Fabienne Fleurantin/Staff Writer
Jefferey Mcnamee, director of Multicultural Programs at BBC discusses symbols and their origins.
When wearing something with a symbol on it, does one always know the symbol’s origins and meaning? One may wear it for pride, or maybe to show off their sense of fashion. Sometimes symbols trend among the elite or the famous, thereby making it a must have item to those who wish to stay with the times. The symbols that one sports may gleam with glitz and glory, but behind every image lies a meaning; a designated history, forever transforming its original definition to the world.
The Multicultural Programs and Services presented students at BBC with this discussion on the meaning behind the Confederate flag and how this symbol impacted students here at FIU.
Justin Hill is a Junior here at the university. He expressed his sentiments on what he thought the Confederate flag meant to him. “The Confederate flag, for me, it means hate. I mean, it’s disgusting. I think that it goes more than just a war of the north and the south. And me, as a black man, you know, it isn’t just a war. It’s my ancestors and what they went through.”
Hill also thinks that it still affects people today. “Although we’re a ways away from slavery, I don’t feel this country was built for us as a black race. I don’t feel like it was established with us in mind, so of course when I see the flag, I feel like they shouldn’t see it as a sense of pride. They should see it as a disgraceful flag.”
Jeffrey McNamee, director of MPAS at BBC, lead the discussion and touched on other symbols that have been misused by the public. The swastika, for example. This has been used an emblem of hatred throughout the Hitler and the Nazi Regime to terrorize millions of Jews into near extinction. It is virtually the most recognizable symbol of evil by many people. Yet, the history behind it is different. This was a symbol that was used by the Indians to mean “to be good.” But Hitler turned it at an angle, forever changing the significance of this symbol and its impact on society as we know it.
The subject of cultural appropriation came up as well, with the inappropriate use of Native American headdresses and names of tribes as mascots. Often times, sports teams adopt these names, like Florida State University Seminoles. In this instance, the university has built a relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Both parties work together to “include prominent participation by tribal members in many of the university’s most meaningful events and seek advice and direction to ensure tribal imagery is authentic,” as mentioned on unicomm.fsu.edu. Overtime, they have solidified a bond of mutual respect and unprecedented support from both sides. However, this is not always the case in other situations.
The NFL team, the Washington Redskins, refuse to change their mascot name. The team’s president Bruce Allen said that “the team would not reconsider whether to change the team’s nickname if it became a political barrier to building a new stadium in the nation’s capital or elsewhere,” according to usatoday.com.
Herein lies the problem of the misconception of symbols, awareness of where they came from, what they mean to others and what they stand for.
The Confederate flag is a remnant representation of the southern states during the civil war; states who were in favor of slavery. This flag was generated in hatred and those who still use it today misunderstand its meaning. They know it as it is now and not as it was before. That is a huge dilemma that needs to be solved.
Image courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeliam/2751691807/in/photolist-5ca97c-ocE6KV-rPwDT5-xJbZs-ajEGey-nKcSAd-cyAoRJ-rxbXPi-ocmRsX-8fDvh9-niGgFN-5xg2K4-oczYeC-dRDat7-62w2QS-6Zrzoq-o4oURn-nVaejQ-dRD6eU-gE95jd-bDpXMx-6sp1UA-535pmT-kLedct-dW4wWS-nreY9K-7xAypB-9cXzQY-748MA-dW4xBQ-66jX3V-dVXXhx-4r8c56-o1HsCi-8nJc8M-8BXmVe-nR3X7P-c6qiLS-dbp1Qb-ocvh2o-rMmn1J-5D1cQf-hB221G-nh5RYT-phL2Ai-nVbbG2-ocmSbv-rPyt3c-aopbKL-oaBqE7
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