4 OPINION Page 4 Friday, January 8, 1988 The Michigan Daily Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan 420 Maynard St. -Vol. XCVIl, No. 68 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 M of the Daily. Observe King Teach Reality IN AN EFFORT to diversify an ethnocentric curriculum, the English department is reconsidering what constitutes a "classic." This month English professors will have the opportunity to ratify a proposal requiring majors to take one course in English literature written by either North American minorities, Africans, Asians, and Caribbeans and women. The requirement would demonstrate to the University community that legitimate and important voices are not defined by the mainstream. Recently scholars and students nationwide have been asking what defines a classic and discovering the answer is subjective. Course texts reflect what society traditionally values, however as much important literature exists. outside the mainstream. And the reality is that the world is greater than the mainstream. If educators want to prepare students for the real world they should incorporate diversity into University courses. Seriously trying to reevaluate what makes a classic would mean studying works by and about minorities, women, and cultures outside of America and Europe. Some disciplines lend themselves better to this study. History, Economics, or English would be enhanced by broadening their curriculum to include work by non-traditional authors. The School of Social Work curriculum, for example, requires "minority content" in all courses and one course designated as "minority relevant." T h e University's English department currently has the opportunity to embrace the curriculum challenge with a resounding Yes!' to non- traditional English literature. English professors should not allow the opportunity to open their curriculum to slip past. Current courses favor white male European literature. This semester the English Department offers three courses specifically in non- traditional literature, as well as a few courses advertising- a diverse syllabus, and more than 15 in traditional literature. Educators dictate what is studied. By requiring a non-traditional course, professors help legitimatize the literature. The requirement will help break deeply ingrained biases on what defines literature. But the department's ultimate goal- should not end with one course, but stretch to diversify the curriculum of every class. The false assumption that the requirement would incorporate inferior literatures shows ignorance toward the fine bodies of English literature written within other cultures, or by minorities, or by women. The hope is also not to marginalize the literature, setting it apart as an exemplary minority voice. Departments should also hire scholars who can bring a background in non-traditional literature to the University.- An embarrassingly short list of writers who have made outstanding contributions but are not a part of traditionally studied literature include: 19th and 20th century writers 1985 Pulitzer Prize winner Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian; Novelist Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian; Native American Lesley Marmon Silko, a poet and novelist; Louise Erdrich, a poet and Native American; Novelists Toni Morrison" and Zora Neale Hurston; Latinos Lorna Dee Cervantes and Gary Soto. From the 17th and 18th centuries: Aphra Behn, a novelist, playwright, and poet; Poets Anne Finch and Dorothy Wordsworth; Novelists Mary Shelly and Harriet Beecher Stowe. From the 16th century, Poet Mary Sidney. Some say students will balk at being forced into studying non- traditional literatures, possibly to the point of rejection. But requiring students to study Chinua Achebe or Anne Finch is no different than requirements for Geoffrey Chaucer or John .Milton. Aesthetic quality is a constantly changing value. The requirement will give both students and teachers a chance to reevaluate stereotypes. Those who say students will resist a requirement have not been listening to students. One of the top. demands at last spring's protests was a University course on diversity, racism, sexism, and classism. While the English department requirement is in no way a substitute for administrative action on a University-wide multi- cultural course, it is a step in the direction of opening minds. By Barbara Ransby and Kimberly Smith The struggle against racism at the University of Michigan has not died since April 1987, it has only become less popular and less publicized. The struggle has not been won and the situation for Blacks and other people of color on this campus, in this city, in this country and abroad has not improved abundantly. Yet when the television camera disappeared so did the crowd of militant, angry students. Too often we get discouraged by this and forget that the goal of the movement is not to "count heads" but to involve those "heads" in meaningful action. In addition, it is the responsibility of each individual to make our presence in the struggle felt not merely by our presence as a number, but by our action against our own racism and that of others. On campus we have come to a point where the action of every individual is crucial. On Monday, January 18, 1988, UCAR along with other campus organizations are requesting that all students boycott classes in honor of Martin Luther King's birthday. Our goal is to shut down the University's "business as usual" in order to have a day of anti-racist and anti-oppressive educ- ation. This ambitious goal can only be realized with the help of all the students of color and progressive, anti-racist whites. We have moved beyond the need for protest to the need for resistance. To protest is to say "I won't go"; to resist is to say "I won't go and I won't make it easy for anyone else to go either." We see that protest has only forced the issue to be discussed by those in power, but not resolved. Through resistance of the racist policies of this University, we will push toward resolution of the problems for ourselves and others. Some members of this community are still unpersuaded that racism is a serious enough problem to warrant a day of. reflection and anti-racist education. Regent Thomas Roach demonstrated his Ransby and Smith are representatives of the United Coalition Against Racism. insensitivity to the issue by describing MLK Day as a "special interest-group" concern. Ostensibly this entire university is committed to opposing racism, not simply "special interest groups." LS&A Dean Peter O. Steiner also demonstrated his own racist views by suggesting that Black's lack of adequate role models and improper social values are the cause of our under representation in colleges and universities. This type of ignorance and insensitivity is part of the reason we desperately need a day of anti-racist education on January 18th. The rise of blatant and violent racist assaults across the country are yet another reason. During the academic year 1986- 87, racist incidents were reported on approximately seventy college campuses across the United States. These instances included: a dorm room of five Asian women broken intorand vandalized with the letters KKK painted- on the walls (Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota); the words "Death Nigger" carved on the office door of a counselor (Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana); a Wellesley College (Mass- achusetts) trustee commenting at a campus speech that the Black employees at her firm prefer selling drugs to working; an anti-apartheid shanty doused with gasoline and set on fire while four students slept inside (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland); a gang of white football players assaulting two Black students (Columbia University, New York); and a series of anti-Jewish cartoons run in the Syracuse University (New York) newspaper. On November 28, 1987 in Poughkeepsie, New York, a fifteen-year- old Black woman, Tawana Brawley, was found in fetal position inside a plastic bag behind an apartment building. She had been raped, beaten, her body covered with feces and her hair chopped off. On her torso was scrawled the words "nigger" and "KKK." The victim's own account alleges that one of her assailants was a police officer and all were white males. There is ample evidence of an attempted cover-up of this case. It did not even make the 'sday pages of the New York Times until two weeks after it occurred. Closer to home, a bi-racial couple in Farmington Hills, Michigan, had their home vandalized last month with swastikas and "nigger go home." And despite some progress in the area of education, white college graduates still outnumber Blacks almost two to one. It is this reality of racial violence and inequality that means we all must remain vigilant and active. It should also be stated that* by observing Martin Luther King's holiday we are not merely honoring a man or a martyr. We are paying tribute to a movement and to all of its participants, heros and heroines, whose efforts have been less publicized and immortalized, but without whom those victories would not have been won. In addition we are paying tribute to a people's realization of the need to include a struggle against racist oppression in their everyday lives. Moreover we must come to this realiz- ation ourselves in order for the "dream" of the man we honor to come true. At the November Regent's meeting, a UCAR member proclaimed "If you [the Regents] will not cancel classes, we [the students] will." Thus since the University has failed to take the moral leadership on this issue, UCAR is asking that students boycott classes on January 18, 1988 and attend alternative educational programs organized by the BSU, the Commemor- ation of a Dream Committee, UCAR, and other student organizations. Planning sessions for MLK events will be at regular UCAR meetings at 6 p.m. on Thursdays in the Michigan Union. Petitions asking for support of the three priority demands, along with a pledge sheets requesting that students pledge to boycott class are being circulated. In lieu of classes there will be all day anti'racist educational events in the Anderson Room of the Union 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on January 18th except for 11:30 to 1:00 when everyone should participate in the Unity March from South University Street to the Diag. Leash By Mocha that the police have to be absolutely free to arrest and/or beat the shit out of whoever they want (except for rich white people), whenever they want, otherwise they just couldn't possibly do their job. GRR-RR!!! That pisses me off. And what about the University's so called Department of Public Safety? First laws.0 one dead animal. Not to mention all the species-ist remarks about my ancestry (pit bull this, bull terrier that, etc.) that would come out in the news coverage of the event. (Of .course I'd never do such a thing, because I believe in non-violence as a philosophy). I'll tell you who else ought to be on a leash - that fascist Contra-mouthpiece pizza mogul Tom Monaghan. When he and his real estate developer buddies get through with all their corporate building projects, buying up land around here, taking over this community - there ain't gonna be a square foot of green grass for me to piss on! (rd pee on his raunchy pizza, but he'd probably just call it an extra ingredient and charge people for it). Not to mention his one man robber baron style foreign policy in Central America. Him and those college Republicans - they all need to kept on a short leash. Sometimes they get me so mad I'd like to sink my sharp little canine teeth into one of their fat pink butts. GRR-RR!!! (But of course I'd never do that since I'm a pacifist). Well I could go on about all the humans that ought to be on leashes rather than us dogs, but I think you get the idea. To my canine sisters and brothers, I call for resistance. Dogs of all species, unite!! You have nothing to lose but your chains - and collars. I'm sick and ured of the outrageous legal paranoia and double standards applied to Ann Arbor's loyal canine community, which is of course disenfranchised and without a voice in important policy ppress matters that affect us. I'm referring, first and foremost, to Ann Arbor's unjust and oppressive leash law, which punishes our entire community for the actions of a few. This city ordinance requires all dogs to be on a leash at all times, and imposes a $25 fine for a violation. The fine goes up for repeated violations - one of my human friends was fined $115 once for simply walking down the street with a well-behaved dog right next to him. What could be the rationale for this kind of restriction on our freedom of movement? It can't have anything to do with defecating on people's lawns. After all, I can pinch a loaf right on somebody's doorstep at the end of a rope, just as easy as I can when I'm free. So the real reason has to be that we are considered dangerous animals. To this I say: bull-shit!!! The over- whelming majority of dogs are non- violent, and go through their whole lives without ever biting anyone. To put us all on leashes is like revoking all humans' driver's licenses because some people drive drunk (and are responsible for about a thousand times as many fatalities as dogs each year). There are a lot of humans around that are quite a bit more violent than we- canines, but I don't see any leash laws for them. Take the police (please). Clubbing students at the art fair, harassing protesters, using excessive force in arrests, etc. But what happens when the people propose to put these fine public servants on a leash - i.e., a citizen review board? Mayor Jerk-again and his Republicans get all bent out of shape and start whining FREE 5o~iET J EW"/ 1 chance he gets, just because he doesn't like somebody, Assistant Director Robert Patrick goes for a field goal right into one of the protester's nuts. Can you imagine. the public reaction if I were to just haul off and bite Patrick in the doo-dah? I'd be Mocha, a former Opinion staffer, is on sabbatical in Champaign, Ill. researching comparative leash policy at the national level. LETTERS Classes should be canceled Jan. 18 -4 / /, . - r% To the Daily: NO CLASSES JANUARY 18. WHY? January 18, 1988 is the National Holiday for, Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a day honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and other cancel all classes on Monday, January 18. If the University is truly committed to combatting racism, it will honor the day which celebrates the Civil .Rights Movement and the demand for social justice. On portive action focusing on the anti-racist movement. We urge all University faculty, staff, workers, and students to attend these events, dedicating the day to supporting the fight against racism. be available in the Fish Bowl in the week preceding January 18. -Vicki Baecher, Tracye Matthews, David Maurrasse, Brett , A