Ninety-nine years of editorial freedom
Vol. IC, No.76 Ann Arbor, Michigan -- Tuesday, January 17, 1989 Copyright 1989. The Michigan Daily
Campus
celebrates
King
ROBIN LOZNAK/DaIly
About 2,000 people gather yesterday for a noontime rally on the Diag to remember Martin Luther King, Jr.
-March
BY KRISTIN HOFFMAN
AND VERA SONGWE
Although this year's traditional Unity
march drew about 2,000 students, faculty and
members of the community, the overall mood
of the procession seemed more subdued than
last year's, when student boycotted classes to
honor Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.
This year's march, which was sponsored
by the Conimemoration of a Dream
Committee, took place for the first time on a
day of cancelled classes. And, unlike last year,
two University administrators addressed the
crowd in addition to the student activists.
celebrates King's
But -the student speakers raised many
points of contention to the University's claim
of progress in campus racial relations - es-
pecially the University's labelling of Martin
Luther King Day as "Diversity Day."
Some students had objections to Univer-
sity President James Duderstadt speaking at
the rally and hissed when Duderstadt and
Provost of Minority Affairs Charles Moody
were introduced.
"The march is really the coming together
for the beginning of a long journey," Duder-
stadt said. He said that next year he wanted to
see "ten times" as many people at the rally.
But to see that, noted student speaker Errol
Anthony Henderson, Duderstadt will have to
admit "that many more Black students" to the
University.
Said another student at the rally: "It was
appropriate to have the president of the Uni-
versity here. You want to know what his
views are."
After the two administrators made their
remarks about the importance of honoring
King, student leaders made scathing attacks of
the University's policies.
"It's ironic that President Duderstadt is
speaking to us today, if you recall, last year,
dream
in his speech he categorically refused to honor
MLK Day," said UCAR representative Kim
Smith.
"It would be OK if [Duderstadt] stayed at
the back of the line. The whole reason he's
here is to get publicity for his policies," said
Andrew Hagelshaw, another UCAR member.
BSU President Christopher Jones did not
want to "discuss or debate the Michigan
Mandate" but expressed a certain sarcasm and
questioning where Duderstadt will lead the
University in the 21st century.
Student
activities
vary on
day off
BY STACEY GRAY,
MARTIN OTT,
AND NOELLE SHADWICK
LSA first-year-students Sara
Demeritt and Masue Li went to the
mall. Junior Engineering student
Bonita Williams marched. And LSA
Sophomore Troy Fabregas studied in
the UGLi.
Although many deemed the Uni-
versity's first "Diversity Day" a
success, not everyone used the day to
attend the programs offered by the
University to honor Martin Luther
King, Jr.'s birthday.
Some people took advantage of
the University-sponsored events;
some people had to work; and some
people spent the day catching up on
schoolwork.
"I'm going to get some work
done today," said a junior engineer-
ing student. "I'm not really sure
what's going on campus for Diver-
sity Day..,. I'll check it out later."
"Most of the people I know are
doing their own thing today. Just
studying or maybe went back home
for the weekend," said Hsiao Peng, a
dental student.
Events were scheduled around
campus from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Crowds at morning events in the
Michigan League overflowed into
the halls outside of the Vanderberg
hallway, and some audience mem-
bers sat on the floor of the Michigan
League Ballroom to watch what was
going on.
However, said one participant,
"The people who need it the most
are those who are still sleeping."
The turnout by students at morn-
ing events was smaller than at after-
noon events, said Tom Morson, the
coordinator of the Post-Unity March
Reception. Morning events were at-
tended mostly by faculty, but at least
80 percent of the people at events
after the march were students, he
said.
Approximately 2,000 people
marched in The Annual Unity
March, which began at the corner of
South University and Washtenaw at
noon and finished in the Diag about
an hour later.
"It was wonderful," said Bonita
Williams, a junior in the School of
Engineering.
"I've never seen anything like
this or been involved [before]," said
a first-year Music School student.
Speakers at the rally spoke about
Dr. King and last year's student
struggle to get classes cancelled for
the holiday. Bystanders also said
"diversity" was not the day's only
issue.
"I'm glad it's happening. For too
long people have been very compla-
cent... I brought my sons because I
wanted them to begin with this.
Hopefully as they grow, they'll be
involved," said Eylastine Green-
Roberts, a graduate student in the
School of Social Work.
The Post-Unity March Reception
Young
speech
closes activities
BY KRISTINE LALONDE
Mayor Andrew Young, who
worked closely with Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. during the civil
rights movement, shared many per-
sonal anecdotes about King's per-
sonality in the closing address of
Martin Luther King Day last night.
"He [King] wasn't even trying to
be a leader, in fact, he was trying
very hard not to be a leader," Young
said. "He was not an aggressive,
take-charge kind of person."
He added that King was not a
revolutionary, but merely someone
trying to show "that in every person
is something divine."
Young told of the strengths of
King's movement. He said the
struggle for racial equality is helped
by not pinpointing the blame on
anyone for the situation of Blacks.
"We're not worrying about who
is right and wrong," he said. "What
we're saying is together we have to
establish a new relationship."
Young, whose speech was inter-
rupted often by applause in the
overflowing Hill Auditorium, said
he was impressed by the day's
activities.
"While one day of the year will
never solve our problems, it does
serve as a reminder," he said.
Physics department chair Homer
Neal, the co-chair for the Dr. Martin
Luther King Symposium Commit-
tee, said Young was chosen for his
awareness of the continuing civil
rights struggle and his personal in- Mayor Andrew
"Diversity Day"
See Young, Page 6 how Dr. Martin
JESSICA GREENE/1Daily
Young addresses a full Hill Auditorium during the closing speech of
activities. Young shared personal insight on the civil rights movement and
Luther King's ideals could be applied to today's world.
See Day off, Page 2
* Reagan's remarks
offend rights leaders
Laureate Brooks
pays poetic
homage to King
BY LISA MAGNINO
AND MARIE WESAW
Despite more than 500 people crowding the Michi-
gan Union Ballroom yesterday afternoon to hear her
speech, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn
Brooks still believes there is little interest in Black
literature.
DETROIT (AP) - President Ronald Rea-
gan's remarks Sunday on CBS television's
"60 Minutes" in which he said some civil
rights leaders may perpetuate racial strife,
sparked criticism from several speakers, in-
cluding California State Assembly Speaker
- Willie Brown Jr., Jessie Jackson's 1988 pres-
Reagan's civil rights record.
The remarks came on the birthday of Mar-
tin Luther King: State and national holidays
were observed yesterday.
Many remembrances to the slain civil
rights leader took place across Michigan.
s t *-
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