OPINION
Page 4 Tuesday, September 9, 1986 The Michigan Dily
4
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigon
LETTERS:
Sullivan Principles worthless
Vol. XCViI, No. 4
420 Moynard St.
Ann Arbor. MI 48109
Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board
All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
l
Morris's
award
Sociology Professor Aldon
Morris's winning of the 1986
Pitirim A. Sorokin prize is good
news for the University,
students considering academic
careers, the history of social
movements and the struggle for
black liberation.
The Sorokin award is the
highest award in sociology.
Thus, it is of significance not
just to Morris and the Sociology
Department, but also the
prestige of the entire University.
It is indeed heartening that the
work of people like Aldon Morris
keeps the University in the
forefront of the academic world.
Students especially benefit
from Aldon Morris's moral,
example. His book that won
him the Sorokin Award-The
Origins of the Civil Rights
Movement-is informed by a
principled agenda for social
change.
Aldon Morris was born the son
of a Southern sharecropper. In
his teens, he moved to Chicago
where he experienced
segregation in different forms.
Graduating from high school in
the mid-'60s, Morris did not
receive any encouragement
from guidance counselors to go
on to college.
After a stint in a cigarette
factory Morris worked two
years as a worker in Spiegel's
stock section. For one year, at
the age of seventeen ,he was a
superviser. Still, Morris
concluded that he was being
"exploited" in a two dollar an
hour job and decided to heed his
mother's advice to go to college.
While in junior college he
worked for International
Harvester full-time. He
continued to work for
International Harvester during
the summers as a student at
Bradley.
At Bradley Morris recounts his
good fortune for encountering
Third World faculty and diverse
free-thinkers who advised him
to go on to graduate school.
Morris entered the State
University of New York at
Stonybrook and started his.
professional career in sociology.
Coming from a background that
included his father's having to
answer to the name "boy,"
however, Morris did not have an
agenda unconcerned with
oppression.
To the benefit of the struggle for
black liberation, Morris brought
his sociological talent to bear on
a contemporary issue of present-
day relevance. While the civil
rights struggle was undergoing
setbacks, Morris 'continued to
stand firmly on the side of the
dominated. His great success
proves to students that it is
possible to do academic research
without compromising one's
integrity.
Indeed, Morris's success
draws attention to the strength
of the sociological approach
which creates an appreciation of
history as opposed to the
techniques of statistical
analysis. Morris's book is about
the hitherto unpublished and
unacknwledod trunvaa if
Sorokin award winner Aldon Morris
attention.
The overwhelming detail
impresses one with the fact that
blacks have never passively
accepted discrimination.
Indeed, black Americans have
a continuous history of struggle
against discrimination that
precedes even the '50s.
Morris'sfirst-hand research of
the people and places of the civil
rights movement allows him to
put forward an effective
"indigenous" approach.. Sitting
in front of a television, one
might easily receive the
impression that people such as
Martin Luther King single-
handedly created the civil ribts
movement.
However, Morris holds that "a
movement is made up of
hundreds of leaders and
thousands of ordinary people.'
Indeed, Morris documents that
even King achieved
organizational and then
national prominence through
the efforts of ordinary people.
Unsung heroes are even more
important in the actual work of
a movement.
Existing organizations such as
the black church were central in
the organizational efforts of the
ordinary people. By detailing
church activities, Morris shows
that planning and resources
came from local people in the
South and not from national
leaders or white liberals from
the North or South.
Morris's prize itself does not
lack a history. His book
acknowledges the University's
two previous Sorokin Award-
winners-William Gamson
(1969) and Jeff Paige (1976).
Before the Sorokin Award,
Origins of the Civil Rights
Movement was the co-winner of
the first annual Gustavus
Myers award for studies of
intolerance in the United States.
Morris was also a co-winner of
the North Central Sociological
Association Annual Scholarly
Achievement Award and a
runner-up in the Society for The
Study of Social Problems
competition for the C. Wright
Mills award. Recently, he was
elected president of the
Association of Black
Sociologists.
Despite Establishment
recognition of his sociological
brilliance, Morris remains
concerned with the economic
domination of black people. He
concludes his book by saying
that nrnteat and dirntinn will
To the Daily:
Your Aug. 8 issue contained
an article by one David King,
a grad student and Daily
"opinion staffer," who
claimed that the Rev. Leon
Sullivan is the most effective
foe of apartheid outside South
Africa. One wonders about
the sincerity, knowledge and
intelligence of a person who
would make such a claim for
Rev. Sullivan.
The Sullivan Principles
("Sullying Principles" is
more apt.) were conceived as,
and still are, a shield behind
which U.S. corporations hope
to beat as slow and profitable a
retreat from the apartheid
economy as possible. And the
blackface on their escutcheon
is the blustering Leon
Sullivan, the very model of a
modern major minstrel.
Like the hero of the drama A
Soldier's Story, he's what we
call, a neo-Tom.
Sullivan jaws mightily
against apartheid. But his
collaborationist code and his
windy threats about setting
ever-new deadlines for
corporate withdrawal and
sanctions are an act. My!
Doesn't he show the patience
of Job with the corporations
who have uttered platitudes
against apartheid while the
living standard and political
rights of Blacks declined
throughout the tenure of their
South African operations?
Meanwhile, more Africans
than ever bleed and starve,
and rot in Pretoria's prisons.
No leading South African
union or African National
Congress leader ever
endorsed Sullivan's
"principles." iNorjd he
2devi his prdncip k hiough
negtiatioritW th em, the
victims of and champions
against apartheid.
Instead, the Sullying
Principles were drawn up by
the very corporations that
Rev. Sully pretends to
threaten. Indeed, he was
hired on to the GM board of
directors as an accomplice in
this ploy after U.S. business
strategists drew up a fallback
position in face of the
mounting liberation
movement in South Africa.
Any look at the industries'
corporate strategy documents
from the '70s (I read Ford's
when I worked there at the
time) will show top manage-
ment was concerned with pre-
serving their means of super-
profiteering and not with
ending apartheid.
One might also examine
Sullivan's earlier training
for this role of stalking horse
in the Black Capitalism scam
run in poor Black
neighborhoods by some of
these same corporations and
the Nixon administration.
That hokum lined the rev-
erend's pockets through his
Opportunities Industrial
Centers, which ran a job and
training program whose
exploitive and inferior
regimen bore a striking
resemblance to a bantustan.
Like President Reagan, the
corporations and
Sullivanites feign concern
for the Africans if effective
divestment and sanctions are
applied against Pretoria. But
the real object of their
concern--and that of the
Pentagon, State Department
and CIA--is defending a
system that gives them semi-
enslaved auto workers,
miners and other laborers at
$20 or so a week; partnership
with an anti-human regime
that grants them access to
strategic minerals, and a site
for bases where white
mercenaries, black Contras
and apartheid troops can
terrorize Namibia, Angola,
Mosambique, Zimbabwe and
other states struggling to rid
themselves of the effects of
colonialism.
Every Black American
organization actively
fighting against apartheid
has con demned the figleaf
Sullying Principles--not just
Sullivan's fellow ministers
from the moderate national
council of Black churches or
NAACP, but also the
Coalition of Black Trade
Unionists, the Free South
Africa Movement, the
Women for Racial and
Economic Equality, the
Congressional Black
Caucus and on and on.
Sullivan's Judas-like
principles are also opposed by
Winnie Mandela, Bishop
Tutu, the Council of South
African Trade Union, the'
African National Congress
and other organizations at the
heart of the struggle. Thus,
Sullivan's sell-out has fooled
few persons who declare their
support for total divestment
and universal sanctions.
The Daily's readers should
know that its opinion staffer,
is a rare bird, indeed.
Rev. Sullivan's penchant
for notoriety, profiteering or
whatever else he seeks is
barely an issue any more,
because he has placed himself
beyond relevance, except to
the most naively, or
willfully, persistent
apologists for apartheid. He
is, nonetheless an
embarassment to every Afro-
American who is working to
pull the plug on the.foul and
wheezing body of apartheid.
-John Woodford
August17
4
Check Greeks for yourself
4
To the Daily:
In the next few weeks an
opportunity is available for
men and women to enhance
their college experience.
Sororities and Fraternities
will be holding Mass
Meetings to give those who
are interested in Rush more
information. The sorority
mass meetingtwas'bheldon
Sunday, September 7; the
fraternity mass meeting will
be on Wed. September 10, at 7
p.m. at the Union Ballroom.
People undoubtedly have
many preconceived ideas
about what Greek life is all.
about. We are suggesting
that individuals go through
rush; take a good look at'
EVERY chapter and give each
one equal consideration. The
Greek System on our campus
is a very strong one. All the
chapters have many things to
offer, and together they form
a system that provides unique
opportunities for those
involved. We encourage
everyone to make his/her own
decision and not be
influenced by the stereotypes
one may hear. When an
individual goes through rush,
he/she is not required to join a
chapter. So, there is nothing
to lose by checking the system
out for yourself.
The time commitment
involved in sorority and
fraternity rush is quite
different. Fraternity rush is
consolidated into four days,
while sorority rush lasts two
weeks. Although the time
period is longer for sororities,
time is given in between
parties so there is not a strain
academically.
Fraternities will be having
an additional rush winter
term. This is not the case with
sororities. Fall Formal rush
is the only time of the year
that ALL the sororities will be
rushing. As a fall pledge in a
sorority, you will receive
encouragement and support
from your sisters which
should make your first term
at Michigan easier and more
enjoyable.
We want to stress that you
should not let someone else
To the Daily-.
The Ecology Center of Ann
Arbor announced today that
its Fall Volunteer Drive has
begun. Each year, the Center
makes an extensive effort to
recruit members of the
community who are
interested in making Ann
Arbora safer and more
beautiful place to live. The
Ecology Center, known for its
Recycle Ann Arbor, Home
Energy Works, and
Environmental Education
programs, offers a variety of
volunteer experiences.
"The Ecology Center, as a
non-profit organization, is
greatly strengthened by its
volunteer force. If there are
any communityamembers
considering taking an
interesting and critical
volunteer position, we invite
them to join forces with the
Ecology Center," states Tara
Ward, the Center's Volunteer
Coordinator.
Volunteer positions opening.
.up include working on
records, environmental re -
ferrals, and educational
projects. The Center's exten-
sive environmental library
tell you whether you will or'
won't like the Greek System.
Many of the members in the
System now never thought
they were the "type" to be
Greek, but they went through
rush. They made their own
choice and found they are
very happy with their
decision. We encourage you
to make your own decision.
-- aflanio Amodation
--wberaad Council
is in need of a volunteer
librarian, and the Home
Energy Works staff needs an
assistant to learn and teach
home energy conservation
techniques in clients' homes.
The Ecology Center's new
Environmental Classroom at
the Leslie Science Center
calls for volunteers to lead
environmental education
classes for schoolchildren at
that site. A volunteer is also
needed to help with writing,
layout, editing and mailing
the monthly Ecology Reports
newsletter of the Center, and
someone wishing to work
with Ann Arbor citizens on
recycling promotion would be
most welcome.
Ecology Center volunteers
were recently honored at the
annual Volunteer Picnic.
Many volunteers have been
strong supporters of the
Center for years.
Anyone wishing to join the
Ecology Center as a volunteer
should contact Ward at the
Ecology Center: 417 Detroit
Street, Ann Arbor, 761-3186.
Tara Ward
-49mogy Center
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