Deion Clark(e) is a junior majoring in journalism, with an eye on broadcast opportunities in the entertainment industry. His mother’s maiden name is Clarke, and his father’s last name is Clark, so he uses the different spellings interchangeably. He trims his beard with precision and style, like a piece of art on his face. He said he’s going into journalism because he isn’t an “epiphany writer,” which he describes as fiction writers or essayists who keep drawing inspiration from realizations within their work as they write.
“I’m not that type of writer,” he said.
Daily Lobo: So how are things on campus working out for you?
Deion Clark(e): I think I can say that I’m content with a lot of things here. Do I like our representation on campus and some of the things that the (Daily) Lobo says? No, not really. Like, I didn’t like the Bishop Eddie Long’s thing they did.
DL: The cartoon about homosexuals in the black church? Isn’t that true though?
DC: No. I mean, I’m not sure. But I was raised in church, and I don’t like how they categorized every black church like that. Yes, in Christianity, homosexuality is viewed as a sin. But at the same time, being Christians, we’re supposed to accept everybody for who they are, because that’s what Jesus said. Come as you are. The Bible says he who is without sin, cast the first stone. Nobody is without sin. If you’re practicing the right bylaws and the right commandments and everything like that, then you should accept everybody for who they are. But I will say that not all black churches are like that. I’m not saying they accept it, but I’m not saying that they shun you because you’re that way.
DL: Are there any particular religious texts you try to live by?
DC: I try to live by everything. I think nobody’s perfect, no matter what you are. We all have flaws. You might not even consider your flaw a flaw. It’s just the way you’re raised. It depends on where you come from, your background. I think it just depends on your beliefs. I might be a Christian, and someone might be a Muslim. We may not agree on some things, but, hey, that’s just life.
He said that because he moved around so much (Delaware, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina), he adapts to environments quickly.
“I take what’s given to me and I roll with it,” Clark said. “I don’t think UNM is a bad campus — I think it’s a great campus. I think there can be some improvements but what campus, or what university, doesn’t need improvements? What person doesn’t need improvements? What doesn’t need improvement? Everybody needs improvements. There’s always some way you can grow.”
DL: Is there a divide or a social problem that comes with there being a low number of black people at UNM and in Albuquerque?
DC: Personally, I’d love to see more black people here, of course, because I’m black. It’s just something like having somebody that looks like you who may come from the same background as you around you. But does that mean that I don’t love other races or nationalities or ethnicities? No. I love all people. So the fact that I get to experience different cultures here is great. Like, at home we have more cultures, of course, but I wasn’t familiar with the New Mexican or Mexican culture or Hispanic culture … So to come down here and see Native American people and — growing up on the East Coast, all I knew about was Cherokee. I never really knew about the Pueblos or the Navajos. To come here and see that is a really great thing for me.
DL: Anything else?
DC: I’m just thankful to be an African-American male, to get an education and to be able to aspire to be something better than I am. To come from where African-Americans have come from in this country and to be able to get education and be able to possibly be successful in life, or society’s idea of success, is a great thing. And I think that’s what we need to focus on more than being the victim all the time. Yes, some things are wrong. Yes, things go unsaid. Yes, things are sometimes blatantly rude and wrong. But at the same time, you take your cookies and eat them and keep going.
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On Tuesday, the Gallup poll reported President Obama had a 49 percent disapproval rating.
“I love Obama,” Clark said. “I think he has done a great job in office. He came in eight years after Bush, so it’s going to take a little bit more than two years to get this country back to a decent area.”
He said people have high standards for Obama because he is black.
“Well, he’s not even African-American,” he said. “He’s just African and white. But I don’t know what that makes you. But we still see him as black. He’s making it work. He’s taking his cookies, and he’s eating them. And I have no complaints. Yes, there are some things he could do better. But like I said before, everybody needs room to grow. Nobody is going to go into office being the best president.”
Editor’s Note: The opinion cartoon Clark referred to ran as an editorial cartoon on page 4 and did not represent the Daily Lobo’s views.
