PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 25, 2021) – “The time is always right to do what is right,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said. On the cusp of a new and historic presidential administration, and amid one of the nation’s most turbulent times in history, it’s never been more critical for students who are experiencing the world as it is now to learn to do what is right, always.
However, when faced with experiences of racism or discrimination in their communities and lives, and in the world, what should these young people do with it?
Melanye T. Price ‘95, endowed professor of political science at Prairie View A&M (PVAMU), has an answer. She’s spearheading the university’s newest initiative, the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice, set to formally launch on March 25.
Melanye T. Price ‘95
Through the center, Price hopes students walk away from their time at PVAMU with an understanding and thoughtful analysis of the challenges presented by racism and racial discrimination. More than that, she hopes they find a solution—a solution for how to do what is right, echoing the words of Dr. King.
“This center will work to understand the challenges posed by racism and racial discrimination through innovative and rigorous research. Corporations and other organizations will be helped to implement best practices for eradicating systemic discrimination in our society,” Price said. “In the recent election, we were able to see the paradox of African American citizenship. Black people are often asked to be the nation’s conscience while experiencing ongoing racial oppression and discrimination. We are now celebrating Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic election while trying to stop rampant voter suppression in black jurisdictions.”
PVAMU has had firsthand experience with social justice issues. Perhaps, the most highlighted stories as of late have been PVAMU alumni Sandra Bland and Robbie Tolan. Bland was on her way to work on campus in 2015 when a state trooper pulled her over for an alleged traffic violation. After a confrontation with the officer, Bland was jailed and died in police custody days later.
Tolan was in his parents’ driveway with his cousin in 2008 when police officers apprehended him, claiming that the young men were suspected of having stolen a vehicle. One of the officers shot Tolan in the chest, nearly killing him.
Both Bland’s and Tolan’s stories lay the groundwork for a vested interest by the university in not just mitigation of social justice issues, but the eradication of them, Price said.
President Ruth J. Simmons’ heartfelt letter to the community, following George Floyd’s publicized death last year, brought the center’s ideas into the public spotlight and spurred on its approval by the Texas A&M University System’s Board of Regents in just six months. Simmons’ words encouraged students and the public to use these experiences for good with proactive responses and a focus on solution and rebuilding.
“When I first proposed the center, I was concerned about the state of race relations in the country and our community,” Simmons said. “Having grown up in a deeply segregated South and understanding the corrosive effects of these kinds of things, I really wanted to help both our students understand the history here and to learn how to manage through these difficult conversations that we’re having. That was the whole purpose — to do our civic duty and help the region and country deal with a very difficult issue, to help our students who are going through what in previous generations we’ve gone through and more or less managed through. Now it’s their turn to figure out what’s occurring and not be discouraged by it.”
President Ruth J. Simmons
Price agreed, noting that at a historically black college/university (HBCU), many students may find themselves experiencing discrimination based on their race, economic origins, or a host of other factors. PVAMU educators can speak directly to these issues and create an environment that fosters excellence. By learning to do the right thing, every time and always, they have the power to change the world.
“While on this campus, our students will learn to identify and articulate the social ills that plague our society as well as work with scholars and activists to develop strategies to rid our society of those problems,” Price said. “The center will do this through the courses we offer, exposure to research, the conversations they witness, and their participation in the work of the center. Through community outreach and opening invitations to center events to the larger public, we will also see benefits to our neighboring community, the region, and the nation.”
Beginning this spring, the center is offering students virtual programming with plans to be fully operational in the fall. Initiatives include an “activist in residence” position, or a program that brings in nationally recognized activists to speak to students about civic participation. The Sandra Bland/Robbie Tolan Award will also be established to honor those currently working on social justice efforts. In addition, President Simmons has urged students to actively participate in a new required course at PVAMU on race, class, and gender in America.
“The center will feature leadership training on inclusion and support for scholarship and research on race and justice issues that can also help inform the work of policymakers,” said Price. “It will also include educational programs on bias and inclusivity for students, government officials, organizations, and the public.”
Price and Simmons’ vision for the center is that it will educate students and serve as a safe space on campus for students to improve the world around them along the way.
“It is my belief that our job at Prairie View and in the Simmons Center is twofold,” Price explained. “We work hard to prepare our students to meet the challenges of their chosen profession with excellence. Through the work of the center, we will also work to ensure that we send them out into a better world by engaging in diversity and inclusion work with corporations that will be their likely employers.”
Price believes the center and PVAMU are uniquely positioned to impact not just PVAMU students but far more, with efforts that will undoubtedly ripple through the region and nation.
Visit www.pvamu.edu/simmonscenter for more information.
By Meredith Mohr
-PVAMU-