A bulletin board recently on display in Helman Hall has sparked some controversy over the appropriateness of its content.

The board was decorated in honor of Black History Month but the theme took on a rather different connotation when, instead of using the word ‘Black,’ the Resident Assistant chose to insert a derogatory term historically used in reference to people of African ancestry. It was displayed for less than a day before someone tore it down; when the RA redecorated the board a few days later, it was only up for a matter of hours before meeting the same fate as the previous one. The RA explained that the board was meant “to inform people of the negative consequences of the word, not to offend anyone.”           

The information displayed beneath the title dealt with the etymology of the word in question, other variations of the derogatory term, politically correct terms used in place of it, the word’s usage in other parts of the world, and several questions pertaining to the word, such as whether it is OK for African Americans to use the word when speaking to each other. Jacquilline Nagila, director of Multicultural Services and Campus Diversity, responded to the board’s content by saying, “I’m all about addressing societal issues...but it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, it’s how you present it to the people.”

The bulletin board was meant to serve as a precursor for a scheduled floor program during which the RA planned to discuss the topic of hate/ignorant speech, what it means and how it can affect our community. Manchester College President Jo Young Switzer said: “There are so many ways to try to stimulate a discussion about an important topic, whether it’s the power of words, a political issue, or a religious issue, and whether using a bulletin board to do that depends on the whole context.”

It has been established that the content was meant to be educational, but whether a college dorm was an appropriate venue for it to be displayed is still undetermined. The bulletin board may also not have displayed ample context to a passerby, who saw only the offensive words. “The difficulty is trying to talk about a subject and never being able to name it,” said Allen Machielson, director of Residential Life and associate dean of Student Development. “With a hot topic like this it is very easy to get upset or offended or want to lash out before you even know what’s going on. I don’t know that a bulletin board is the appropriate space for this; a bulletin board is very static...it has the potential to be taken 800 different ways.”

One of Nagila’s main concerns lies in the fact that February is meant to be a time for “people of African descent to celebrate their history, joys, and successes,” but substituting a derogatory term into the title of a display does not promote celebration. “Our history defines us,” Nagila said. “Words, language, and culture go hand-in-hand and they define who we are as individuals. We are our culture and our culture is defined by our language.”

Manchester College is known for the positive community environment which is created by, and results in, the diversity of its students, staff and faculty. “Community isn’t easy, you always have to be working to make sure that the way you talk and the way you treat people builds community rather than weakening it,” Switzer said. While the RA’s goal was “to do something shocking that people would notice, so they would come and discuss things,” the content had a counter-productive effect on some individuals.

Nagila adds: “We need to pay attention to how everybody fits into the society, the community, because we are the MC community and we should take care of each other. This is an opportunity for us to say that this is not destructive, this is an educational piece, and to determine how we move on.” Machielson mentioned that members of Student Development have already discussed the possibility of a forum taking place so that the issues can be addressed and individuals can express thoughts and concerns.

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