Student Union
On Racism, Young Americans Say Change Takes Effort
Raequan Johnson is upset. And so are most of his young friends, he says.
The death of African American George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis is the most recent reminder Johnson says of the change needed in the United States.
Floyd was held to the ground with a policeman’s knee on his neck for more than eight minutes.
“I’m disappointed at how long it’s taking us to abolish racial profiling and discrimination,” the 19-year old says. “Racial profiling needs to stop.”
Racial profiling occurs when a police or other law enforcement officer assumes or suspects something about a person because of their race or ethnicity. Statistics vary by jurisdiction, but some show that people of color are arrested from three to 10 times the rate of white Americans in various U.S. cities.
“This has been going on for generations, and we are tired of it. How many more lives have to be taken due to this?” Johnson asks.
After the video of Floyd’s street arrest circulated, millions of people — first, mostly people of color, then joined by whites and other ethnicities — turned out in street protests around the world against racism and the use of excessive force by police and law enforcement.
Young Americans have been front and center on those lines.
“The best way for us to go about all of this is to stand together in a way that helps the movement overall,” says D’Andre Leid, 18, a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in suburban Washington.
Social media was a flurry of young activists like 21-year-old Aliya Cruise, who is posting ways to raise awareness about police brutality and discrimination in the U.S.
“I am avid on social media. … I sign petitions, as well as donate to causes whenever I can,” says Cruise in an email. “I do the homework, too, and try to stay informed on as many topics as possible.”
“Now that I am of age, I try to vote for officials I see as best for the job and will see the bigger picture, including #BLM,” referencing the anti-racism movement, Black Lives Matter.
As a child, Cruise says, her family discussed race, ethnicity and identity regularly. Her mother is Afro-Latina racially and Puerto Rican ethnically. Her father is black and Irish.
“I was raised in an environment that did not hate ... I learned about racism, sexism and homophobia, and the implications from a very young age. I didn't like these concepts at all,” Cruise notes. “I know what it's like to be judged, simply based on outward appearances and nothing about my intellect or what's in my heart.”
In addition to mobilizing other young people on social media, Cruise is active in Stetson University’s Black Student Association and has served on the university’s Multicultural Student Council, the Caribbean Student Association, and the Woke Independent Student Empowerment program, among others.
“We will still experience these problems if nothing changes. That's why the conversation and the fight must continue, and everyone is responsible to engage in that conversation …,” she says. “Why shouldn't I do my part?”
In-depth statistics that detail deaths in police custody are difficult to obtain. A black man in the U.S. has an estimated 1 in 1,000 chance of being killed by police during his lifetime, according to a paper published in August 2019 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
That’s 2.5 times higher than what a non-Hispanic white man experiences, the authors states.
Black women, the paper stated, are 1.4 times more likely than white women to be killed by police. Men overall are 20 times more likely than women to be killed by police.
“Across the nation, law enforcement and the communities they serve continue to come together in mutual respect,” the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington posted on its Facebook page.
“Personally, I feel like it takes every person doing their part,” says Leid. “So, targeting your skills or your focus towards change whatever way that may be is how you do it.”
As for Cruise, her message to her peers is clear.
“I hope our youth realizes that this is not a trend,” Cruise says. “This is a lifelong struggle people have to deal with, and this is not the beginning, nor is it the end of that struggle.”
See all News Updates of the Day
Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
