There was a letter to the editor in the Feb. 8 edition of The Crimson White that sparked my attention. The topic of the letter was the State of the Black Union Address by the Black Student Union.

I feel that this article, written by a senior here at the University, made an inappropriate reference to the Black Student Union, claiming that their existence “isolates them from the rest of the university.” This student also made irrelevant and inaccurate statements about Black History Month and The United Negro College Fund. He stated that he “understood that it was black history month,” which has absolutely nothing to do with the State of the Black Union Address that the BSU held.

The address could’ve been held in March, April or May and it wouldn’t have made a difference as to the issues discussed. The Black Student Union is active all year “discouraging and abating institutional and individual acts and symbols of racism, encouraging pluralism on the part of the faculty, administration and the student body at large and promoting positive interaction, mutual respect, and understanding with other organizations.” The black student union does promote, encourage and help black students of the university, but is not limited to only black students.

The last thing in the article that really threw me for a loop was the irrelevant comment about the United Negro College Fund. I don’t think this should have been in the article at all because the United Negro College Fund is a private organization for minorities that provides scholarships, internships and professional training for students who attend its member schools.

What does this organization have to do with the University of Alabama or any of the students here? Nothing – the University of Alabama is not a member of the organization.

What the writer of that letter to the editor failed to do was his research. Although the Black Student Union and United Negro College Fund all positively represent and promote the well being of African Americans, these organizations are not confined to only this race of people.

Bre’Anna Tolbert is a junior majoring in business management and political science