Opinion

Black musical artists have powerful influence in Black identity and image

Graphic by Aaliyah Alexander Black artists and musicians offer the Black community something to relate to while navigating life as miniorities.

by aaliyah alexander

OPINION EDITOR

“Who taught you to hate the color of your skin?” Malcom X asked a predominantly Black audience during a speech. “Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? Who taught you to hate the shape of your nose and the shape of your lips?”

Self-hatred runs deep in the Black community. It’s obvious why, but if you’re not aware it’s simple: Black people were taught for centuries that everything about them is “wrong.”

To validate the agenda of white supremacy during the enslavement and segregation of Black Americans, they had to use a dichotomy. In the world of dichotomies, there is always opposition — light and dark, good and evil, love and hate. For this argument, our dichotomy is white versus black whereas whiteness is considered “right and good” and blackness is considered “wrong and evil.”

As the saying goes, “people aren’t born to hate, they’re taught it.” Using this line of logic, many Black individuals fall victim to lies that condemn their worth and uniqueness. The lies that were taught to our ancestors made their way from generation to generation, all the way into the minds of many of my peers. However, there were some people, past and present, who pushed against the grain and uplifted Black culture through various mediums, one being music.

Nina Simone’s 1970s song “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” is amongst one of my favorite anthems. I could relate to Simone when she sang the lyrics “Oh, how I long to know the truth / There are times when I look back / And I am haunted by my youth.”

Since kindergarten, I’ve attended predominantly white institutions where I often felt out of place and was forced to assimilate to the culture around me. Everything to the way I dressed and fixed my hair throughout middle school and high school was influenced by what I continuously saw around me. I often cringe when I look at old photos because I can clearly recall how hard it was for me to accept myself as I was.

Songs like “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” are what helped me unlearn the anti-blackness propaganda I’ve been taught through mainstream society.

Hearing Beyonce sing “I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros / I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils” in 2016 was the first time I looked at my natural features differently. Three years later, “Brown Skin Girl” was released, taking my self-love to a whole new level.

I can accredit a significant portion of my self-image to the Black artists who exude the energy of “I’m Black and I’m proud” in their lyrics. Seeing my favorite artists such as Masego, J. Cole, OSHUN and Kendrick Lamar create music celebrating their culture was (and still is) much needed.

Even though we, as Black people, weren’t the ones to teach ourselves to hate the color of our skin, the texture of our hair or the shape of our nose and lips, we can be the ones to teach ourselves how to love them. In the process of unlearning, music by talented Black artists can be a powerful tool in your journey.

Aaliyah Alexander is a junior studying journalism and international studies. Follow her on Twitter @aaliyahdanyell.

Religious communities should honor Black history

by samantha festin

CONTRIBUTOR

Christians of all backgrounds should observe Black History Month as a remembrance of good faith, unity, strength and perseverance.

Powerful leaders such as Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman all shared common characteristics. These civil rights activists were heroes who believed in equity, justice, peace and freedom. These brave souls used effective ideas and methods to fight against racial discrimination and slavery.

King Jr. presented his “I Have a Dream” speech to address segregation, racism and inequality. He encouraged peaceful protests to stand up for social justice. Parks joined King Jr. in the Montgomery bus boycott that stood against racial segregation in public transit. After the boycott ended, King Jr. helped develop the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which operated to end segregation in the Southern states.

Douglass believed in Christian ethics and leading by example. In his autobiography, “Narrative of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” he expressed his stance against hypocrisy.

“I love the pure, peaceable and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds and the grossest of all libels,” he wrote.

Douglass concluded that Christianity should involve moral behavior, reasonable acts and hearts that reflect empathy for others.

Tubman escaped slavery and risked her life to lead others to freedom. She was an abolitionist who guided enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She put her faith over fear as she attributed her achievements to God.

“It wasn’t me, it was the Lord! I always told him, ‘I trust you. I don’t know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me,’ and he always did. I prayed to God to make me strong and able to fight, and that’s what I’ve always prayed for ever since,” Tubman said.

Douglass commended Tubman for her humility and commitment. He wrote her a letter in 1868 that honored her fearlessness.

“I have had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction that comes from being approved by the multitude, while the most that you have done has been witnessed by a few trembling, scarred and foot-sore bondmen and women, whom you have led out of the house of bondage, and whose heartfelt ‘God bless you’ has been your only reward,” Douglass wrote.

Black men’s mental health:

continued from page 1

that seeking help for mental health goes directly against the traditional masculine norms of Black men.

In other words, if I were to share my feelings and emotions, I would be seen as vulnerable and less of a man. I know this isn’t true but when you grow up with these norms, it can make you reluctant to seek help and it teaches you to suppress your emotions.

The social expectations that come with Black masculinity have created a toxic environment for Black men resulting in psychological and emotional health effects with long-term struggles such as feeling unheard or unaccepted, failure to express emotions and clinical mental illnesses.

Demography also plays a role mentally.

According to the most recent census data available, 55% of all Black and African American people lived in the South, 18% lived in the Midwest, 17% in the Northeast, and 10% in the West.

This makes it even harder for African Americans to become accustomed in areas such as California where they aren’t in the top three of the state’s racial population.

I’ve spent my whole life adjusting to the customs of each community I resided in, not knowing how important it was to embrace my roots and be myself.

Pile all these stressors on with the craziness of the pandemic and the everyday life of the typical college student, and you’ve got yourself a messy jumbo bacon mental health cheeseburger.

There’s a simple lesson I’m trying to get across here: Black men, despite what you may have been told, our mental health is important.

It’s evident that the topic of Black men tending to their mental health has been brushed aside for generations, but now is the time to change that stigma.

You are not alone.

Even the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reportedly suffered from severe depression during periods of his life and refused treatment, even when urged to seek care by his staff.

Find help, talk to a friend, take a break; whatever it is that makes you feel more like yourself. Do it, because at the end of the day the most important thing is your happiness and peace of mind.

Morgan Prickett is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @ morganprickett1.

Date Time Location

Monday, February 14, 2022 Tuesday, February 15, 2022 Tuesday, February 15, 2022 Tuesday, February 15, 2022 Tuesday, February 15, 2022 Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Thursday, February 17, 2022 Thursday, February 17, 2022 Thursday, February 17, 2022 Friday, February 18, 2022 12:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 9:30 AM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Council Chambers 2:00 PM EOP Student Services East 2109

4:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 7:00 PM Tula Community Center 1:00 PM Professional Studies & Fine Arts (PSFA) Suite 100 3:45 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Montezuma Hall 5:30 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 12:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 3:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Council Chambers 6:30 PM Fowler Athletics Center Auditorium

1:00 PM Tula Community Center

Host

Fowler College of Business Council EOP Student Advisory Board & Undocumented Resource Center

Residential Education Office Student Leaders

Project Rebound Associated Students All Council Meeting (including College Councils)

College of Arts & Letters College Council Athletics

Residential Education

Monday, February 21, 2022 Monday, February 21, 2022 Monday, February 21, 2022 Monday, February 21, 2022 Tuesday, February 22, 2022 Tuesday, February 22, 2022 Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Thursday, February 24, 2022 Thursday, February 24, 2022 11:30 AM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Room 220 12:30 PM Aztec Recreation Center Conference Room Glazer Center for Leadership & Service Associated Students Recreation and Wellness Commission

1:30 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 3:00 PM Tula Community Center 12:30 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 5:30 PM Fowler Athletics Center Auditorium

11:00 AM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Park Boulevard Ambassadors

Athletics

Green Love

12:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, 210P 3:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Park Boulevard

Commuter Resource Center Afrikan Student Union

4:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 11:45 AM SDSU-IV Calexico Campus 3:00 PM SDSU-IV Brawley Campus

tion technologies, and students’ sustainability goals and aspirations.

p

Monday, February 28, 2022 Monday, February 28, 2022 Monday, February 28, 2022 Tuesday, March 1, 2022 Tuesday, March 1, 2022 Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Thursday, March 3, 2022 11:00 AM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 12:00 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Suite 250 Center for Intercultural Relations 2:00 PM Price Center Multipurpose Room Women’s Resource Center and Pride Center 1:00 PM SDSU-IV Calexico Campus 3:00 PM SDSU-IV Calexico Campus 11:00 AM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre 1:00 PM West Commons 115

3:00 PM EOP Student Services East 2109 Native Resource Center EOP

9:30 AM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, State Suite Undeclared College Council

Thursday, March 3, 2022 Thursday, March 3, 2022 Thursday, March 3, 2022 1:00 PM Student Services East Lipinsky Conference Room Latinx Resource Center 2:30 PM Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, APIDA Center APIDA Resource Center 4:00 PM Calpulli 4th Floor Conference Center Room #3 FratManners/SISSTER

If you require an accommodation for your participation in a scheduled open forum, please contact the Student Ability Success Center at either (619) 594-6473 or sascinfo@sdsu.edu.

For students who are unable to attend a scheduled open forum, you may come to SDSU Testing Services starting Tuesday, February 15th through Friday, March 4th. Students can drop in between the hours of 8:30am and 3:00pm. Please bring your SDSUcard and plan on being there for 45 minutes to watch the full presentation and to complete your feedback form.

For SDSU Imperial Valley students who are unable to attend a scheduled open forum, you may come to SDSU Imperial Valley Library starting Tuesday, February 15th through Friday, March 4th. Students can drop in between the hours of 12 noon and 5:00 pm. Please bring your SDSUcard and plan on being there for 45 minutes to watch the full presentation and to complete your feedback form. Students can check in at the circulation desk near the entrance of the library.

If you are interested in hosting an open forum, please contact CFAC at cfac@sdsu.edu.

tion technologies, and students’ sustainability goals and aspirations.

p

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ 7.

limited training for students on how to use SDSU’s infrastructure and supported sof

10 The Daily Aztec

Dear Campus Fee Advisory Committee, I believe that the Accelerating Technology and Sustainability Fee is beneficial in the development of esports related opportunities here at SDSU. With the increase in other collegiate gaming facilities and programs at schools such as UCSD and UCI, I think SDSU following suite would help the university stay competitive in the SoCal region. According to a March 2021 survey, currently almost half of CSU schools have some type of gaming space on campus which further proves that gaming is becoming a larger part of the collegiate space. The current gaming space within the Student Union bowling alley is not up to par with spaces that other universities currently possess, with investment into a proper space and equipment we can provide students with a program that will introduce them to the esports, technology, and gaming industry. This opens the door to a variety of professions from marketing, management, production, and product design. Having a dedicated program that oversees an official gaming space and esports teams will give experience to students who wish to pursue post-graduation jobs in the gaming/esports industry. The current student run club, Aztec Gaming, has had several of its members move onto be successful in the industry with companies like CORSAIR, MSI, and Sony. To gain these positions, they use the skills gained when leading the club. For example, they learned how to do event planning, leadership, graphic design, community building, and sponsorship management. Creating a program based off the already existing leadership and community will not only allow SDSU to offer a broader range of experience for students but attract further growth of gaming and esports businesses within the San Diego area to potentially become an influential region. In terms of immediate benefits for students on campus, a dedicated facility will create equal opportunities for all students to participate in personal entertainment activities. Pulling from data within Aztec Gaming, over 1,700 members have expressed an interest in gaming in some capacity. Based off this, it is likely that many students would find use if a gaming facility was available to them. The proposed items would also help to engage STEM students and increase overall retention rates of students.

If this facility is to function in a similar way to Aztec Recreation facilities where admission is already paid with tuition and fees, students would have the opportunity to relax and improve their mental health. Analogous to the popular activity of working out where students can unwind, some students, including myself, unwind through gaming. Giving students access to the expensive equipment needed to play and/or compete at a high level is one benefit of this fee not to mention current supply chain shortages with electronics. Considering all of the topics included with this fee, I have determined that the $249 tier is the most beneficial but also recognize that the $199 tier is a reasonable compromise between additional costs and benefits to create an esports facility and program. Keon Moore, SDSU Senior

While e-sports facilities could benefit the university, the addition of this fee is not the way to fund them. Historically, student organizations have been funded through the Student Body Association fee, which costs students only $35/semester and pays for the activities of recognized student organizations. If SDSU really wants an e-sports team, they should explore this channel first. The proposed fee places an annual expense between $12 and $18 million per year on the entire student body, of which only a small portion would be allocated to the e-sports item - a benefit that would in turn be used by only a small portion of the student body. The rest would be allocated to a variety of items whose benefits do not seem to outweigh the increased financial burden they entail.

Cayton Larmer, SDSU Junior

While many of the items outlined by this initiative are important, the proposed fee is not the solution. Existing tuition and cost-of-living expenses for students already impose a significant financial burden on a population with necessarily limited resources. Furthermore, many of the items in this initiative (such as the E-sports and virtual reality labs) look excellent on a university brochure, but will not necessarily materially help the vast majority of students who end up paying for them. San Diego State University is currently engaged in a number of other projects and expansions. While nice quality-of-life improvements, not all of these can be seen as critical to the continued function of the university as a whole. If the items in this initiative are as important as the university says, why were the funds currently being spent on these other projects not put towards the initiative items in the first place?

Cayton Larmer, SDSU Junior

While this fee will overall bring beneficial improvements to SDSU, it’s understandable that current tuition and fees impose a financial burden on students and that additional fees can worsen this. Though I cannot influence the way the school allocates its money currently I’d like to compare this new fee with existing similar fees. The current fees listed on SDSU’s webpage shows that ones like the Instructional Related Activity Fee use three quarters of the $249 mandatory fee on athletics. This is an area that only a fraction of students will see the benefits from. It could be argued that items listed on the Accelerating Tech and Sustainability fee such as the esports, augmented, and virtual reality labs would be more efficient in their implementation due to the lower funding per item while influencing similar student numbers or more. Furthermore, it could be argued that quality-of-life items are what contribute to an overall impactful college experience. These quality-of-life items are not only nice to haves, but they serve to engage students and keep them interested in their campus and improve overall retention. While esports, augmented, and virtual reality labs may not be as immediately useful as a gym, they still serve as incredible opportunities for students and faculty in the changing world. Lastly, the bigger picture often gets lost in the debate of how something like fees impacts students now rather than in the long term. Investments in our campus now would allow it to be better for those to come.

Keon Moore, SDSU Senior