Standpoint with professor Angela Schwendiman

To honor Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday, Angela Schwendiman will be giving a lecture in Showalter 109. The Easterner’s Jason Keedy sits down with her to discuss the topics of her lecture.

For starters, could you talk a little about yourself and what you teach here at Eastern.

As for myself, while not new to Eastern, (I worked for five years as a radio producer at KEWU producing the daily program Perspective and taught part-time as well, in the Africana Education Program as an adjunct professor) this is my first year as a full-time lecturer. Currently, I am teaching African-American culture, African-American family and African-American cinema (in the spring). The challenges are great in defining the curriculum as there are so many avenues to pursue and explore in terms of African-American studies from an interdisciplinary approach, but I am beginning to feel more comfortable with the material and my approach as the quarter progresses.

You will be the featured speaker during EWU’s MLK Day next Tuesday. Your topic of discussion, titled “Ambassadors for Peace During Times of War,” takes a look at the work of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and President Barack Obama. Could you provide a little insight into the talk and give your thoughts on the comparisons between the two?

I’ll say that I was inspired upon reading the president’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech to make comparisons between President Obama’s approach and the clear deference he makes to the legacy of Dr. King. While the end goal or desire of both men is peace, their methods and approach are diametrically opposed. This, in part, reflects the varying leadership roles and responsibilities to which each man is espoused—one as the leader of the most powerful free nation in the world and the other as the leader in the struggle for civil rights.

If Dr. King were alive today, do you feel that he would be supportive of President Obama? In what areas might he have voiced objections to Obama’s policy decisions?

I feel it imperative to understand that the end goal for Dr. King was not just the absence of war, but for our nation to feel at peace with itself—that is, to be able to live with its own conscience. In order for “true peace” to be achieved, as Dr. King defined it, there must exist the presence of some positive force—justice, good will and brotherhood. He felt very strongly that non-violence was the means to achieving this end in order for the citizens of this nation to be able to see eye to eye and walk hand in hand.

We hear the term “post-racial” society being bandied about. Is this an overly optimistic assertion? Whether on the personal/street level or systemic scale, where do you feel that we as a society are at in terms of the race issue?

By virtue of his office as president, President Obama’s role must be to ensure the rights and protection of all American citizens. The nature of the battle against hostile forces such as Al-Qaeda requires that violence be met with violence to protect the lives of innocent people. It is for the protection and defense of citizens to which violence in this sense must be used. The end goal for both men is the same– peace.

What about Dr. King and his ideas does this generation of students need to know more about?

I feel that Dr. King, in spite of his opposition to war and his outspokenness against the Vietnam War, would support the president today. I point to the brotherhood and coalition with which he felt toward Malcolm X in taking this stand. Malcolm and Dr. King had very different approaches, and yet each individual reached distinct audiences with the purpose of uniting people in the common goal for obtaining freedom. Some of their differences lie partly in geography and in the demographics in which each individual struggled and culturally identified. Dr. King acknowledged and respected that there were those to whom his message could not be reached who joined the ranks in the struggle for peace alongside Malcolm X. It is with this attitude, I believe, he would respect the decision that the president has made to utilize and in fact, increase the amount of force required to achieve peace. Dr. King’s goal was not humiliation, but understanding. President Obama recognizes that at this point in time, peaceable talks or means with which to approach an enemy who willfully terrorizes the nation are not realistically possible.

Do you remember what initially led you to become interested in Dr. King? What inspired you about him and the movement he represented?

The post-racial society has not yet been achieved nor will be until we are able to discuss realistically, without taking offense, the nature and extent of the problems of race in society. The myths and meanings attached to “black” are still largely negative, and structural racism persists among the underclass with little hope at this time for members who are disenfranchised from the larger society to escape the gripping effects of poverty and the racism attached to their conditioned state. Hard work and belief in one’s self are only the beginning of the path, which leads to alleviating the poverty and depravity associated with race within our nation’s inner cities. We as a populace must no longer ignore the conditions of the poor, nor continue to blame the poor (they didn’t get that way all by themselves) in order for things to change. 

Do you feel that the peace movement has a substantial influence in today’s sociopolitical landscape? Are Dr. King’s dreams truly being fulfilled?

As we work toward reflecting a multicultural society, we must redefine the stereotypes by which we categorize and perceive ourselves individually and as a nation, racially, culturally, socially and otherwise. As we move forward, creating positive meanings to replace old and negative myths and stereotypes, we can achieve the kind of peace and existence reflected in Dr. King’s dream. It must be, however, a conscious, collective effort. Certainly, the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. King inspired millions to embrace an attitude of equality in terms of opportunities, regardless of race. Much needs to be done still to make that dream a reality. It begins with introspection, reflection and an honest desire to change.