The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 8, 1988 - Page 7 ACTIVISM Struggle remains strong in 1980s BY LILLIEN WALLER Often when we discuss political activism, especially among students, we tend to confine our discussion to the events of the 1960s. After all, Activism there was more , than enough going on to be active about then: deseg- regation and voter registration, the Vietnam War, anti-nuclear demon- strations. Yet what our historical tunnel vision prevents us from see- ing is that each of those issues and the ones that preceded them rarely disappear in such a short span of time. More than likely they evolve into other or more complex issues with a whole new set of implica- tions. This is particularly true if we discuss the issues of race and racism in American society. While racism for the most part manifests itself quite differently today than it did in 1968, it is nonetheless a serious and pervasive aspect of the society we live in. Additionally, today there are a whole new set of young political activists prepared to challenge a sys- tem that benefits some and not oth- ers. Many of these activists can be found on America's college campu- ses, challenging the elitist and ex- clusionary nature of our institutions of higher learning and making the inks between their struggles and the struggles of people of color all over the world. IN THE PAST two years, the University has seen a reinvigoration of student activism around the issue of institutionalized racism. Preceded by the Free South Africa Coordinat- ing Committee, which was pivotal in the divestment movement at the University and brought the issues of the oppressive South African regime to the fore, the United Coalition Against Racism has had an active role in the anti-racist movement at the University of Michigan. Originally formed as an ad hoc coalition, after almost one and a half years of existence, UCAR has evolved into far more than a group of angry students. Combining con- frontational protest with educational activities, UCAR has played a major role in many of the changes that have taken place on campus in the last school year. Challenging an op- pressive system is never easy and in the process of developing the "tools" for social change also exists the process of developing a theory of political struggle. Thus education of UCAR's members is also crucial. This was particularly evident at UCAR's national conference last summer at which several national figures and representatives from STAND UI IStudent activists Sdon't give up the fight other active college campuses were in attendance. Yet even beyond the University campus, students are challenging in- equity both at their schools and in our society as a whole. Because of such activism, there has been a strong media portrayal of a "resur- gence of racism." More accurately, however, one could say that there has been a resurgence in the ac- ceptability of racism and that it has become all the more visible because of student activism to combat it. THE ROLE OF national mainstream media in this increased visibility has not necessarily been a beneficial one. Recently, there were several articles in publications such as the New York Times Magazine and The Wall Street Journal that ba- sically concluded the death of the student movement due to apathy. Even those media that have rec- ognized the problem of racism have gone so far as to suggest that insti- tutions change faster than people do, indicating that the fault of racism and its debilitating effect lies with us and not with any sort of institution. This was the case on a recent PBS Despite the apathy that still abounds across the coun- try, there still exists a strong current of active, anti-racist students who are willing to help build an even stronger movement. "Frontline" feature, which also in- vestigated the problems at the Uni- versity. The problem with such negative media portrayals is that they detract from the accomplishments of student movements and belittle the ever-in- creasing power of students on their college campuses. As demonstrated by the Student Nonviolent Coordi- nating Committee of the 1960s with sit-ins that desegregated hundreds of eating establishments; Freedom Summer in which students did mass voter registration and education ac- ross the deep south; and the SNCC- initiated Mississippi Freedom Dem- ocratic Party of 1964, students have an incredible power to affect change. DURING A slightly later pe- riod, students on the campuses of Columbia University and the Uni- versity of Wisconsin at Madison were also demonstrating the more active role students were willing to take in deciding the future of their society around such issues as racism here and in the U.S. aggression in Vietnam. JOHN MUNSUN/DUily ; Thus from the past to the present we can see a trend more toward stu- dent activism than away from it. Certainly there are periods of apathy and even more certainly, all students are not active. But to discard the reality of an increasing student movement based on that recognition is a gross mistake. The University is only a reflection of other active anti- racist students around the country - active particularly in the Free South Africa Movement and the domestic anti-racist struggle. Recently Black students have been particularly vocal in the anti-racist movement. This winter, students at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst held a week-long sit-in un- til their demands were recognized. When the New Africa House at Har- vard University (similar to our Trot- ter House) was threatened to have some of its space turned over to other sectors of the University, Black students held the building. And the Free South Africa Move- ment, though recently not as vocal, has been present for years on cam- puses such as the University of Texas and Columbia. What we are seeing then is a na- tional trend toward student activism, with the University as no exception. Despite the apathy that still abounds across the country, there still exists a strong current of active, anti-racist students who are willing to help build an even stronger movement. -Waller is an LSA graduate and UCAR steering committee member. Group has anti- rape POWOR BY VICTORIA BAECHER People Organized to Wipe Out Rape developed in response to the Griffith Neal rape trial last fall. The verdict - Neal was not convicted - angered many people on campus who had followed the trial. In both this case and another publicized case this past year (the Rosenboom trial), the defense filed counter civil suits against the women who had filed charges. The trial as well as the media raked the women's characters through the coals. Both women and men saw the revictimization of the woman during the trial process and they decided to organize around the issue to bring attention to this specific case as well as to the conditions for women at the University in general. FROM THAT point last fall, POWOR has continued to develop as a group. Cathy Cohen, one of the original members of POWOR, said "a major goal for us is to bring together people, mainly students, concerned with the status of women on this campus. There is a need to pressure the University to examine the treatment of women as students, as workers, and as parents. Because of the high correlation between the exploitation of women and the exploitation of people of color, specifi- cally women of color, POWOR has an organizational agenda that fo- cuses on the needs and concerns and status of women of color within the University." This past year, POWOR sponsored a number of public demonstra- tions in response to the two rape trials on campus. They also were vocal in their disapproval of former University President Robben Fleming's code on discriminatory acts. This year they plan to continue their public actions and education but with a larger agenda to include all NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF EYECARE COSTS THE LEAST. f 4 R r. D.O.C introduces free eye exams. There's nothing more important than a pro- fessional eye exam. Now, D.O.C is offering tree eye exams. 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