WEv 4F
Ninety-eight years of editorial freedom
Vol. XCVIII, No. 75
Ann Arbor, Michigan - Tuesday, January 19, 1988
Copyright 198'8, The Michigan Doily
Boycott,
Unit
march
draws
1,500
By JIM PONIEWOZIK
More than 1,500 people marched
through the streets of Ann Arbor
yesterday and gathered on the Diag as
part of a Unity March in honor of
Martin Luther King's birthday.
The marchers locked arms in
imitation of the civil rights marchers
of King's time and sang "We Shall
Overcome" as they walked down
South University Avenue and State
Street, and through the Diag.
D U R IN G the rally, several
speakers called for students and
administrators to combat racism.
Some assailed the University for not
doing enough to alleviate racism on
campus.
Wayne County Circuit Court
Judge Cynthia Stevens, who was as
student at the University during the
Black Action Movement protests of
1970, said "one thing I never
imagined was that it would be
neccessary (to protest racism on
campus) in 1988."
"The time for passivity is past,"
said LSA junior Lillien Waller,
speaking on behalf of the United
Coalition Against Racism. In front
of a crowd which included Interim
University President' Robben
Fleming, Waller said the University Scottlin Rucker,
See SPEAKERS, Page 3, ticipated in the n
rally
mark
MLI
Day
Blockade
meets
student
resistance
By JIM PONIEWOZIK
About 75 students led by mem-
bers of the United Coalition Against
Racism (UCAR) blocked entrances
to Angell, Mason, and Haven halls
yesterday to enforce a UCAR-spon-
sored boycott of classes in honor of
Martin Luther King's birthday.
The blockade met with some ver-
bal and physical resistance from
many students who walked around or
attempted to push through protesters
who joined arms in front of four en-
trances to the complex.
Most students, however, quietly
bypassed the blockade by entering
through side doors that were left un-
obstructed by the protesters. Classes
held in Angell Hall were not
significantly smaller as a result of
the boycott, professors reported.
ALMOST 1,000 students,
though, had pledged not to attend
classes, said UCAR steering com-
mittee member Pam Nadasen.
UCAR called for the boycott of
classes earlier this month after In-
terim University President Robben
Fleming announced that he would
not ask the University's Board of
Regents to cancel classes for King's
birthday.
Students on their way to class
were confronted by demonstrators
who sang protest songs and played a
tape recording of King's "I Have a
Dream" speech outside the blocked
doors. Some accused students enter-
ing the building of taking a stand in
favor of racism.
"RACISTS use the back door,"
protesters stationed outside the doors
to the Fishbowl chanted at students
entering the building.
"The picket line is symbolic,"
LSA junior and UCAR member Eric
Williams said. "It forces you to
make a decision If you're support-
ing institutional racism here, you're
going to have to either go through
us or go around us. You're going to
be acutely aware of what you're do-
ing.
See STUDENTS, Page 3
Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
School of Art junior (right), protests racism at a rally in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King. Some 1,500 people par-
march and rally, where speakers addressed the problem of racism at the University.
M
visior
civil
also
said
Studi
seven
heldy
K
in a
preset
Agair
#tten
yeste
Workshops foc
V KRISTINE LALONDE The group sponsored lectures and
artin Luther King was a "world discussions which addressed
mist" who fought not only for problems of Asian Americans,
rights in the United States but Puerto Ricans, Palestinians, Black
for human rights worldwide, South Africans, and women in the
Afro-American and African civil rights movement.
es.Prof. Ernie Wilson in one of SPEAKERS called for listeners
al commemorative workshops to mobilize and fight for all human
yesterday. rights. Several of the speakers
ing's world vision was reflected referred to the '60s civil rights
diversity of symposiums movement as a mass political
nted by the United Coalition movement, and not only the product
nst Racism as an alternative to of King's leadership. The basis of
ding University classes during King's work was a unified struggle
rday's boycott. for human rights - as summarized
us on King's message
in his statement, "one struggle,
many fronts."
In a workshop addressing the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a West
Bank university professor and
University alumna gave her personal
account of "human rights violations
in the Israeli-occupied territory."
She said recent uprisings in the
territory are the result of continued
oppression of the Palestinians by the
Israeli government. The professor,
who asked not to be identified, cited
examples of Palestinian civil rights
issues and then stated, "I wonder
how (U.S. citizens) would react
under these situations."
THE PROFESSOR, a native
of the West Bank, said the best
solution to the conflict in the West
Bank would be to establish a
separate Palestinian homeland with a
democratically elected government.
In a speech about struggles in
Southern Africa, Afro-American and
African Studies Prof. Omari Kokole
said peaceful tactics jhave not ended
apartheid. Non-violent protest will
not bring about change in the
region, he said.
Kokole said Pretoria has reacted
violently to peaceful demonstration,
and so Ghandiism, or peaceful
protest, is irrelevant because of the
"nature of the oppressor."
UCAR member and history
graduate student Barbara Ransby
addressed the role of women in the
civil rights movement. She said the
feminist movement and the minority
rights movement are inseparable.
Human rights cannot be achieved if
any group is oppressed, she said.
U.S. of ficial dismisses
Sandinista promises
Faculty hears
approaches to
combat racism
WASHINGTON - A top State
Department official dismissed yester-
day peace concessions by Nicaragua's
leftist government as a ploy to defeat
an upcoming congressional vote on
additional aid to the Contra rebels.
But Nicaragua's vice president,
said any renewal of U.S. aid to the
Contras could "kill the peace pro-
cess" in Central America.
Even though yesterday was a fed-
eral holiday in honor of the birth of
Martin Luther King, high-level
meetings were being held as officials
sought to assess the latest develop-
ments and to determine how much
additional assistance for the Contras
should be sought.
Assistant Secretary of State El-
liott Abrams said Nicaraguan offi-
cials cannot be trusted to implement
the promises they made during the
weekend summit meeting of Central
American leaders in Costa Rica.
"They could have done this any-
time over the last eight years. ..
Two weeks before the vote on Capi-
tol Hill, they make more promises.
What is the purpose of it? It seems
very clear the purpose is to win that
vote," Abrams said on "CBS This
Morning."
Nicaragua has shown a limited
interest in a negotiated settlement as
a result of military pressure applied
by the Contras, Abrams said, sug-
gesting that ending Contra aid would
give the Sandinistas no incentive to
continue the peace process.
The administration will make a
formal request to the Congress for
more aid on Jan. 26. Both the
amount and the time frame for the aid
are still undecided, according to ad-
ministration officials. A House vote
is set for Feb. 3 and the Senate will
follow on Feb.4.
By MICHAEL LUSTIG
Two approaches, one political and
one philosophical, can be taken to
combat institutional racism in
society and at the University, two
professors told the faculty's Senate
Assembly yesterday.
"I don't think a week goes by that
I don't have minority students in my
office in tears over some comment,"
School of Social Work Dean Harold
Johnson told the assembly. He said
students receive comments from
peers and faculty members such as,
"That's really good work - for
you," or "You've exceeded my
expectations."
Dean Johnson urged the more
political approach, and cited gains
made by Blacks in politics as one
measure of progress since the '60s.
Blacks have progressed in politics by
being aggressive but not angry. But,
he said, while there are Black mayors
in major U.S. cities, the only,
presidential candidate to have a Black
we define as what history is, what
biology is, chemistry, sociology,
physics," Prof. Johnson said.
Both agreed that finding solutions
to racism is as difficult as defining
the causes.
Dean Johnson also said that while
the University has a Black vIc4
president and two Black deans, there
are no Blacks in senior positions in
the athletic department. The number
of Black students and faculty is not
good, he added, but he supported the
University's recruitment and
retention efforts.
"The hurling of allegations is
counterproductive," Dean Johnson
said. "If we make the understanding
of racism one of our priorities, we
can succeed."
Until thought patterns are
changed, Prof. Johnson said,
minority students will be subjected
to "intellectual terrorism"' because
literature that helps define first
principles of thought, such as the
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