful, but what took me by surprise was the fact that after the party had been picking up speed for a while, women began dominating leadership roles. After the screening on the 15^th, a former leader of the Black Panther Party, Ericka Huggins, was there to host a question-and-answer session, and she could not stress enough the value and urgency of loving one another. When we are surrounded by hate above all else, that is the image we learn to project onto people.  A consistent message I heard throughout the Black Lives Matter teach-in week, during which this documentary was shown, was that once black people are free then everybody will be free. Essentially, once hate is dispelled from the community that has dealt with the country’s racism for so long, then love toward other communities should fall into place.

Later that same night was Operation Jungle Red’s Sex on the Mic event. Recalling a previous article from Red Skies, Operation Jungle Red is an organization that seeks to spread awareness of and stop the acts of domestic abuse. It is specifically a call to men to stand up against these “normalized” forms of aggression and redefine masculinity. The event was fun and inclusive, giving everybody who wanted to speak on the Mic a chance while also focusing on the importance of consent; after all, love always feels so much better with consent. These messages – of learning to love and accept one another – fortunately do not go away just because Black History Month is over. Rather, they perfectly transition into March 1^st, White Ribbon Day.

White Ribbon Day was created in 1991 primarily for men, much like Operation Jungle Red. On this day we not only remember victims of domestic and sexual abuse, but also fight against it. PEAR Program Coordinator Colleen Armstrong sent out an email to all SSU students on March 1^st to make them aware of this and encourage them to take the pledge against domestic and sexual violence. The fact that this is not only an acknowledged problem in the world but also an acknowledged event at Salem State hits very close to home for me, and I think that this world really needs days like this.

Violence against anybody is terrible, but home-grown aggression of men against women is terrifying. And while I do not impose my political views on anybody, the current administration does not alleviate racial tensions or gender biases. Now more than ever it is important that we stand against these forms of aggression – that which targets the black community and all who identify as a woman. Black History Month and Women’s History Mont h both seek to focus on the achievements of a historically silenced group of people; Operation Jungle Red and White Ribbon Day both seek to redefine masculinity for the sake of ending violence against women. Acknowledging the hate – whether it exists as racism or sexism – that still is a big part of our culture is the first step to fixing the problem. By fighting the patriarchal, Jim Crow ideals of society, we can make the world safer for everybody and end the aggression.