Thursday, September 7, 1972
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Purge Five
Thursday, September 7, 1972 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Five
black
voices
By GENE ROBINSON
Supplement Co-Editor
In the spring of 1970, stu-
dents here virtually succeeded
in shutting down the Univer-
sity until certain demands con-
cerning blacks were met.
Since that successful Black
Action Movement (BAM) strike
of two years ago, the campus
has witnessed little activism on
the part of black students.
Events of last spring, however,
indicate a possible revival of the
black movement on campus.
In 1970, faced with a strike of
up to .75 per cent of its stu-
dents, the University adminis-
tration reluctantly agreed to in-
sure that 10 per cent of its stu-
dents would be black by 1974.
The University is now appar-
ently approaching the 10 per
cent goal. Much concern has
arisen bowever, over a possible
lack of supportive services to aid
the additional black student
population.
A crucial factor is the seem-
ingly worsening relations be-
tween black and white students.
As black enrollment has ins-
creased, so have incidents of ra-
cial friction.
Racial tensions have been
particularlynacute in the dor
mitories, notably South Quad-
rangle. Housing 1200 students,
South Quad contains a larger
concentration of black students
than any dorm on campus.
Early this year, a group of
South Quad and Stockwell Hall
residents, along with the Hous-
ing Office of Special Projects,
formulated a proposal for the
establishment of two Afro-
American and African Cultural
Living Units.
The proposed units consisted
of two houses in South Quad
and one corridor in Stockwell,
to be converted to multi-racial
living units centered around
-black culture. The measure was
supported by Director of Uni-
versity Housing John Feldkamp.
The plan ran into opposition
from several groups on cam-
pus who described the proposal
as "segregated housing." The
plan, however, had the bless-
ings of the Michigan Civil
Rights Commission.
Supporters of the black cul-
ture unit proposal emphasized
that the units would be multi-
racial. A survey conducted by
the housing department indi-
cated that 110 whites and 112
blacks had expressed an inter-
est in living in such a housing
arrangement.
Supporters of the plan called
it no more segregated than other
residence hall units at the Uni-
versity, some of which are all-
white.
The only major objection to
the plan came from the Detroit
chapter of the NAACP, which
called the plan separatist. How-
ever, at a Regents' open hearing
on the issue a NAACP repre-
sentative said the group had
misinterpreted the plan, and
that they would probably re-
verse their positions and support
it.
The plan was brought before
the unsuspecting Regents at
their March meeting. They
seemed unprepared for the plan.
One Regent said "I had no
idea" there were racial tensions
on campus.
After much heated debate,
the Regents rejected the plan,
calling it "unacceptable." They
then established a committee to
investigate racial tensions at
the University. At that time.
supporters of the proposal vow-
ed to continue their struggle
for the black culture living
units.
The issue was again raised
at the Regents' April meeting,
when 40 blacks marched into
the room and demanded that
the meeting be halted. A group
of black students has subse-
quently asked the Michigan
Civil Rights Commission to in-
vestigate their charges of rac-
ism at the University.
It is currently unclear what
will come from the investiga-
tion. It is all too clear, however,
that as black enrollment con-
tinues to approach the 10 per-
cent goal, such claims will be-
come more frequent.
The University has been far
from dormant in providing
some supportive services for
blacks. The Coalition for the
Use of Learning Skills (CULS),
for example, provides black
counseling services.
The literary college's depart-
ment of Afro-American studies,
while it has been called inade-
quate, does offer some interest-
ing classes concerning different
aspects of black history and cul-
ture.
The Center for Afro-Ameri-
can and African Studies, among
other duties, provides lectures
and seminars on black culture.
However, many have already
claimed that these services are
inadequate for the present level
of black enrollment, and will
be obsolete when the ten per-
cent goal is reached.
The University had formed a
committee to look into such
services, but the group is now
inactive. Thus, for the present
at least, many blacks here - re-
main isolated from the main-
stream of the campus commun-
ity, and run the risk of missing
out on many of the benefits of
campus life.
The issues discussed on this
page involve large minority
groups who have recently gain-.
ed some solidarity in demand-
ing opportunities equal to those
of the American majority.
Their struggles have been dif-
ficult; their accomplishments
often sparse.
But the real issue involved-
more significant than the mere
elimination of discriminatory
University policiesd-is the cre-
ation of a community based on
understanding and involvement.
We live fragmented into a
multitude of other minorities--
the conservative and the radi-.
cal, the rich and the poor, the
aged and the young, the Ameri-
can and the foreign born, the
ugly and the beautiful .. -
The true value of our four-
year learning experience is
found not entirely in the aca-
demic classroom, but within the
University community where
we can gain an understanding
of people different from our-
selves.
I
wome
voices
By JAN BENEDETTI
Change occurs slowly at a
large institution like the Uni-
versity. This disturbing slow-
ness becomes apparent when
reviewing the University's pro-
gress - and glaring lack of
progress - in eliminating wide-
spread sexism in employment
practices.
The University was charged
two years ago with sex discrimi-
nation in its employment prac-
tices by the .Department 'of
Health, Education and, Welfare
4HEW). HEW then temporar-
ily withheld an estimated $350,-
000 minimum in federal con-
tracts to prompt the University
to act on the issue.
The University subsequently
submitted an affirmative action
plan, including goals and time-
tables for increased hiring of
women, which was never ap-
proved by HEW. A Commission
for Women was also established
to watch the progress of the
plan.
One major controversy began
when President Robben Flem-
ing and four other college pres-
idents were appointed in No-
vember by the American Coun-
cil on Education (ACE) to serve
on an advisory committee to
HEW. The committee was
formed to coordinate affirma-
tive action plans throughout
the nation.
These appointments received
severe criticism from many ob-
servers. The ACE appointees
seemed questionable choices for
a committee designed to over-
see employment bias, since most
of them represented colleges
charged with stalling or block-
ing HEW's guidelines on ending
sexism in employment prac-
tices.
The Commission for Women
"noted with dismay" Fleming's
appointment.
PROBE,na group of Univer-
sity women, filed a complaint
with the federal government
soon after the ACE appoint-
ments, citing "manifest defici-
encies in the affirmative action
program."
'PROBE had filed the original
complaint which led to HEW's
first charge of sexism in Uni-
versity employment.
Fleming denied the validity
of the complaint, terming, the
charges "inaccurate" and un-
fair.
Another major development
was the formulation last sum-
mer of a complaint appeal pro-
cedure for non-academic and
non-union employes in cases of
alleged sex discrimination.
The case of Cheryl Clark -
the first woman in the nation
to demand back pay from a uni-
university on charges of dis-
criinination - represented the
first case heard under the pro-
cedure.
This case was seen by many
women's groups as an import-
ant test of the University's will-
ingness to award back pay to
employes who are the object of
sex discrimination.
The conclusions of a Com-
mission - sponsored survey of
all woman employes conducted
to evaluate the progress of the
University towards the increas-
ed hiring of women emphasized
the lack of any real progress to-
ward achieving that goal.
Three separate file reviews to-
uncover salary inequities due to
sex discrimination have yield-
ed mixed results.
One review, ordered by Vice
President for Academic Affairs
Allan Smith, resulted in sal-
ary adjustments for 52 women
in academic positions. The re-
view was criticized as unfair
since the adjustments were re-
commended by the employes
supervisors - who in many
cases might have been respon-
sible for the inequity in the
first place.
An additional 48 women in
non-academic positions received
salary adjustments due to file
reviews, scheduled to end last
July. conducted by the Comn-
mission andby the Personnel
Office.
The Commission's review,
limited to only non-academic
positions, was also plagued by
a lack of cooperation from the
University to furnish necessary
data, according to Commission
members.
The Personnel Office review
resulted in an extremely low
number of adjustments. Though
424 non-academic women em-
ployes were identified as 10 per
cent or more below the median
salary in their respective job
classifications, supervisors re-
commended that only 13 receive
an adjustment.
The Department of Labor's
Revised Order No. 4, which sets
guidelines for, most federal con-
tractors, introduced the possi-
bility that one single affirma-
tive action director would be
appointed to monitor the pro-
gram for both women and oth-
er minorities.
Although the University as a
public institution was not re-
quired to comply with the or-
der, the administration decided
to follow it. Fleming announc-
ed in April that he would ap-
point 'a single officer, while re-
taining the Commissions for
Women and Minorities in an
advisory capacity.
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i i
Indian
voices
By MARCIA ZOSLAW
Protesting a "gross neglect"
of American Indian needs and
the "demeaning" stereotyped In-
dian image, local Indians last
summer began their campaign
for equal rights at the Univer-
sity.
Paul Johnson, grad, filed suit
last August against the Univer-
sity on behalf of three Indian
tribes. The suit charged the Uni-
versity with an obligation to pro-
vide.the Chippewas, Ottawas and
Potowatomies with financial aid
and increased educational oppor-
tunities to compensate for land
given to them under the Fort
Meigs Treaty of 1817 to establish
the school.
Johnson's suit asks for an in-
crease in Indian admissions and
culture courses at the Univer-
sity. While there are over 22,000
Indians in the state, Johnson
points to the "under-representa-
tion" of only 30 Indian students
at the University.
Last year half of those stu-
dents received specific Indian
scholarships for housing and tui-
tion from the University's gen-
eral fund.
Johnson says he is willing to
follow the suit all the way
through the courts as a matter
of principle.
The suit, however, has been
stalled, first by a dispute over
Johnson's validity as a true In-
dian representative and later by
a motion by University legal ad-
visor Roderick Daane to change
the case from state to federal
jurisdiction.
Following the suit, a civil
rights complaint filed by Ameri-
can Indians Unlimited (AIU) last
May charged the campus Michi-
gamua honorary society wish
racism.
The all-male- society, formed
in 1902 to recognize student lead-
ers, sponsors an annual initia-
tion on the Diag where incoming
members are . doused with red
brick dust. These newly initiated
Michigamuans then engage in
other activities that impersonate
Indian culture.
AIU contends that these ac-
tivities are an i"insulting cari-
cature" of their people. How-
ever. Director of Housing John
Feldkamp, a Michigamua spon-
sor, says the society seeks only
to honor the Indian heritage of
the area.
Indian students were also ac-
tive this past year with an In- '
dian teach-in and an open forum
on Indian affairs-both notable
for articulating local and na-
tional Indian grievances.
On the national level, those
speaking for the American In-
dian movement cited a lack of
Indians on the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, a need for Indians to
resist "homogenizing" American ,
culture, and a need to culturally
upgrade the education of Indian
children.
While University administra-
tors credited the open forum ,
with "commencing dialogue" be-
tween the University and the In-
dians, Johnson commented one ,
month later that, "As far as I
can see they're not going to do
anything until they have to and
only the suit will force them to
do that."
By GLORIA JANE SMIT I
Supplement Co-Editor
The University environment,
with its sprawling staircases
and narrow doorways, was cer-
tainly not designed with the
handicapped student in mind.
Several organizations have
criticized the University for
their reluctance to improve ex-
isting conditions, citing inac-
cessible buildings and lack of
transportation as major prob-
lems.
The Student Activities Bldg.,
the General Library, Rackham
Bldg., and the Economics Bldg.
are specifically noted as ob-
stacles to those who "employ a
different means for mobiliza-
tion."
In an Office of Student Serv-
ices memo last fall, Vice Presi-
dent for Student Services Rob-
ert Knauss said that until fur-
ther improvements are made in
building accessibility and edu-
cational programs, that - he
"would not recommend wide-
spread publicity and encour-
agement be given to handicap-
ped students to attend the Uni-
versity."
Leonard Greenbaum, chair-
man of Mayor Robert Harris'
Committe6 for the Handicapped
has argued that the University
can fund more improvements in
this area "if people are willing
to assign it a high enough pri-
ority."
A massive campaign to sensi-
tize the University to the prob-
lems of handicapped students
was initiated last year by the
Student Government Council
Committee for the Physically
Handicapped.
Highlighting the SGC. project
was a "Sensitivity Day" in early
February when four Regents
and several other University ad-
ministrators spent one day in
wheelchairs. The participants
were asked to perform typical
student activities, such as go-
ing to a class in Angell Hall.
Reactions to the day were
sympathetic. 0 n e professor
spoke of the severe isolation one
experiences in a mobile chair.
And one SGC member reflected
on how different she would
See HANDICAPPED, Page 8
handicapped'
voices
cmw
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