MHCC STAFF AND STUDENTS DISCUSS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

What kind of experiences do African-American staff and students have at Mt. Hood Community College, and how does it feel to come to Oregon from another state with a different population makeup?

MHCC held a Black History Month panel discussion on Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the Student Union to highlight these issues.

The discussion was primarily headed by MHCC academic adviser Calvin Walker, who spoke heavily on his role as a staff member. He stated his role, as he sees it: “I’m employed by Mt. Hood, but I work for YOU.” This regards his experience helping all of the students he’s advised and making sure his students of color have the knowledge and resources to make it in a world that puts that them at a systemic disadvantage, he said.

“We can spread this message of empowerment to you and let you know how powerful you are,” Walker said in his opening statements. 

He continued by reading to the audience the history of Oregon that isn’t spoken about much, publicly: the black exclusion laws that lasted from 1844 until 1926. These laws were conceived in an era of anti-black and other anti-immigrant beliefs.

“That is the history of the (Oregon) territory and the place that you’re sitting in today,” Walker continued. “(T)hat internal bias may have been smoothed over, but we don’t really know if it’s changed.”

However, regarding Black History Month as a celebratory experience, Walker said something that many others have noted: “It’s a small drop in the ocean of possibilities for black and brown people who have contributed to this country.”

Among the different topics discussed at the event, the most notable came from the audience – the idea of forming a group or union for these students of color. It was reported that MHCC has a budget set aside for this, that is now close to being dropped, due to the turnover and participation of students over the years.

Many of the audience members and the students on the panel were enthusiastic about the prospect of starting their own resource group since the struggles of all who spoke was a sense of belonging on campus. Two of the students on panel, who came to Mt. Hood to play basketball, came from vastly different places than Oregon. Coming to Gresham was and still is, a brand-new experience for them, one that required them to adapt from the communities and life they came from, they said.

Davion Stringer, a freshman guard for the Saints basketball team who is from Las Vegas, said that a struggle he has had at MHCC is “feeling at home,” which highlights the importance of a campus group for these students. 

The Black History Month showcase, a temporary display, will remain in the Student Union for the month of February. The exhibit consists of the many figures throughout America’s history and creation, their contributions and their impact on how Black history is celebrated.