Georgia State student forms White Student Union
 

A redneck from Alabama or valid concern? Thoughts?

Georgia State student forms White Student Union

Georgia State University officials say that six students have complained after seeing fliers around campus advertising a new student club known as the White Student Union.
Freshman Patrick Sharp says he started the club so that students of European and Euro-American descent can celebrate their shared history and culture. He said members can also discuss issues that affect white people, such as immigration and affirmative action.
'Why is it when a white person say he is proud to be white he’s shunned as a racist?'
- Freshman Patrick Sharp
Sharp, who is from Birmingham, Ala. and enrolled at the Atlanta school this summer, said any student can join and that he would work with other clubs, such as the Black Student Alliance, on common issues.
"If we are already minorities on campus and are soon to be minorities in this country why wouldn't we have the right to advocate for ourselves and have a club just like every other minority?" Sharp, 18, said. "Why is it when a white person say he is proud to be white he’s shunned as a racist?"
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that whites comprise 38 percent of Georgia State's student body, followed by blacks at 35 percent, Asians at 12 percent and Latinos at 7 percent.

Parf

While this is borderline PARFy, the kid does have a very good point.

I don't really see a problem with it...unless they start pushing some racist agenda in their meetings. There really is nothing wrong (in my opinion) with "white" people having a club to celebrate/explore their past as long as it's about heritage and contributions. If they're celebrating the "good ol' days" when whitey had all the power, slavery was going strong, etc....then it's a bad thing.

I thought about this in the mid-90s.
Posted my complaints of seperate-but-equal on pelican in 200x.

Living in the midst of liberal California, my local community collge had a black student union office.
It was seperate from the regular student union.
'Others' weren't invited.
Equal in size.

If you look at the racial mix (38% white) (35% black) (12% Asian) and (7% Latino) you can see that Georgia State University (GSU) located in the heart of Atlanta, GA is well diversified. My son is currently earning his Master Degree at GSU. For the most part GSU is a commuter school bringing in the students from the city and greater Atlanta suburbs. GSU does however have several in-town dormatories. Not to avoid the issue here I remember well back in the late 60's and 70's the formation of Black Student or Afro American Campus Organizations that became quite popular to discuss culture, study programs, etc. If the intent of Patrick Sharp is too organize a white student union strictly for the benefit of exploring and sharing EuroAmerican culture then why not? If this White Student Union digressed into something more radical, believe me, the GSU Management would take note and probably shut it down and Mr. Sharp will be packing his bags and heading back to wherever he came from.

I'd say the six students are displaying a knee-jerk reaction, well mostly jerk reaction. :D

Explain or define what their "reaction" is, please.

Complaining, what are they complaining about?

How can a just society have a prominent 'black student' union, while simulaneously banning a 'white student' union?

Any "insert here" specific union should be judged on the merits of their mission.

Honestly sounds like an excuse for the English/Irish/German kids to get together and drink.

"Honestly sounds like an excuse for the English/Irish/German kids to get together and drink"

You got this one right............. :)

In the 35+ years I have lived in Atlanta you never hear anything coming out of GSU that makes the news..........

Are "white" students a minority in trhe state of Georgia?

Considering that Morehouse, Spellman and Clark Colleges are almost 100% black and that Atlanta as a city has the greatest number of Black Colleges and Institutions (Atlanta Technical College) in the country you could say that white college students might be a minority in greater Atlanta. Georgia Tech and several of the local two-year schools here have a majority of white student body. Interesting study.

white is not an ethnicity. if he wants to start a german club, or a french club, or an english club whatever ... but white is not an ethnicity.

And 'Arayan' is kinda north-indian, and legally banned here by a 2% group.

Perhaps a different word like Celtic would apply.
That's a description lost for 2000 years, from before the Romans took over europe.

wasp club but then you need Scot-irish clubs too
and german but will they want to break down to individual principality ?

From Wikipedia,

Black Student Union The first Black Student union was conceived in the early 60s by Jimmy Garret and Jerry Varnado at San Francisco State University. This union was created in order to aid and benefit this group of people in that it brought these minorities together and allowed them to surround themselves with a positive and uplifting environment during hostile times. In testament to this, the students were able to flourish in college.

However, since then, times have changed and the union is a reflection of the changes. Recently, the Black student union has begun to include non-minority races. In doing so, the goal of this union has changed, from solidarity to inclusion and expressing Black culture and values to everyone, not just those who share in the heritage.

Caucasian Caucus

Sharp said he was inspired to start the union after viewing videos and interviews with Matthew Heimbach, who started a White Student Union at Towson University in Maryland.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the Maryland club as a “hate group” and two of its members recently advocated for racial segregation at a Conservative Political Action Conference.http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/freshman-starts-informal-white-student-union-at-ge/nY887/