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Photo by Logan Lyles • llyles@mscd.edu

Professor hopes ethnic studies will further democracy

By Aaron Monteabaro
amonteab@mscd.edu

The history of various ethnic studies and their propensity for furthering democracy in America was discussed on Feb. 13 at St. Cajetan’s Cathedral. Vincent Harding, an elder scholar of the department of African and African-American studies at Metro, led the speech and was joined by a three-member panel.

The importance of the continued advancement of ethnic studies and its role in our country’s future was the common theme among the speakers.

To know and understand our country, we must know and understand the people in our country, Harding said.

He added that what started as black studies became an outlet for people asking who are we and where are we going; the civil rights movement was part of a much larger human people’s movement.

“Our movement was a movement for the transformation of the country,” Harding said. He calls it the movement for the expansion of Democracy in America.

This movement was started by all types of people. It is important for all people to know where they came from in order to focus on where we are going, Harding said.

“And I’m thinking in my old head that maybe there is something still to come that is going to be beautiful, going to be powerful,” Harding said.

Ramon Del Castillo, chair of the department of Chicano/Chicana studies at Metro, said in response that if we are going to create a new democracy, we as humans need to renew faith, love and courage in order to renew humanity.

We have a lot of healing to do, he said, and healing is a responsibility within ourselves and with others.

Del Castillo said that because of the history left out of our textbooks, our ignorance of each other has caused bad blood.

“If we don’t work together, we’re going to destroy each other,” Del Castillo said.

Oneida Meranto, a professor of political science and director of Native American studies at Metro, also responded.

She said advancements in ethnic studies have helped obliterate differences in cultures by increasing the understanding of different types of people.

However, the goals of Native American studies are different, she said. While other ethnic studies have done little to help with sovereignty, they have contributed significantly to increasing the awareness and knowledge of the problem.

“We all came out of the same place and we are all looking for something similar,” Meranto said.

Luis Torres, the interim assistant dean for the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, said K-12 education is central to society, and that adding ethnic studies to the curriculum at this level is a revolutionary change.

Tamillia Miller, who attended the speech, said she loved to see how different cultures can come together and work toward a common goal. The passion she felt from the speakers brought her to tears.

“It felt good to hear it be expressed in public,” Miller said.

These events have historical potential, she said.

“More students should come to see the different speakers here on campus… Some people that come to speak here are important and have important messages, even if they are not famous,” she said.

Angela Bracero, another attendee, said ethnic studies should have more focus and be required. “I think it’s really positive,” Bracero said.