By Leah McCluskey
Contributing Writer
On Sept. 26, St. Bonaventure University welcomed journalist and scholar Marc Lamont Hill, Ph.D., to give the 2017 All Bonaventure Reads keynote address.
Hill’s New York Times bestselling novel, “Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, From Ferguson to Flint,” was selected as the first official college assignment for the incoming freshman class.
“Nobody” takes root in civic history, telling the stories of those swept into the consequences of state violence and bringing light to social issues that have continued to manifest in modern day societies.
“It is that state of nobody-ness that I am trying to show in the book…to be nobody is to be denied access to the basic provisions of democracy and to be rejected and considered disposable,” Hill stated.
Hill stood proudly at the podium, speaking passionately and with purpose.
Hill emphasized certain aspects of society such as inept and antiquated laws, the monetization of the prison system and the discriminatory nature of our legal and prison systems.
He called the police tax collectors and said our society has made it almost impossible to live a life that differs from the norm without being called criminals. The homeless are arrested for loitering and launching a war on drugs by criminalizing the medically addicted, Hill said.
“What do we do with a world where people are vulnerable,” Hill questioned after referring to his listeners as “family.” “We take our social problems and do what we must to erase them like they (the individuals being wrongfully oppressed) are nobody. We must reimagine a world with a different outcome as we have collectively, as a society, neglected the least of these…every life has value.”
After the presentation, a few students expressed their opinions on the topic.
Charlie Okunewick, a freshman strategic communication major, stated that he found the book to be one-sided, neglecting to give account to all aspects of a complicated situation such as Mike Brown’s.
“The ideas he expressed in his speech did not change my views (towards the logistics of state violence) incredibly, but I do feel like he made some valid points,” said Okunewick. “You could be all the colors of the rainbow, but you still deserve respect nonetheless.”
Adeline Santos, a freshman undecided science major, agreed with Okunewick’s statement.
“It was important for him to come to explain to everyone what his book really meant,” said Santos. “We have to care about each other, regardless of race or background. Everybody is a somebody…Dr. Lamont Hill came here to give everyone a voice.”
Despite differing opinions on the novel and speech, Hill’s basic message was projected to the university with the intent to allow students to embrace new ideas.
“Those of us who have been given the most have a responsibility to do the most. We have to create a world where justice is everywhere,” Hill said. “No one is free until we are all free.”
mccluslm15@bonaventure.edu
