Rupert Nacoste
I spoke at the United, Not Divided Rally Feb. 20. The Muslim Student Association was the lead sponsor of the rally. Showing that it was really about being united, not divided, other student organizations (e.g. Latin American Student Association, Fulbright Student Association), joined as official co-hosts of the rally. The rally was held outside Talley Student Union on the Stafford Commons, a green area.
Picture this: a mix of people, brown-skinned, white, dark-skinned, male, female, some women hijab-wearing, some women head-uncovered, some women abaya-wearing, some women in (so-called) Western clothing, a kid with a sign that read “…diversity makes us stronger,” a program of student, administration, faculty speakers.
As planned, after the first set of speakers (of whom I was the last), just at first dark, suddenly we heard a strong, musical-voice coming through the loud speakers. With the mix of people at the rally, an affecting, resonant, melodic, male voice echoed out over the neo-diverse group, rendering the call to Muslim prayer. The Muslim devout began to move to the area where a tarp had been placed on the ground for those who would kneel, bow and pray.
At the same time, people not praying kept a respectful distance but continued their connecting to each other in conversation with smiles, laughter, thoughtful exchanges. Through the glass walls of Talley Student Union you could see students of many group categories. Some were just walking through Talley; some sitting, eating, computers out studying, writing; some standing in line to buy food, while back outside Muslim students prayed, and other students walked by. Also there, outside, not too far away, students played a running, jumping game (of some sort) in shorts and T-shirts.
Here was a true neo-diversity moment at NC State. Here was a mix of the Wolfpack of many different ethnicities and group identities, living and interacting in physical proximity to each other, respecting each other’s space and activities.
Like I said, I spoke in the segment of the program before the call to prayer. For that 10-minute speech, I set my theme with words I first heard uttered by Maya Angelou. Those words are those of an ancient, at one time enslaved Roman playwright, who wrote: “I am human, nothing human can be alien to me.” With that as the theme throughout, early in my 10-minute speech I said:
“I am human. Nothing human can be alien to me. Not necessarily those words, but that philosophy guided the building of cross-racial, cross-ethnic, cross-religion coalitions and collaborations that became the movement of unity that was the full blown civil rights movement. People risked their lives to knock down the unnatural walls (of segregation) that had been put up to stop us from living lives at the intersections. Like you are doing today, a mix of people gathered to rally for American solidarity; for unity.”
I also said, “Approval or disapproval of each other’s everyday lives, like or dislike, cannot be a part of our working vocabulary. You cannot effectively tear down unnatural walls of injustice and keep up your own unnatural psychological walls.”
Going on, I said:
“I am not here today to show that I approve of the Muslim faith of Islam. I also did not come here with reluctance because I disapprove of the Muslim faith of Islam. I am here because … I am human. Nothing human can be alien to me.
I do not know the words of the Prophet Muhammad … peace be upon him. When Deah, Yusor and Razan, Our-Three-Winners, were murdered, to feel hurt and anguish, I did not need to know the words of the Prophet Muhammad… peace be upon him.
I did not need to be Muslim to feel the pain of the injustice of the murders of those three beautiful young spirits: Deah, Yusor and Razan. I am human. Nothing human can be alien to me.
To do our work for social justice, we must build coalitions of respect so that we can collaborate. That is how we will survive and thrive during this troubled period in America. That is how we will change the world again.
So let’s get to work. Let’s stop the building of unnatural walls. Let’s get to work saving the soul of America. Let’s get to work united, not divided.”
It was quite an evening. I was proud to be part of this neo-diverse collaboration at NC State.
#GoPack
Dr. Rupert Nacoste is an alumni distinguished undergraduate professor of psychology and the author of “Taking on Diversity: How we can move from anxiety to respect.”