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Even though “racism has many heads” in American society, the “good news” is that the problem can be solved despite its complexity, according to an African-American educator, lecturer and author who addressed a crowd Tuesday at California University of Pennsylvania.
“If we work together, we can put an end to racism and white supremacy in the next century,” Eraka Rouzorondu, 55, of Baltimore told about 120 people in a speech on “The Good News About Racism.”
Rouzorondu's speech was part of Cal U's observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a kickoff for a series of events celebrating Black History Month in February, which university President Geraldine Jones said “is about connecting the past to the present.”
In order to overcome racism and white supremacy, however, people have to be willing to change and be educated, Rouzorondu said. Racism is a “mental illness” rooted in an unreasoned fear of the unknown, and white supremacy is born of ignorance of the facts of the contributions of black people to the world's civilization and the belief that Europeans are supreme, said Rouzorondu, who bills herself as a change agent.
“We've got to assert ourselves like the opposition,” said Rouzorondu, chief executive of Ma'at Enterprises LLC of Towson, Md.
Right now, New York City native Rouzorondu gives the United States a “Z” on its report card when it comes to racism – what she considers a “public health epidemic” – because of the failure to deal with the root causes of racism and white supremacy.
“Why aren't we getting along any better after decades of investing time and resources?” Rouzorondu asked.
A solution could be found in the generation of tomorrow's leaders. Rouzorondu, who has lectured at colleges and universities for the past 30 years, urged the students — the majority of the audience — to become activists and do more than just march and protest against racial injustice.
Believing that a system that has fostered racism for centuries will self-correct “is not a reality,” she said.
“Let's do some real work. Make sure you are involved in policy-making decisions so that the change can come from the top down,” Rouzorondu said. Without their input into the decisions being made by government, “the mentality of the policy-makers doesn't change.”
On the prospects of race relations improving over the next four years under President Trump, Rouzorondu said, “I have faith, not hope.”
She sees a rise in discrimination based on religious intolerance, with Muslims being the targets.
“We are not on the precipice (of religious discrimination). We are in free fall. We can't ignore the headlines,” Rouzorondu said.
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.
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