The panel’s primary objective was to have a formal, yet conversational event to compare and contrast educational life 40 years ago to today from the perspective of African-American students.

Stroman grew up in Har tford, Conn., and later moved to California following his service in the U.S. Air Force while stationed in the Bay Area. Beckum was born in San Francisco and lived in the Bay Area throughout his early years.

At the event, organizers screened a short film titled “500 Years Later.” The film chronicled the African-American perspective on freedom and world history. According to the panelists and the video, African culture is often disregarded and garners less academic focus than deserved.

The two alumni discussed their experiences with racism and segregation during the sixties, with the De Anza student panelists chiming in with their modern day perspectives.

As a child, Beckum was told he would make a good janitor, despite the fact that Willie Mays was playing in the major leagues at the time and making good money as a Black athlete.

“I learned a lot about Dick and Jane and Spot,” Beckum said. “Spot was the only one with color.”

De Anza Middle College student Orit Mohamed chimed in about the ignorance and racism she has experienced as a African-American student in Santa Clara County.

Mohamed expressed frustration with peers, who doubted her grades and her educational success due to the color of her skin. 

Mohamed said her high school classmates made ignorant comments and challenged her success as she defied the stereotype that African-Americans are dumb. Mohamed also noted that she has had far more positive experiences at De Anza than negative ones.

Stroman said that growing up as an ambitious African-American, getting an education was just as difficult 40 years ago as it is today.

“You have to keep good grades on the down low, you don’t want to be perceived as a nerd, you might get jacked up,” Stroman said, referencing the stereotype that African-Americans are uneducated.

Ebonics was also discussed by the panelists after Beckum mentioned that while he was growing up, African-Americans had their own language and that at school, the faculty would work to eliminate their language by having the African-American students take remedial English classes.

“There were two different languages; you use one in your mother’s home and the other you would use in the street,” Stroman said.

Amira Farah, a panelist and political science major, discussed an instance where she was told “you don’t talk like the other black girls do,” and then asked “can you do their accent” by an international student at De Anza.

Despite the faculty’s attempts at eliminating Ebonics, Beckum refused and became an active member in his school’s BSU as well as the civil rights movement of the Bay Area.

Despite the modest turnout, the panel discussion ended with audience members and panelists conversing about ways they can begin to dispel the existing stereotypes about African-Americans.

“When they see involvement, it shows we care, too, and it shows that we’re involved, too,” Mohamed said.

Beckum said that dispelling stereotypes starts within the individual, creating change doesn’t necessarily require an external factor.

“When we stop believing in the stereotype, then we stop acting like we are of the stereotype,” Beckum said.

Stroman encouraged audience members to be a preacher rather than a monk, that they should take action and just do it.

“Black History Month is important,” Stroman said. “But don’t limit it to just the month of February.”