JUNE 29 - JULY 5,1986
THE CITIZEN
3
Howard's new school breaks open the fu
By Henry Duvall
SHI GTO ith a
tellite already in orbit,
Howard Univer ity Pre 'dent
James E. Cheek plans to m e
heavy u of telecommuni-
cations" in offering adult edu­
cation pro ams through the
university ne School of Con- •
tinuin ducation.
The hool e ablished in
pril by the Howard b ard of
tru ees has been structured
". . . to improve the access of
Blacks and other minorities to
educational opportunities which
may rai their standard of
living and improve their quality
of life," says Dr. Cecile H.
Edwards, who has been named
dean of the new school,
effective July 1.
Looking toward the future
of Howard, Dr. Cheek also
recently announced the
board's approval of a require­
ment that all undergraduates
entering the university as of
Augu t 1987, complete at least
one me ter cour in fro­
�erican studies.
Further, the university will
pur ue plans to build a com­
prehensive science center as
ell as undertake the develop­
ment of a commercial complex.
The president points out that
t e univer ity i in t
f in talling another
di and has alre dy re rved
pac on atellite that i in
orbit.
ith the tele mmunicati ns
ap bilitie , Chee even f re ees
programs that w uld be offered
in "linka es" ith countries
thr ughout frica and the arib­
bean.
The ne ill develop
and implement tele our in
conjunction with the university'
television tat ion WHM a
Publi Broadca ting ervice stat­
i n, and its radio station
H R one f only a fe com­
mercial t tion in the nation
o ned by a univer ity.
d ard ho is being tran -
ferred from her p st as dean
of the Hard ch 01 of Human
I gy note that the e tab­
lishment f the new sch I
centralizes continuing education
at Howard, allowing a single
unit to co rdinate and market
credit and non-credit cour s in
cooperation with the existin
colleges and schools of the
univeristy.
She believes the establish­
ment urn y well be a turning
point in (Howard' truggle to
help the '. . . under rved
poor and Bl communities.' "
Plans call for evenin , week­
end and mmer COllI , with
programs . le din to a bache­
lor's degree, that will be tar-
eted to a veriety of individuals,
such community college grad­
uates, tho changing careers or
de iring to upgr de profe . onal
ill , handicapped and' elderly
persons, s ell as alumni.
Ho ard is so currently in
the proce of developing a Blac
college and univer ity telecom­
munications network which
would make possible the ex­
change of courses and pro­
grams among predominantly
Black schools via satellite and
other vehicles as ell as create
'a pool of scholarly talent."
Dean Edwards, who headed
a ta force that recommend­
ed establishing the school says
programs will be offered on a
limited basis beginning the
spring semester in January
19 7. She expects the school
will be at "full strength' by
fall of next year.
In another development, the
Howard board of trustees has
approved a requirement for all
undergr duates to complete one
Afro-American studies course to
graduate. The requirement
becomes effective for the fresh­
man class entering in the fall of
1987.
Chee notes that he took
for granted that most Howard
students were takin an Afro­
American tudies course or were
otherwide being expo d to a
Black perspective at Howard.
But he indicates that 'it was
absolutely alarming" when he
found out that many students
weren t familiar with Black
history and that only a relative
few were taking courses on
their own.
'In a number of ways the
so-called integration of the pub­
lic school system, and even
private schools, has brought
about an erasure of Blac s
from the American scene his­
torically and contemporaneous­
ly," Cheek emphasizes.
Since its mission is to train
leaders, Howard has an obligat­
ion to ensure that its under­
graduates gain "an understand­
ing, knowledge and appreciation
of what Black people represent,"
he adds.
He hopes the program of
interdisciplinary Afro-American
studies courses being developed
PLAYTIME
queUa icole Davi
out from her play
Park to take pi ture.
Crossroads: B ae
on Blae vio enee
Cont nued from Pag.1
BIT OF HISTORY
ccording to outh frican
law which aim to severely
re trict the m vement of
Blac cro roads is not up-
po to exist. Located abou t
12 miles from the hite city
of Cape Town Crossroads was
developed by Blacks who work­
ed in Cape Town but were not
allowed to live there. Thus,
it was an illegal settlement. -
However, the need for Black
labor forced the authorities to
look the other way as what
migh t be called I Old Cro s­
roads" was developed into a
large shantytown.
But the years went by,
Blacks other than the original
Cros oads residents migrated to
the area in search of work.
Whether they found work or not
they stayed in or near Cross-
r ad .
It i among the ne er
arrival to he rossr ad area
that the radical young Blac
drew their strength while the
residents who had lived in the
Shantytown longer tended to
remain loyal to gxobongwana.
and also tended to fear that
the government would close the
entire Shantytown if it con­
tinued to grow larger with each
new influx of Blacks.
South African government
authorities anneared to have
exploited these fears with the
aims of endin radical con­
trol of the shantytown and
driving thousands of unwanted
Blacks from the area.
For the time being the
strategy seem to have worked.
But the radical anti-apartheid
activists have vowed to return
and take control again.
will serve as a model "it can
be exported n t only to Black
universities but white ones a
well.'
In outlining Howard future
Cheek ays the univer ity plans
to build a 'c mprehen ive
ience center' that will be
one of the most dvan ed
cience centers - ernbracin
teaching and re earch in all f
the major areas of the ien e
- to be found anywhere in this
country. "
Another ' mo t ambitiou
project,' he continues will be
the development of a com­
mercial venture - the Howard
Plaza.
The plaza to be built on
some 20 acres across from the
ortrait 0 0 de
How many older Americans
are members of one or more
minority populations? How
well fed, clothed or housed are
they? How many are ill or
infirm? We don't kno the
exact answer to these questions.
We do know however that
compared to the white popula­
tion minority groups as a
whole have increa ed ri of
p or education, substandard
h usin poverty, malnutriti n
and generally p r health.
Becau e for 1 ng relatively
little a nown ab u t the
minority elderly. they h re-
o mained an "invisible' segment
f the older population. w
A RP' Min rity Affairs Ini­
tiative has pr duced a r hure.
Portrait of Older inoritie
which pre ents a nei a -
Building Minority
The merican As ciation f
Retired Per n ARP is see -
ing t double it min rity mem­
bership ith a serie of m azine
ads aimed at Black and Hispani
audience. The ad ran in the
February and arch i ue f
min rity- riented publi ati n .
Devel ped in
with the Min rity ffair Initia­
tive, the ad depi t situati n
that emphasize values important
to minorities ch as the family
unit pride of wor , and po itive
self-esteem. Older wor er and
women's issues which impact
on minorities al influenced
ad content.
Initial respon to the ad
Ar
e
c.. .. , ..... "omP
the festival are encouraged to
apply for a booth before mid­
july.
Booths that will 11 barbe-
que ribs, fish, and baked good
are already part of the Fe tival's
offerings. And the Festival
committee has voiced an intere t
ure
Howard Inn will include a
1,200-unit apartment complex
for graduate professional and
married students; a retail sh p­
ping center: a profe sional office
c mple � and a 30 000- at
domed st diurn- nv '
center. he ay.
The e new proje t follo
a pattern f gro th at H ard
ince hee be ame pre ident
in 196. In dd ition to ac­
mmercial radio stat­
i n and a full- ervi e h tel a
well a building a public tele­
vision station Ho ard h s ex­
panded from 10 schools and
colleges to 1 with the recent
e tablishment of the new
School of Continuing du at­
ion.
Minorities
cessible overview of the diversity
and status of the nation' older
minorities.
The brochure capsulizes
e sential information about
Black, Hi pani, sian/Pa ifi
Islander, and tive meri an
elderly. ith m p nd hart
it illustrates and ummarize
wh t i nown ab lit here
ea h gr up live • their in orne,
educati n, empl yment pat­
tern health... and rnu h
more.
ith
P rtr it fOlder
e ti n.
•
elll
p
of
ative.
n t
name
minoritie
t have.
pation.'
a
in a Cajun food booth s part of
the Festival' culinary treat .
For more information about
the Blac Arts Festival cont ct
Gail Sydnor at the Helen Coover
Center 918 Jasper, Kalamazoo
Michigan 4900 1 or call 385-
8191.