Grieving again for Marc, the bitter taste of anger rises to the surface. The place I call home as both a former student and an engaged member of community life, Butte College, has yet to release a word on the death of one of the most powerful, influential people to walk its halls. I dont need to go into a long diatribe to prove this. Marc Thompson left behind a legacy in the likeness of his favorite tagline: Be the change you wish to see in the world. And he made change on the Butte College campus. During the development of the Butte Culture-Community Center, Marc was the Director of Cultural Affairs for the Butte College Associated Students. He played a direct role in the creation of a place that gives a home to students otherwise disaffected. This is only the most obvious piece of his legacy. Once again, you only have to read the records of his life to comprehend the list of boons he brought to the college. A college which has a defined list of values that were key pieces of who Marc was and what he enriched at that institution. Students First. Excellence. Respect. Diversity in Community. Communication. Accountability. Sustainability. Are Students First only when they are high profile football players? Aaron Rodgers certainly has had plenty of acknowledgement. Or shall we look to a more recent football player, which the Administration was quick to comment on? Shall I quiet myself and not point out the primary difference between these two players and the correlation with the kind of attention they received? Diversity in Community? A young black man from South Oroville comes through this very college, finds his voice and goes on to become an engaged leader in social justice, vocally crediting this college, and no mention is made of his passing? A young man who also happened to serve in official capacities to raise up just this value? I question the earnestness of the desire to uphold this value in action. Where the greatest failure lies, however, is in Communication. A valued member of this community has passed in tragic fashion. The public voice has asked for comment, for acknowledgement. And nothing. Accountability is a value we will soon get an answer to. But well have to initiate that test ourselves. StirFry Seminars wrote words I think we should heed: Although Marc had a strong community presence, we are concerned that, without community persistence, a murdered Black man will not get the attention his life (and death) deserve. As Lee Mun Wah said, We will not let his life go unnoticed. So, if you are a Butte College student, current or former, a member of the Butte-Glenn community, a friend of Marc Thompsons, please take a moment to write a quick e-mail or call to Butte Colleges president, Kimberly Perry. Let us inform her of our desire to have Marcs impact acknowledged for what it has been, and what it carries into the future by its powerful influence. Let us remind her that this college is an entity of the community, and the community has spoken on this matter. Let us show her our love and respect for Marc, so that she might be moved, if not convinced, to take action. Thank you for taking a moment to consider this. Her email: [email protected] Her office: (530) 895-2484
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 02:17:11 +0000
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