Belles Address Phobias & Predjudices
What happens at a sisterhood lock-in stays in the sisterhood lock-in. That is until someone gets offended. The Student Government Association (SGA) and the Student Union Advisory Board (SUAB) held their first social event of the semester. The groups aimed to bring sisterhood back to Bennett’s campus.
Those who attended the lock-in say the night was going well until students played a game where they shared their phobias with a partner. Then some of the partners were asked to share the phobias told to them. Student A has a fear of Mexican people. Student A says the phobia started after a bad experience with a person of Mexican descent.
That comment instantly offended Student B, who is of Mexican decent.
“I was there for only five minutes, and in five minutes, I was kicked out when that statement was made,” says Student B.
Student B says the statement was very personal to her.
“A phobia is something that you are scared of. When I heard that statement, I immediately thought about my mother and my father, they’re Mexican. You’re basically saying you’re scared of who I am.”
Student A says she did not mean entirely what was said, and she knows that all Mexican people aren’t bad.
“I felt bad when the comment was made because it wasn’t specific to what or why I felt that way.”
Student A says she had a bad experience with Mexican men while she was a lifeguard one summer. She wouldn’t go into detail about the incident. But, she says that incident shaped her phobia. Student A also says she felt betrayed because she didn’t expect for the group to hear her phobia.
“I have sisters. If I tell them something, I do not expect them to say something out loud. Especially, if I asked them not to.”
Student B says she was especially offended because for the first time ever she was discriminated against bluntly, and it was by someone black.
“There are people from every human category that are racist, but never did I expect to hear that from an African-American and at an event promoting sisterhood.”
Student B says African-Americans and Latinos come from the same place. “We live under the same circumstances, we face the same discrimination, our lifestyles are in some cases very similar. I was appalled when that statement was made.”
SGA Vice President Amber Coleman says the SGA reacted as soon as they realized someone was offended.
“We had no idea that anybody was offended, we had no idea that she was there. I think when we found out, Shanee did all she could do by letting people express their emotions at that moment.”
“Regardless of if I was present or not, people know that I go here. People know that I am Mexican. If this is about sisterhood, somebody should have said something because that was wrong,” says Student B.
SGA President Shanee Willams says the sisterhood lock-in was supposed to bring people together to get to know each other and have a bonding experience.
“We are all sisters. As the president I apologize. We need to be more aware of what we say. You never know somebody’s background, or personal feelings towards a situation. We are all sisters, and we need to keep that in mind.”
By: Delrisha White
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