by Jerome Parchman

Created on: February 23, 2007   Last Updated: May 05, 2007

There has been one event in the past fifteen years which showed how sharply this country is divided along racial lines, the reading of the O.J. Simpson verdict. African-Americans were convinced that the jury made the right verdict and Whites were outraged that the man they believed killed two innocent people is walking free.

African-Americans and some Hispanics watch the trial on big screen televisions in several places, cheered loudly as the verdicts were read. Many whites were shocked with anger and disgust.

The O.J. Simpson verdict inflamed racial tension in Los Angeles, a city still on the edge from the 1992 riots in which four white police officers were found not guilty of the beating motorist Rodney King.

Many whites called radio programs voicing outrage. Many stated that African-Americans were not educated enough to understand complex information. Many had said that the jury was an African-American jury, but overlooking the fact that there were two Whites and one Hispanic on the jury.

In one survey of the first graduate class of the new millennium, says that white students are roughly divided on whether the current state of race relations are positive (48%) or negative (52%). African-American members of Generation 2001 are strongly of the opinion that things are negative (71%) as opposed to positive (28%). Hispanic members of Generation 2001 have an opinion that things are negative (60%) compared to positive (40%).

Despite these differences, a majority (55%) of the Generation 2001 students hold a negative view of the current state of race relations in America. 43% of the students expect that race relations will improve. Many African-American and White students, expect that things will either stay the same or improve.

David K. Shipler in his book titled, A Country of Strangers: Blacks and Whites in America, says that "African-Americans often feel they are invited, but not fully accepted. And therefore, that African-Americans search for other paths to access, equality and belonging; the search turns inward, into the strengths and sustenance of black friendships, black institutions and black culture."

The author goes on to say that on campuses of mostly white colleges, African-Americans often feel rootless and adrift unless they can find a circle of other African-Americans.

Dr. Jacqueline Wade, former Director of the African-American Cultural Canter at Austin Peay State University, says, "whether or not there are no open conflicts between people on grounds of race does not man all is well. A better question would be: to what extent are African-American students enjoying equal opportunity on the campus of APSU and do they feel acceptance to life on this campus?"

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