It seems that, from the clips that were shown, BYU students don't know too much about black history. The only historical figures they can think of were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. One student had to think for a while to get the name "Rosa Parks" to pop into his head. To celebrate black history month, the students said they did things like watch specials on the history channel or listen to Jay-Z. But the most shocking part was that only 3 people of all the people he interviewed recognized the interviewer as not really black, even though they all said they knew a black guy when they saw one. Why is a culturally diverse campus so naive about black history and other cultures?
It could possibly be that even though the campus is diverse at BYU, the majority of students are still white, and LDS. Even more, Utah as a whole is predominantly white, so the only ideas of black culture many people get is from television and movies. Hence, the horrendous impressions given by some students in the clip. I hope that as America gets more diverse in the future, that BYU students especially learn about and try and understand other cultures.
-Kimberly Anderson
I think this is an interesting project they did with that video, and I agree being more diverse here would help us understand other cultures better. When I hear people talk about how we should be more diverse at a university or in a neighborhood, though, I have a hard time accepting what people sometimes suggest we do. I don't think there should be any time of rule, or encouragement that puts one race over the other - if we did that with white people it wouldn't be fair, and people would have issues with it. I think it would be unfair if officials decided to take a higher percentage of applicants from one race over another BECAUSE of race. I think that applications for enrollment at a university, at a job, or anything else should be evaluated without regard to race. Why even have that part of it? It makes sense to me that a big reason BYU is mostly white and mostly LDS is because there are so many more white / LDS applicants, right? If they want to encourage diversity, why not start with the highschool students looking into colleges? Why not go to demographic areas that are mostly black and try to recruit more black students to come to BYU? I think that would be an effective way to increase diversity without involving any issues of whether it's wrong or right or fair or equal.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I just have to say this, I put on make up and was black one night last semester. It was a strange experience. I was kindof nervous to go outside, because if they really looked at me they could tell, and I didn't want anyone to be offended or something...but it was strange. I think race is a huge part of our identity, and seeing myself black made it not seem like me. Like I felt different. That's just an interesting side note. But it kind of goes along with the idea represented in the video that people think black people walk a certain way or talk a certain way. Obviously there's a reason people think that - movies, or a portion of black people from the individual's experience have acted that way - but, as our guest speaker said in class today we should never assume that one situation applies to everyone in that same/similar situation.
-Katria Hale
While I too was surprised by this video, I think we need to examine it from other points as well. I feel that the actual intent of the video was to display a bias by those who produced it. By the leading questions that were asked, the interviewer and team were able to direct the results they wanted instead of gathering an actual knowledge. The interviewer dressed to represent a black person, which bring offensive implications. He used stereotypes of clothing, talking, gestures, and asking/saying things such as "So you would be able to tell a black person when you see one" and "What is better? A black man acting like a white man or a white man acting like a black man?" How is that relevant to anything about Black History Month? The point was to show BYU students ignorance, in which case the producers "survey" wasn't objectified.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we as viewers don't get to see if there were other people who did actually know more about black history month or had more educated viewpoints. And since Malcom X, MLK, and Rosa Parks were the main names spoken by students, the awareness of Black History Month and prominent figures is not a direct correlation with individual knowing, but also that of institutional pitfalls. I grew up celebrating Black History Month in schooling but the same names as above were the most mentioned. So I feel that cultures of people can't be labeled as unwilling or naive to celebrate Black History Month because their lack of attention to the matter. It is their education, provided by society and those in it, who hold part in the ignorance that is perpetuated. This not only applies to Black History Month, but all other venues of education that can deem ignorance in general.
Shelby Hatch
This video was interesting to see how ignorant BYU students are and I must admit that I would probably be right there with them. I do not know a lot about Black History but then again I don't really know a lot about history in general. What I noticed most about this video is more than just how much I don't know about black history. The interviewer compared white and black but completely neglected that there are more than just white and black when it comes to race. There is probably a lot more knowledge out there about black history than Asian history or Native American or Hispanic and Latino history. I haven't ever heard much about a month celebrating history for any of them. Videos like this one interviewing about one race separate the races even more. If racism is socially constructed why are we encouraging singling out one race in experiments like this one. Celebrating black history month is great to celebrate our heritage and everything but I think that videos like this make us focus on race more. If we want to have a society where race doesn't matter we shouldn't single out a specific race for videos like this.
ReplyDeleteHeidi Lyman
I agree with Heidi, there is more than one race that has a history in this country. What about the Japanese internment camps that we had even here in Utah, or the Mexicans that come over legally and are still treated as second-class citizens? I don't profess to know a lot about different cultures, but I think having a respect for the differences is what we really need to focus on.
DeleteI think there is also a big difference between ignorance and discrimination. Ignorance is given a negative connotation, but I think sometimes we don't know about something simply because we haven't had the experience to figure it out. If someone has never lived in a place where they are a minority, they're probably not going to feel a great need to learn about different races, because everyone is just like them. It doesn't give them a right to judge another race because they don't know anything about them, but it doesn't mean they are being discriminatory or racist. I guess I'm optimistic that when people are placed in a situation where they don't know anything about the culture, they will feel more inclined to learn about that new culture and people. I think need necessitates learning.
Initially, I was shocked by the ignorance of many of the students who were interviewed for this video. I have often felt that BYU is very well cultured simply because of the large number of students that go on missions and are thrown into different cultures and societies; these students gain a greater perspective and knowledge of how diverse the world truly is and most come to appreciate those differences. I came to realize that while BYU may be more cultured than many universities, many of these returned missionaries are focused solely on the culture they came across in their time of service; those who served in Japan are versed in Japanese culture while those who served in France are versed in a very different type of culture, etc. It is obvious that black history is important in the formation of America and where we stand today, but I do not feel that we should judge the whole of BYU based on the comments of a handful of students who were caught off guard. While I feel that black history is important for everyone to have at least a basic knowledge of, I also want to defend the students in the video because we all have aspects of history we understand better than others and we all have areas we can improve upon. Overall, this video should just get people thinking about the types of cultures they could and should improve their knowledge on.
ReplyDeleteSara Gines
This video was certainly eye opening as to the prejudices that BYU students hold. It also made me stop to think about how much I know about Black History Month. I only remember discussing it once during high school, and so I found that I do not know nearly as much as I need to. However, I agree with several of the comments above. The video, while informative, does not do a very good job at being unbiased. When a person is asked on the spot (in front of a camera) to recall the names of people in a certain group, of course most people are going to say the most famous names; they come to your head first. I also agree that the questions could have been asked in a better manner.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, it was still sad to see the stereotypes people held put to action. This was particularly apparent when people were asked how black people normally speak or behave. The students answered as if their perception was true for all black people. This is not true. White people are diverse in the ways they speak and behave. Some use more hand motions and others have odd pronunciations. It is the same within any other race, so why do white people feel justified in making such generalizations?
I have just one final thought. It is easy to discuss on a blog how ignorant people are and how racism and prejudice needs to stop, but its all just talk. What can we do to celebrate diversity and improve out acceptance of other races? What is the root cause of racism and how do we stop it?
Shannon Wallace
Well, I was one of the unfortunate few displayed in this video. Watching my blunders, and knowing that so many others have seen them, makes me cringe. I would happily hide in anonymity in relation to this video, and hope that people don’t recognize me. But, having been a part of it, I figure it is important for me to share my experience and views on the way this “study” (a term that has to be used very loosely to apply to this video) was conducted.
ReplyDeleteThe most telling flaw in this film was the treatment of the question "can you name some black historical figures?" So everyone got Martin Luther King Jr.? Well of course! For one thing (as someone mentioned above) he is one of the most well-known of all; but the video also failed to mention that this interview was taken the Friday before MLK Day! Of course we all said him first; we were just about to have a three-day weekend in his honor! And the reason he got so many random responses (like Tupac, and Samuel Jackson – this second one being my blunder) is because he just stood there, acting like you had to keep giving names, so you start fishing for whatever name comes to mind. As for the rest of the responses people made, there is no telling how many names people mentioned that were cut out of the film. I know that I said Harriet Tubman, but there is no mention of that; and if, out of all of the interviews he supposedly did, only these few were displayed, it makes me think that perhaps the majority of BYU students weren't ignorant, but were simply ignored, because they knew black history too well for the publishers to want to include in this biased report.
When the question “how do you celebrate black history month” was asked, again they cut out any answers that didn’t fit their agenda (as you might notice my response isn’t in there because I talked about the things my family would read and study together about black history, something that we do every year). They only kept the few comments that could be viewed as racially dividing/ignorant.
The last part of the film, is in writing, saying that only three people mentioned that he was not black, and calls that “disturbing.” Why is that disturbing? I know for myself I wasn’t paying attention to this guy’s face, trying to decide if he was black or not, instead I was just trying to keep myself from staring at the microphone in my face. Besides, I think most of us don’t waste our time trying to differentiate whether or not people are the race that they try to portray themselves as – to most of us it doesn’t really matter; why should it?
The rest of the parts of the film, where he asks for an impression of black people, whether it is cool for a black guy to act white, whether you’d date one, etc. I can’t add any unique insight to, because he didn’t ask me these parts, so I will leave them for others to discuss (though I do believe that those parts were likely just as misrepresentative as the rest).
Lastly, if I – who was currently in one of the busiest school weeks I have ever had, going on very little sleep, and having just gotten out of my last class for the day – if my blurry-minded comments were used as an example of the whole of BYU, then it is pretty clear to me that they had a tough time finding BYU students who were “ignorant” enough to fit the biased aim of this film.
Overall there is only one useful thing I learned from this film: That I should be much more skeptical of TV interviews than I have been heretofore; from now on I will be extremely cautious in accepting any such reports as representative samples. Beyond that, this video really doesn’t teach anything. It doesn’t show that BYU students are ignorant, just that this film’s producers are.
It appears to me that this video was intended to make BYU students look ignorant/racist. Thanks to the ease of video editing, the interviewer was easily able to interview as many people as he wanted until he got the responses needed to compile his slant on the BYU black history month piece. It is quite possible that there were intelligent and aware answers mixed in with the less than desirable responses, but with a couple of clicks of the mouse these were easily eliminated.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the concept of dressing up as a supposed black person could be considered highly offensive (and has been demonstrably so if you read any of the controversy surrounding this particular video). It is one thing to do a sociological experiment as was seen in our class, but quite another to effectively seek out racist/ignorant response while acting out a perceived stereotype (using uneducated slang and hand signals, etc).
All in all I find this video to be a reminder that prejudices and ignorance are unfortunately prevalent and stereotypes of black or white that are perpetuated in media like this only add to that divide.
As much as I would like to say that this video shocked me, it didn't. I feel that because BYU is so diverse people don't feel the need to put in the effort to understand different cultures, heritages and races. Just because they are amongst people that are different that that is all that there is to it.
ReplyDeleteIt kind of makes me mad how ignorant people are, especially at the comment that they could identify a black person when they saw one, because obviously they couldn't seeing as the interviewer wasn't actually black. If people stopped assuming and took the time to learn we wouldn't have these problems!
-Naisha Frolio
I would like to see our world move beyond labels of black and white, to a point where we just appreciate everyone as a human being. In the video, all of the students lacked much understanding of Black History month. This is due to the education we have received from grade school on up. Martin Luther King Day is the youngest holiday to be celebrated in the country and so is our understanding of black history.
ReplyDeleteThis video made me really get to thinking about how much I actually know about black history and other cultures in general. I hope that I am not as ignorant as some of these people appeared to be. I feel like after taking this class I have learned so much about looking at things from all perspectives and trying to see through other people's eyes. To be honest, this video probably isn't completely accurate of what all people think at BYU but it is eye-opening to see that there is a still a long way to go as far as being culturally diverse on BYU campus.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post. Unfortunately this is the case with a lot of students here including myself. I grew up in an area where there were not too many African Americans and I never really took the chance to learn more about other races. I remember learning a little bit about Black History in school, but it wasn't something that we spent too much time talking about. I have definitely benefited a lot from being in this class and seeing things from other perspectives, especially things that I have been ignorant to my whole life. This really makes me want to educate myself and help others be aware of their surroundings.
ReplyDelete-Erik Porter (eporter5)
I would like to say that BYU is not a diverse community at all really. It is becoming one and that takes time. It takes time for other ethnicities and cultures to blend in and function with each other. With the small amount of different races and cultures here at BYU there aren't going to be many students that know of the different qualities that are important to other cultures such as Black History month. It takes time before the illiteracy of culture and understanding of different backgrounds can fully exist in a community that is pre-dominantly White, Black, Asian, Samoan, or any other race. I would not be so disappointed, I know some people that do not remember their ancestry and significance of their participation in cultural activities when they should. Racial and Culture illiteracy and differences will smooth out over time.
ReplyDelete-Carlos Galvao
DeleteI know BYU is relatively diverse, so I understand that not everyone really wants to get to know specifics about each culture, race, ethnicity, etc. But, if you don't want to get to know the culture, don't make assumptions about that culture. The number one question I am asked when I tell people that I am Native American is "what's the reservation like", assuming that all Natives grew up on the reservation. My friends who did grow up on a reservation have told me stories where non-Natives believed ridiculous stories of early morning buffalo hunts or living in tee-pees, as though Natives haven't progressed since the nineteenth century. I'm okay with people not knowing about cultures, but again, don't assume that everything you hear or see is correct, go learn for yourself.
ReplyDeleteTianna Freeman
I think, as a whole, BYU is a culturally diverse University. If we were to walk around campus, it would not be surprising or strange to hear one or more languages being spoken people from all different walks of life. We also have many returned missionaries who have spent years learning about one other culture. We are all very different. However, I do think that many generalizations are made against the unknown by BYU students, and that can be very dangerous. We attempt to diversify and inform those from other cultures, but I think that in the end, we all, at times, conform to the BYU culture and don't think much about it.
ReplyDeleteBrad Yates
this video was funny and interesting but i think most of the students thought it was supposed to be funny so they didnt try to act serious about the issue. I believe BYU students are more intelligent than that. I am not saying we don't need to brush up on this matter because we do and should but if we did a real video i think BYU would do better.
ReplyDeleteJaycob Brugman
I know that only three people recognized the interviewer as being black, but I am curious as to how they made their accusation. How do you call out the person without sounding rude. "Hey are you really black?" What would happen if you were wrong. I know our guest speaker on diversity told us to question everything, but how do you assert someone is not what they appear without sounding accusatory. I am not sure what is more disturbing: that three people notice or that three people asked.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what though I am shocked at the assertion that BYU is racial diverse. I would agree that BYU is diverse because we are all different, but I am having a hard time believing that BYU has a racial diverse. I guess I am just questioning a lot as far as this video is concerned.
Abby Fisher
At first I found a lot of humor in this video but after I watched it a second time, I realized the underlying message that Dave Ackerman wanted to get across. I agree that some students on the campus of BYU are ignorant and racially insensitive but while there are many more white students at BYU than black students, BYU is very diverse. On what other campus can you walk around, hear all sorts of languages, see all sorts of races, and learn all sorts of cultures? I feel like BYU is very diverse because there are so many students from all around the world. "The World is Our Campus". BYU is doing what they can to increase the black/ white diversity but viewers of this video need to realize that BYU is more diverse that one would think.
ReplyDeleteThe makers of this video also use many rhetorical devices to distort the reality of BYU students. Ackerman asks very leading questions like "how do you celebrate black history month?"... as if all white people celebrate it. He also uses stereotypes in his questions such as "would you rather date a white guy that acts like a black guy or a black guy that acts like a white guy?", inferring that all black people act a certain way and all white people act a certain way. They use text on the screen to emphasize how stupid some of the remarks were when they probably interviewed some students who were knowledgeable on the topic. I feel like this video is so one sided and that they excluded some interviews to better establish their point. Ackerman is telling us what we already know... that BYU is not very Black/White diverse. He uses humor to gain the trust of the audience and then distorts the truth about the school and it's students. BYU is very diverse!
Nick Hawes
First of all, I don't necessarily believe black history month should be that big of a deal. I do not mean this in a disrespectful way, but we don't have an Asian history month, or Hispanic History month. This just segregates black people even more, in my opinion. But, it is kind of ridiculous how naive many BYU students are about black people. They need to know more about black history, but that doesn't necessarily mean we should have a month dedicated to black history.
ReplyDeleteAt first when I saw this video I was embarrassed about how the people responded to the questions, but after thinking about it, I realized that it is not an accurate representation of the BYU student body at all. Common sense and reading what John said makes it evident that the producers of this video deliberately cut things out and tried to make it funny.
ReplyDeleteHumor U did a video of their own which I found to be funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXWFDEs_4X0
-Meghan Smarinsky
I don't blame the people for really answering how they answered. First off, it was on the spot. Second, their was a microphone and a video camera on them. I think it kinda ties back to the whole, "what did you eat for dinner 3 days ago". It's really hard to remember even though it is something so simple. And since black history month isn't something that people think about to often, it wasn't something that people within a few seconds could just think clear answers.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the interviewer did put in his favorite interviews. The people who did have something to say about the history or who did think about different names of black people (even such as musicians) were probably left out of this clip. Anything can be portrayed however someone wants it to be. Cherry picking. There are people however who are ignorant and just do not know, but it is not a good representation nontheless.
It seems that BYU has come under some unwanted observation as of late; with this video, the viral photos of the "immodest" attire of a female student, and a "damning" interview with one of the religion professors on campus, I'm surprised that viewers aren't showing a bit more discernment in the material they view.
ReplyDeleteThis video was shot, edited, and posted by a UVU student, whose true intentions were not addressed in the film. The original, uncut footage would likely release a better perspective as to the ignorance (or knowledge) that BYU students have regarding black history month.
As for the attire of the female BYU student, her picture doesn't reveal much about what could have possibly prompted the note (if it even was her attire.) It might have been that some “jerk” was having a bad day and was looking for a self-righteous outlet. The thickness of her leggings is difficult to determine. If they were closer to pants then she's probably in accordance with the dress code. If her leggings were thinner, then yes, she was technically violating the honor code. However, it could very well have been the cut of her neckline if she were leaning next to a computer. Or perhaps the slippage of the cardigan to reveal a bra strap. Few of the readers were there so only speculation and minor evidence is available.
As for the interview regarding blacks and the Priesthood, until the original transcript is released, I'd be hesitant to rely on the biased viewpoint of a journalist who is eager to use partial sentences surrounded by quotation marks.
One of the responsibilities of a prudent viewer is to find the facts behind what is presented, as well as putting it into a well-rounded context. If anything, it seems the response of our student body and the nation says more about our eagerness to be involved and outraged at the latest headline than understanding the actual information being presented.
This video was clearly edited and arranged to show BYU students as being ignorant and insensitive, so it should be taken with a grain of salt. However, I do believe that all of us should make efforts to appreciate the diversity around us by learning about different culture and backgrounds. In doing so, I was assured by an African American friend that I shouldn't be afraid to bring up race and diversity when talking with minorities here on campus. In my quest for increased understanding, I'm often scared to ask questions or make comments regarding touchy issues, like blacks and the Priesthood or affirmative action, for fear that I might say something that isn't "PC". My friend assured me that we are all ignorant of certain things and it's best to just admit our ignorance and seek understanding by open communication. We are all aware of racial stereotypes even if we don't subscribe to them, but we should make it a point to stop putting people in boxes and appreciate them as individuals. Even while embracing diversity, we should not overlook the "sameness" that we share as members of the human race, the family of God.
ReplyDeleteHere's the BYU Dean of Student's response to this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HncdatKmbgY&feature=related
--Aubrie Forsyth
It seems that BYU has come under some unwanted observation as of late; with this video, the viral photos of the "immodest" attire of a female student, and a "damning" interview with one of the religion professors on campus, I'm surprised that viewers aren't showing a bit more discernment in the material they view.
ReplyDeleteThis video was shot, edited, and posted by a UVU student, whose true intentions were not addressed in the film. The original, uncut footage would likely release a better perspective as to the ignorance (or knowledge) that BYU students have regarding black history month.
As for the attire of the female BYU student, her picture doesn't reveal much about what could have possibly prompted the note (if it even was her attire.) It might have been that some “jerk” was having a bad day and was looking for a self-righteous outlet. The thickness of her leggings is difficult to determine. If they were closer to pants then she's probably in accordance with the dress code. If her leggings were thinner, then yes, she was technically violating the honor code. However, it could very well have been the cut of her neckline if she were leaning next to a computer. Or perhaps the slippage of the cardigan to reveal a bra strap. Few of the readers were there so only speculation and minor evidence is available.
As for the interview regarding blacks and the Priesthood, until the original transcript is released, I'd be hesitant to rely on the biased viewpoint of a journalist who is eager to use partial sentences surrounded by quotation marks.
One of the responsibilities of a prudent viewer is to find the facts behind what is presented, as well as putting it into a well-rounded context. If anything, it seems the response of our student body and the nation says more about our eagerness to be involved and outraged at the latest headline than understanding the actual information being presented.
Michelle Spencer