The Panther

On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Social Work Action Club at Prairie View A&M University hosted a seminar titled "What Does it Mean to be You," which discussed the importance of knowing one's identity.

It began with a poem from Danyca Singleton, club president, and was followed by the introduction of the speaker Dr. Derek Wilson.

Wilson discussed many topics, including ethnic identity, student identity, and establishing identity.

"Knowing your identity gives a good foundation of who you are, it helps you to be grounded in terms of recognizing your purpose in life," said Wilson. "It creates a positive image and allows you to be a model for people who come from the same cultural background."

He emphasized the importance of recognizing racism and scars left by past racism. Wilson also touched on the effect of giving certain names to children and how knowing one's ethnic identity can eliminate many racial issues.

Wilson then discussed the fact that students must be accepted for who they are and they must work hard to achieve their full development.

Senior social work major Jacqueline Hewitt thought that Wilson was a "good speaker and discussed our cultural background." She also believed that identity was a good topic because "many people don't know what it means to be them."

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