Friday, April _12,'1'968
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Gage Thirteen
Friday, Apr if 12, 1968 THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Pa~e Thirteen
I .
Southern Black Colleges: A
Year o
Yrof
Awakening
By WALTER GRANT to the entire society. As one black blackness, identity and culture,"
News Analysis student activist put it, "Everything said Roscoe Ellis, a student leader
black people do to gain power is at Florida A&M University. "The
ATLANTA (CPS)-The black black power. It doesn't make any culture that is pushed down our
power movement, if sucessful, will difference if we, as students, are throats comes from the white
be responsible for a complete over- involved in the same issues as community," said Howard Spencer,
haul in the basic goals and direc- white students on wxhite campuses. a student at Tougaloo College in
tions of the nation's black colleges The fact that we are black makes Tougaloo, Miss. "The whole di-
and universities, it black power." rection of the college is set and
Student black' power advocates The student power movement on controlled by white supremacists.
already are applying unprecedent- black campuses cannnot be viewed We plan to change that," Spencer
A 1 ed pressure on their administra- nart frnm the nntinnl hlack added.
';
tinnc nnii in many n.acPC ara
I Ctij"l t, 1111111 ulla liatilVllai 171'GIL:Ii
power movement for another rea- Some black faculty members
achieving significant reforms. This son. Without it, black students agree with what the students are
pressure can be expected to in- would not have their inspiration, saying, "Most Negro schools have
crease tenfold within the next and they would not feel they are a white middle-class point of
year, and many black administra- fighting for the cause of black view," says Dr. Vincent Harding,
tions, most of which are basically people everywhere. In short, black chairman of the history depart-
conservative, may find they will power unifies the "students and ment at Spellman College here.
either have to meet the students' makes them proud they are black. "The whites want to make us any-
demands or completely lose con- It inspires them to act when they thing but black. Black students
trol of their schools. think changes are necessary. must build inner-fortitude that{
This trend has become evident Although many of the demon- will make them refuse to go into
within recent weeks as student strations on black campuses this a white bag," Dr. Harding said. $
demonstrations have spread on year have involved local problems If successful, the black power
black campuses across the country, black students across the country 'movement will erase the whiteness
particularly in the South. Students have a common goal for black of black colleges through a variety
on several campuses have actually colleges. They think black colleges of reforms. Among them are:
taken- over the administration now are controlled by the white -The curriculum of black col
buildings, forcing the admistra- community and oriented to the leges will be drastically altered.
tors out. white culture. The students want History departments will empha
Many of the black student dem- to "blacken" their colleges by size Negro and African history so
onstrations to date have involved making them responsive to the black students will become more
issues dear to the hearts of col- needs and culture of black people. aware and proud of their heritage,
lege students everywhere, black or The Student Non-Violent 0- Students in economics courses ill
white. Black students have de-
manded more responsibility in the ordinating Committee, with its study such problems as the plight
decisions which affect their educa- headquarters here, is playing a of the Negro due to gutomation-
central role in encouraging black Political science courses may cen-
mtin, uetpr oed in d hscingy student leaders to demand that the ter around problems Negroes have
matters, better food and housing, basic direction of black institutions in gaining political power and the. SNC DIRECTOR STOKELY C
an end to restrictive social regla- be changed. At least two other fallacies and contradictions of the forts Mrs. Martin Luther King
tns and compulsory ROTC, and nation-wide black student organ- American dream, 'and music placed King as the mentor of t
The black college campuses, in izations are doing the same. They courses will emphasize African
The tblackacollegentcampusesusin
fact, have become the center not are the Black Students Union music. not Uncle Toms, on the black
only of the black power movement, with its headquarters at Fisk Uni- -Extracurricular activities also campuses.
but of the student power move- versity in Nashville, Tenn., and wil be changed, with emphasis on -Colleges will not encourage
ment as well. Black students who the Afro-American Collegians to- the Negro culture. Concerts will students to get high-paying jobs
are demanding more control over gether, which is run out of the feature African or American Ne- with a major industry or corpora-
their education have completely Hampton Institute in Hampton, gro folk music, and Africa-style tion in the white society. Rather,
outclassed their white counter- Va. dances will be held. students will be taught to organ-
parts, in terms of both planned Interviews with scores of black -There will be no place for ize black people in black con-
tactics and actions. people in the South produced sim- many of today's conservative- munities so they can develop
But black students who are in- ilar comments labout the goals of minded administrators and profes- economic, political, and social
volved in the traditional issues the movement as it relates to black sors, who have been "white-wash- power. There will be much closer
concerning students today cannot colleges. ed by the white society," according ties between the colleges and the
be dlvorced from the black power "Our basic goal is to make the to black power militants. There black communities.
movement and its full implications black college student aware of his will be more black professors, but These are just a few of the
changes which may occur if the
black power movement on black
..... - campuses is totally successful.
There is a strong possibility, how-
ever, that black power may kill
............. ..some colleges before it changes'
them.
The major obstacle to these
goals -is that black colleges still
must depend on the financial re-
sources of the white community.
White state legislators are not
likely to appropriate funds to col-
leges which promote black power
concepts. Likewise, private colleges!
may run into trouble attracting
funds from white-controlled lonn-
dations and enterprises.
If student disturbances on black,
campuses continue to increase,
:. black administrators could have'
more problems than ever before
in getting enough money to keep
their colleges going. There already
have been some signs that the
black militants could endanger the
very future of their colleges.
After a student riot at Central
State University in Wilberforce.
Ohio, for example, many legisla-
tors had bad words for the college.
And John M. McElroy, executive
assistant to Gov. James R. Rho-
des, said future disturbances
{ "could be the first step toward dis-
solution of the school." Howard
of white faculty members, who changes in what we are doing,
comprise more than half of the I've been working £.r power for
faculty at some black schools. my people all my life. .but I'm
Some white students and facul- not an Afro-American, I'm an
ty members "probably will he American. The physical effort to
frightened away by all tbis." Dr. identify as a Negro is not neces-
Henderson said. "But we have not sary to me. You can look at me
abandoned our goal of student in- and tell I'm a Negro.
tegration. If white students want Despite what black admiinstra-
to come to Clark C .lege, we are tions think about the long-range
not going to close the door on effects of black opower on their
them as long as I'm sitting here. colleges, there is little doubt that
Many of the black power mili- black power as a national move-
tants, on the other hand, say ment is growing.
there will be no place for white Many observers say the future,
students or faculty members aft- of the movement, and in essence
er they have achieved c: tain re- the future of black colleges, de-
forms in black colleges. pends on events more than any-
In reaction to this attitude, the thing else. For example, most
presidents of the five colleges that. analysts agree that the recent in-
compose the Atlanta "niversity cident in Orangeburg, S.C.-where
complex issued a joint statement three black students were killed
last year which put the adminis- by police during a campus dem-
trators on record "as sanding by onstration - contributed to the
their historical traditions and growth of the movement. Three
commitment to the values and ef- students were wounded when po-
ficacy of the pursuit of education lice opened fire on students at
in a climate free from racism, Alcorn A & M College in Lorman,
parochialism, or ethic bias." The Miss. Again, the result was that
statement also said the colleges the students became more mili-
would "continue to employ teach- tant.
ers and staff on the basis of in- The latest, and undoubtedly the
dividual qualifications and not on most dramatic, incident contrib-
the basis of race, creed, or na- uting to the growth of black mili-
tionality. Students who meet aca- tarism was the assassination of
demic standards are welcome re- Dr. Martin Luther King. Many
gardless of their ethnic qualifica- black students have said the as-
tions." sassination proves non-violence
Black administrators, however, simply does not work.
deny they are trying to "white- 'Black administrators cannot
wash" their colleges, as some stu- control these types of events, arid
dents have charged. 'We have a if they continue, the administra-
commitment to Negro students, tors may find they cah no longer
and we must contribute to the control their students. If this hap-
struggle young Negroes are having pens, black power will have a
in their search for identity," Dr. much more significant impact on
Pitts says. "But this does not colleges than the administrators
mean we have to make dramatic are predicting.
-Associated Press
CARMICIIAEL, hero of many of the militant black students,'com-
at the funeral of her husband. In recent years, Carmichael has dis-
he students.
University in Washington. D.C.,
which receives more than half ofj
its funds from the federal gov-
ernment, also has been the sceneI
of recent student uprisings. Several+
Congressmen have said they plan;
to investigate student activities at
Howard before appropriating funds
for the next fiscal year.
Despite the increased influence
of the black power movement,
most Negro college administrators
do not intend to implement thej
radical reforms being demanded1
of them by students on their!
campuses.
Black college officials, in fact,'
like to minimize the long-range
effects of the movement on the
historically Negro colleges and
universities. They say the black'
power militants are in the minor-
ity, and that the basic goals and
directions of their colleges willE
remain unchanged.
"There is a great deal of verb-"
alization about black power, but
I don't think it will have that
much effect on us." says Dr. Lu-
cius H. Pitts, president of Miles
College in Birminghain, Ala. Dr.
Vivian W. Henderson, presidenta
race," says Dr. Henderson. "This
is a very good objective, and to
this extent the movement could
have a very positive influence on
our colleges. But I cannot go
along with those who talk about
separatism and create the allu-
sion that being black has some
special powers. I cannot go along
with those who s(e violence as a
tool under certain circumstances."
Dr. Pitts thinks the militant
black power advocates "are frus-
trated, confused, and possibly
neurotic misfits." He adds, "I
frankly think Negro college cam-
puses are being used by forces
who are not interested in the
growth and development of Ne-
groes. They have another axe to
grind, and they are trying to get
young people and students to help
them. They're not interested in
education."
Dr. Sam Nabrit, c'rector of the
Southern Fellowship Fund here,
and a former president of 'lexas
Southern Univer ity, says he
thinks the black power movement
already has reached its maximum
strength on some black (ampuses
where. recent disturbances have
i
t
and. now...
JADIE ) EASf'
A NEW AFTER SHAVE & COLOGNE
of Clark College here,
of now, I think black
have only a minimal
agrees. "As occurred, We will see it on prac-
power will tically every Negro canuus, but
impact on it will run its course, and blacK
the colleges," he says.
These administrators, however,
make a distinction between "black
power" and "black awareness."
The majority of today's black stu-
dents, they say, fall into 'the
"black awareness" category, be-
cause they have become aware of
their heritage and proud that
they are black. The distinctidn is,
made because black power has a
connotation of militancy and
violence.
"I cannot argue against the ob-
ject of building pride in one's:
power won't take aver our Negro
institutions," he said.
Although these officials are pre-
dicting no changes m the long-
range goals of black ns itutions,
they do admit that bsck power
may have some temportry effects
on their colleges. f
For one thing, maty black in-
stitutions, which in : ecent yea-s
have been trying to recruit more
white students to -heir campuses,
may find it difficuilt to interest
white students in attending black'
colleges. The same nvy. be true
Read the Summer Daily
Call 1764-0558
820 FULLER
-Daily-Thomas R. Copi
BLACK STUDENTS HAVE BECOME more assertive at predominantly white schools in the north
as well as at southern Negro colleges. On Tuesd ay, some 75 black University students locked
themselves in the Administration Bldg. to back their demands for increased participation and recog-
nition of blacks in the University.
CAS
BA~domTM
SUNJNS
for! men and women
Take the same uncompromised quality you enjoy in Bass
Weejunso, add delirious barefoot comfort, man-tailored his
and her styling, and you have Bass SunjunsTm - the most
sunsational summertime change-of-pace going. Authentic
sun-token free with every pair.
Your discontinued Textbooks
are worth real money!
if sold to Ulrich's WITH your currently good ones.
fuller
east
Designed andmaintained to accommodate the serious student and
the conscientious professional. Fuller East has created its own
mode of apartment living* Stop by and see
fuller east features .
* two-bedroom completely furnished apartments ranging in size from very large to queen
size.
t many special appointments, catering to students needs and desires, including private
balconies and frosty comfortable air-conditioning, sound conditioning.
" because ofn' the hig~h demand Afo~r acontrolled situation r odu ',ratstudnts ~rt' ra nrofes-.
Your BestD Ieal
-- Fiaure it Out
Ulrich's sell your discontinued books to over I
600 colleae bookstores. This wav we aet the
i