Page 8-The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 2, 1990
Veteran BAM
members
reflect on struggles
by Frank Krajenke
To commemorate the Black Ac-
tion Movement's 20th anniversary,
negotiators from each BAM cam-
paign reflected on their involvement
with the organization and the impli-
cations of BAM as a progressive
movement for the future in the
Unions Pendelton room last Friday.
The speakers included Darryl
Gorman, Darnell Jackson, David
J,.ewis, Roderick Linzie and Cynthia
Stephens.
Solution
to BAM
demands
Offered
'y Geri Alumit 1
Daily Staff Writer
A panel discussion addressing the
strategies on how to fulfill the
,agreements made between partici-
pants in the Black Action Move-
ments (BAM) and the University
administration drew about 30 people
to the Michigan League Saturday.
The 1970 demands addressed were
increasing the minority en-
rollment to 10 percent,
N intensifying recruiting of qual-
ified Blacks
increasing supportive services
for minority students
"The University is as racist in
1990 as it was in 1970," said Bar-
bara Ransby, graduate student and
founding member of the United
Coalition Against Racism (UCAR),
a multi- racial student organization
which played a leading role in the
1987 BAM.
"The University uses a strategy
of tokenism; letting in a few more at
a time. They need to open the doors
wider, not just to the middle class
but the the poor..." Ransby said.
Michael Dawson, Professor of
the Center of Afro-American and
African Studies and Political Science
indicated that the Center was created
due to the BAM agreement of in-
creasing supportive services for mi-
nority students. Dawson said he
would like to see the autonomy of
the Center strengthened and pointed,
out some ways to do so, such as the
University psycology professor
Frank Yates, the events moderator,
said that the BAM panel was
"chosen because they were in critical
places and can give us an oral his-
tory and a perspective analysis (of
BAM's confluent nature)."
Darryl Gorman, the first speaker,
involvement with BAM I came from
an awareness that "a lot of achieve-
ment and potential that had not been
recognized in this country," he said.
Darnel Jackson, a member of
BAM II, said he came to the Univer- the ( University) environment was
sity as part of BAM I's efforts to in- not conducive for Black students," he
It is important to acknowledge those who
come behind us, just as it is important to ac-
knowledge those who come before us,
- Roderick Linzie
University graduate student
I, said that "the involvement I had in
BAM came from my activities with
the Black Law Students Union."
Lewis' coupling with BAM came
from the realization that "the envi-
ronment wasn't receptive to Blacks
- no Black professors and few
Black faculty," he said.
University graduate student Rod-
erick Linzie, represented BAM III,
and stated "It is important to ac-
knowledge those who come behind
us just as it is important to ac-
knowledge those who come before
us." Linzie added that " instead of 3
different movements they should be@
viewed as one continuous move-
ment."
Stephens participated in BAM I
"in order to get a more conducive
environment for Black students - to
further recruitment, allocate money
and incorporate faculty and staff,"
she said
crease minority enrollment. Jackson sa
joined BAM II because "I thought
David Lewis, a member of BAM
IEfEEEPanel addresses differences in activism
by Mark Katz
Daily Minority Issues Reporter
The Black Action Movement has
been making the same demands for
the past 20 years, and the Univer-
sity's response has been the same,
United Coalition Against Racism
member Kim Smith said at a panel
discussion Friday for the BAM 20th
anniversary conference.
"The University seeks to quiet us
and pacify us... but we know they're
basically just trying to put us on,"
Smith said during the discussion en-
titled, "Economics, Politics, Social
Justice and Student Movements of
the 1980s." Dr. Oluwa Davis, su-
pervisor of psychology at the Detroit
Mental Health Agency, and Roger
Short, auditor general of Detroit,
also spoke.
Panelists discussed the need for
and benefits of student activism.
Blacks benefit from an intra-group
experience when participating in so-
cial action movements, Davis said.
"(The student struggle on campus)
has to establish an agenda that is free
of what the University and dominant
society does or does not do," he said.
Smith cited similarities and dif-
ferences between the 1970 BAM and
the present-day student movement.
When BAM I took over the adminis-
tration building for two weeks, there
was a "tremendous amount of media
coverage... and the administration
went crazy," she said.
Now, however, with a new ad-
ministration building and new
strategies gained from the experi-
ences of dealing with past student
protests, "the University has gotten
very smart." In 1990 when students
take over a building, (the administra-
tion) can continue with business of
usual and let the protesters have the
building until they tire out.
Short, who was involved in the
1970 BAM, characterized the student
struggle as an internal one. "There is
no beginning or end to the struggle,"
he said. "You are constantly dealing
with the fact that you are Black in a
white society."
The panelists stressed the need fo4
students to establish a working rela-
tionship with the Black community.
Smith said that since the University
is not doing a sufficient job of re-
cruiting Blacks, UCAR members
travel to high schools in Detroit to
talk to high school students about
coming to Michigan.
Singham
implementation of more undergrad-
uate and graduate programs.
"I don't consider myself an im-
portant player (in the BAM strug-
gle), but I do consider myself a
player," said Walter Harrison, execu-
tive director of University relations.
"The Michigan Mandate is not a per-
fect document, but it does address
four areas," he said.
increasing and improving mi-
nority faculty ,
creating an atmosphere entic-
ing minority members to remain
enhancing the numbers of
graduating Black students
providing a better climate
conducive to colors, races, and
religions
Dr. A.W. Singham, City Univer-
sity of New York Professor, who re-
ceived his Ph.D. in political science
from the University and was an as-
sociate professor at the University in
1969, reminisced about his experi-
ences during the time he actively en-
gaged in the BAM strike. Singham
offered ideas to fulfill the BAM
Agreements:
collaborate with Black urban
colleges to offer educational incen-
tives to students
Former mayor encourages non-violent protest@
by Bruce Shapiro
Daily Staff Writer
Reflecting on the first Black Ac-
tion Movement (BAM) twenty years
ago and comparing it to student
movements today, former Mayor of
Ann Arbor Albert Wheeler said
BAM must continue to use nonvio-
lent strategies in the future.
"Violence only gives people the
excuse to do what they want," said
Wheeler, who pointed out that the
use of non-violent strategies helped
make the civil protest of the 1970
BAM successful because the actions
didn't provoke any hostilities.
Wheeler, who also said people
need to work harder for their goals,
was a member of a BAM panel dis-
cussion which took place Friday in
the Union's Pendleton Room.
Carolyn Kilpatrick, State Repre-
sentative, 8th District, described the
need for BAM, saying it help Blacks
on campus. Kilpatrick said education
is the key for many of the young.
"We must educate young people,"
Kilpatrick said, noting that money
for education is most needed to keep
young people in the schools and out
of prisons.
"Higher education for many is
out of reach," Kilpatrick said, adding
that people must speak out for more.
In addition, Kilpatrick said drugs
are a major reason why the prisons
are so over crowded.
BAM
Continued from Page 1
suggestions which the OMA will
compile and distribute to those who
attended the conference.
"Recommendations have been
made, and now it's a matter of our
implementation," said Dr. JoAnne
Hall, librarian of the Center for
Afro-American Studies and a mem-
ber of the conference planning com-
mittee.
Although many activists from
past decades attended, Matlock said
FACULTY
Continued from Page 1
Both Proposals A and C require
at least some of the course to focus
on American issues but Proposal B
allows for the course to focus on
examples of discrimination in the
U.S. or abroad.
Prof. Alan Wald said while he
supports a course on racism, he is
against these new proposals because
they allow for watered-down
treatment of the issue. "The
proposals are form without content,
a superficial response to a
complicated issue," he said.
Wald also objected to allowing
the curriculum committee, rather
than a board of experts who have
special knowledge of the issue, over-
see the development and
implementation of the course.
He instead suggested that the
oversight board could be similar to
the English Composition Board. "If
not enough faculty are currently
available (with the requisite level of
expertise), more should be hired."
Wald said creating such a board could
promote the recruitment of minority
faculty.
In addition,Wald advocated the
inclusion of students to the
oversight board, because they
initiated the drive for a mandatory
racism course.
United Coalition Against Racism
(UCAR) member, David Maurasse
said that a mandatory class on racism
the turnout among present students
"could have been better."
However, Davis stressed th4O
symbolic fact that for the first time,
activists had the chance to offer their
input within a University-initiated
forum rather than a student-run
protest.
would help promote general student
awareness of the issues. "I think that
there is a point where these kinds of
educational needs should be*
institutionalized," Maurasse said.
Another UCAR member, Kim
Smith, also agreed that the course
was a positive step.
, $
PASS
IT
AROUND!
The UM Club of New York and
the Student Alumni Council
presents:
A1
REGISTRAR'S BULLETIN BOARD
IT'S TIME!
EARLY REGISTRATION FOR SPRING, SUMMER,
SPRING-SUMMER, AND FALL TERMS IS HERE!
REGISTRATION SCHEDULE
0
April 5-6
9:00-11:45 a.m.
12:30-4:15 p.m.
April 9-23
(EXCEPT WEEKENDS)
Registration for Nursing students and
Graduate/Professional students (except Business
Administration)
Registration by appointment begins April 9 and ends April
23 (except weekends). Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. The exact
appointment time and registration location will be printed
on the Student Verification Form. Students will be asked to
register according to the following priority group sequence.
Seniors 85 credits or more
Juniors 55-84 credits
Rob - Zzz
Aaa - Dor
Dos - Kom
Kon - Roa
r
0.
A ta Big
ste
of the
LOCATIONS
North Campus:
Central Campus:
9
153 Chrysler Center for all students enrolled
in Architecture and Urban Planning, Art,
Engineering, Music (including Rackham students enrolled in
these units).
Al
a4
Apple
Room 17 Angell Hall for everyone else.
I
n-
REMEMBER, YOU MUST HAVE THESE MATERIALS IN ORDER TO REGISTER:
Student Verification Form - this form will indicate the time and place to register
Student ID card
Election Work Sheet
Override Forms - if course/section has an entry restriction
1 - -vm_ Ir--% m Ci 1 v-l-Tl/ ArriI
1 u 11