As a white student attending FAMU through a cooperative program offered at Florida State, my initial reaction to the question, ‘Does Florida A & M forget about its “non-black” population of students?’ was without a doubt, no.
But while the answer was apparent, an analysis of the explanation was a little harder to come by.
So I turned to the one thing I knew symbolized the best bridge between any culture in the past 20 years: hip-hop music.
As I rolled down Wahnish Way with my new 50 Cent CD blasting on my radio, I envisioned Dr. Dre and Eminem grinning with self-satisfaction about their label’s newest artist and his success.
This made Eminem and Dr. Dre’s first collaborated song ironically titled, “Forgot about Dre.”
It was a good song then, and still is. Yet what made it greater was the tandem of Dre and Eminem, a black man and white man working together to produce more than a hit.
It was the beginning of a partnership. Dre passed on what he knew to Eminem and because of that knowledge, Eminem prospered.
And that’s exactly what the administrators and educators here at FAMU are doing. By merely offering programs such as the one I’m in, FAMU is opening its doors and embracing all those who enter.
In essence, the educators and administrators at FAMU are an extremely color blind Dr. Dre and Eminem and we, the collective student body, regardless of race, are 50 Cent. You see, Dr. Dre and Eminem saw something in 50 Cent that FAMU sees in all its students-opportunity.
By grouping us together and labeling us as students, it unifies, both our goals and the instructors’ goal to higher learning.
As a non-black student, I welcome this type of atmosphere because it makes my environment, as the minority, much easier to learn in. So, as much as FAMU does to provide an environment that I and others can excel in, the University should have no concerns about forgetting any particular group of students.
Because as one of those students, I can honestly tell you, when I graduate this semester, I won’t be forgetting FAMU.
Danny Aller, 23, is a senior creative writing student from Crawfordville, Fla. He can be reached at dsa9803@garnet.acns.fsu.edu.