Students learned to find unity within their diversity at the African Student Union interactive forum Wednesday night.
“We want to emphasize that no matter where you’re from, we all have a common history,” said Roberta Roberts, the public relations director for the African Student Union.
The purpose of the forum, which was held in the New Engineering Building, was to promote unity and dispel stereotypes by bringing black people together, Roberts said.
Jhenny Saint-Surin, an anthropology and political science junior and a member of the African Student Union, said she hopes the forum will be a learning experience for African-Americans.
Faye Harrison, an anthropology and African-American studies professor, and Kole Odutola, an African-American studies professor, spoke about the sense of disconnection blacks feel in the U.S. because of the stereotypical labels constantly stamped upon them.
“Race is not something that exists biologically,” said Harrison. “It’s a material term manufactured by human beings.”
