FSU Planning to Schedule Race Relations Forum

On Thursday, December 3, 2015, at a public Student Government Association meeting, Dr. Tom Bowling announced there will soon be a forum held at FSU to discuss race relations.

Bowling confirmed these plans to The Bottom Line, but he explained that there are not any specific details regarding the forum besides it will be scheduled for February. There will be several speakers and there are ideas of this forum being held as a series of events.

“I realize that this is not much information, but it’s important that the campus community be involved in shaping the event,” Bowling stated. “And those conversations are ongoing right now.”

Many student organizations and clubs are encouraged to become a part of this forum. The Black Student Alliance (BSA)  is just one organization who plans to get involved. Shaniya Johnson, President of BSA, shared her thoughts on the upcoming forum.

“Typically the students who need to be there the most still will not show up,” she said. “As we saw with the “Frostburg Cares” roundtable event, which was very well thought out and implemented, mostly the African American section of the university appeared and spoke at the event. Many of us wished the other races would come out to speak at the program.”

Johnson, like many others, believes it is important for all students to attend these types of events. Having these events allows students of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds to discuss their concerns and implement new ways for change.

BSA is an organization for African American students, attending FSU, that gives them a place to “be themselves while learning about themselves, and more importantly their heritage,” Johnson explained. However, it is crucial in understanding BSA is open for all students regardless of race.

BSA’s main goal this academic school year was to discuss issues within the African American community, while still bringing and promoting positivity. Members desired to share this positivity and unity among fellow FSU students, faculty, and staff, as well as the surrounding Frostburg community.

Members of the African American population have expressed a feeling of being “left out.” While enrollment and retention rates have increased among African American student, many still believe FSU has not sponsored programs or invited speakers/artists that would attract more African American students.

This is why having a race relations forum is so imperative. All students are highly encouraged to remain vigilant and attend this and similar events. Meanwhile, students should stay active in building and forming positive and healthy relationships with one another; we can all learn something new.

This announcement comes a few weeks after the “Occupy Towson” movement at Towson University.

On November 19, students at Towson University went to the office of then Interim President Tim Chandler with a list of demands. The Towerlight, Towson’s student-run newspaper, reported that Chandler agreed to the students’ demands after several hours of discussion.

According to The Towerlight, “the list of demands signed by Chandler are increasing the number of tenure and tenure-track black faculty, ensuring every department has meetings devoted to cultural competency, requiring that policing practices are equitable for events put on by black student groups and events put on by white student groups, and advocating for the establishment of a course requirement in American race relations.”