Students from a microcosm of cultures came together earlier this month to discuss racial issues currently depressing societies around the world. The open event was hosted by Sigma Lambda Gamma and Sigma Lambda Beta. The event was called “An Open Discussion on Racial Discrimination: Beyond the American Border ‘ Mentality.” During the course of the event, students came together to talk about aspects of racial discrimination.

Students from Puerto Rico, Egypt, Ukraine, Cuba and more expressed how their homeland fared in the realm of discrimination. Some attributed racism in their homeland as being a fusion of ethnicity and religion. Students discussed the topic while host and associate professor of English Dr. Arthur Hollist listened intently to the students’ thoughts.

“The goal of this program was to educate the community on discrimination and to offer a solution, which is education,” said Sigma Lambda Gamma secretary Yolanda Goodwin.

Not only did the subject of discrimination spark the thoughts and feelings of students, but solutions toward fixing the problem of racism were presented. Some students felt education about other races needs enforcement, while some felt parents should share with their kids an understanding of different ethnicities.

For every argument presented, at least one student had a counterargument in support of his or her feelings.

A central issue throughout the discussion dealt with people claiming to be “acting white” or “talking black.” Students were opposed to these widely-used statements, feeling that people need to stop distinguishing between races and start thinking about individuals.

“We need to educate the entire community including those who feel it is an insignificant issue,” Goodwin added.