Kyannah Smith-Sommerville

Instructor Abdullah
ENG-1313
23 November 2015
Since the election of Barack Obama, politically correct language states that America has
moved into a post-racial or color blind society, yet the reality of black lives matter belies that
phenomenon. This premise, in my personal opinion, is true. A few cases that have occurred
during Barack Obamas presidency include the most recent Mizzou incidences that lead to the
resignation of the schools System President. Some other incidences include the number of black
people killed by white cops who were never indicted and last but not least, a black high school
student being thrown out of her desk at school by a white cop for not giving up her phone. These
situations are proof that todays society is just as racist as it ever was, it is just hidden better.
Currently at the University of Missouri there is some serious racial tension happening on
the campus. There has been several reports of African American students being called nigger
while simply walking down the streets of the school campus. Recently, the schools president,
Tim Wolfe, has resigned due to the issues on campus and issued an apology.
After the Ferguson protests, students on Mizzou campus began complaining about the
schools lack of response to the racial tension on campus. The picture of a swastika and the word
heil were written on a residence hall stairwell. A freshman was charged for the vandalism of
the building and pleaded guilty later on.

On September 12, 2015, the student body president, Payton Head, was called nigger
while walking with a friend. As he was walking, a pickup truck rolled by and the group in the car
started yelling at him through the window of the car.
Another incidence that lead to the resignation of Tim Wolfe is a peaceful protest at the
schools parade. During a homecoming parade, peaceful protestors, Concerned Student 1950,
gathered and blocked Tim Wolfes car. They began to call out facts of the school about how the
school condones racism. Tim Wolfe did not get out of his car to speak with the students. Other
parade goers began shouting MIZ-ZOU to drown out the protestors. Some even tried to move
the protestors out of the way so that the parade could go on. The police eventually showed up
and disbanded the protest, one police officer even threatened pepper spray. As Tim Wolfes car
drove off, he clipped one of the protestors, without an apology. When all of this, plus more,
became too much, Wolfe resigned with an apology to the student body.
Another incident that occurred just this year, is the physical abuse of a student in South
Carolina at Spring Valley High School. The student was using her cell phone in class when the
teacher asked her to put it away. When the student refused, the teacher called for an
administrator. The principal had no luck with the student either, and called for the school officer.
The officer came in with the intent to do harm because he came in and took her laptop off of her
desk first. He then put her in a headlock, flipped the desk over, and threw her out of her chair and
across the room. She was then arrested. Another student was also arrested because she told the
other students in the classroom to record the incident beforehand, and while everything was
happening she yelled out for him to stop. She was arrested for disturbing the classroom
environment.

Deputy Ben Fields, the police officer, has been reported for excessive force on more than
one occasion and has yet to be suspended or fired. He is currently under review however, that
doesnt erase what he has already done in the past. He also has several accommodations and is
seen as a role model to some.
I truly believe the premise Since the election of Barack Obama, politically correct
language states that America has moved into a post-racial or color blind society, yet the
reality of black lives matter belies that phenomenon is true. The events in Mizzou has more than
proven this point as well as the Spring Valley High incident. We are not in a colored-blind
society and it will be sometime before we are. Society will always have its differences and will
always discriminate because of them.

Works Cited
Ford, Dana. "Spring Valley High School Officer Suspended - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News
Network, 27 Oct. 2015. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
"The Incidents That Led to the University of Missouri Presidents Resignation." Washington
Post. The Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2015. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.