Tag: blackness

Opinions & Editorials

Why Black people tend to shout

By: Taylor Zachary ~Staff Writer~ A man once asked me: why do Black people shout? His eyebrows bent toward the center of his face with confusion and inquiry. His eyes sparkled with expectation. In this moment, I was his personal encyclopedia, a racialized almanac of some sort. Or so he thought. A thick silence arose preceding an answer that never came. The sound of my fleeting footsteps gave his tense brows permission to relax. I can only wonder, today, if his answer ever came. I wonder how often this question floats in and out of his mind, like the odysseys … Continue reading Why Black people tend to shout

Opinions & Editorials

How it feels to be Black at Xavier University When will I be granted a moment of silence?

By: Jeremiah Pennebaker ~Guest Writer~ Being in the midst of a Presidential election and this year being the 15th anniversary of the destruction of the Twin Towers, September was a flurry of nationalism and American pride. Every year since the Twin Towers fell there has been a moment of silence and reflections, and some people call off work and class. There has been an overwhelming recognition that there needs to be space to grieve for those who perished, and this space is usually readily given. Even here on Xavier’s campus there was an entire vigil in the atrium of the … Continue reading How it feels to be Black at Xavier University When will I be granted a moment of silence?

Opinions & Editorials

The historical significance of Colin Kaepernick Reclaiming Blackness and radical ideology in sport

By: Taylor Zachary ~Columnist~ After the Black Power Salute of the 1968 Olympics, the strong presence of the radical Black athlete disappeared from virtually every sports arena. I suppose this is, in large part, due to the comfort and complacency of the Black middle class following the conclusion of the Civil Rights Era. Black athletes found themselves in need of a new argument for liberation. As racism became more subtle, integrated sports teams, programs and policies became tolerable. Additionally, in the 70s and 80s Black athletes were introduced to an unprecedented territory of socioeconomic mobility: corporate sponsorship. William Rhoden, a … Continue reading The historical significance of Colin Kaepernick Reclaiming Blackness and radical ideology in sport