March against racial stereotypes set for Tuesday

COLUMBIA — Members of Community About Raising Excellence, part of the Legion of Black Collegians, plan to march against racial stereotypes Tuesday.

The march is a representation of past struggles faced by stereotyped groups on campus and future challenges that such groups might encounter, said MU senior Jason Miller, who is also the group's president and organizer of the event. 

MU senior Alyssa Hollins, a contributor in organizing the march, said it is also a symbol of the history of MU and the battles that stereotyped groups fought to gain acceptance.

"It (the march) is more for us and how far we have come," Hollins said. "Those stereotypes still linger today."

Miller said he decided after President Barack Obama was elected that he wanted to inform others about minorities' continuous, active pursuit of stomping out inequalities.

"Many people may feel that since Obama was elected, we are all in equal standing," he said. "People need to know that we still have a ways to go."

This revelation prompted the idea of the march against racial stereotypes.

"We wanted to make some noise and unite the minority groups on campus," Hollins said. "Jason is an old soul, so he wanted to do a march."

The march will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday at MU's Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, 813 Virginia Ave. Bruce Bartholow, an MU associate professor of psychological sciences, will speak. Afterward, participants will march through campus and end at Jesse Hall.

All are welcome to participate.