The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 14,_1994 - 5

Students to
protest
Klan rally
By KATIE HUTCHINS
O DAILY STAFF REPORTER
Tensions are high in Columbus,
Ohio, and surrounding areas as the Ku
Klux Klan, NAACP and several other
groups prepare for a rally at the Ohio
Statehouse on Martin Luther King Jr.'s
birthday. The turnout of anti-Klan pro-
testers is estimated to reach 5-10,000.
Several University students will be
attending the rally as well. They are part
of the National Women's Rights Orga-
nizing Coalition (NWROC) and have
organized 15-20 students to travel to
the rally in Columbus tomorrow and a
Sunday Klan rally in Springfield, Ill.
There NWROC will join the
NAACP Columbus chapter and other
groups in an organized ad hoc coalition
to protest the Klan rally at the State-
house tomorrow.
Jodi Masley, an LSA sophomore
and member of the local chapter of
NWROC, said her organization's "ob-
jective is to drive the Klan out of Co-
lumbus.... it may be that the crowd
moves to physically remove the Klan
themselves ... andI think that would be
a real victory."
Cornell McCleary, vice president
oftheColumbus Coalition ofConcerned
Black Citizens, said the coalition of
anti-Klan protestershas no intentions to
turn to physical force. "That is absolute
bullshit. There's no considerations of
doing anything violent.
"In situations like this when you
have these broad-based coalitions,
there's always inexperienced individu-
als tempted to do stupid shit, and ...
we're looking at the long-term results if
the situation gets out of hand, so we're
doing everything humanly possible to
* make sure that will not happen."
Masley added that NWROC is
against the Klan because "it's aimed to
drivewomen intothe family as slaves to
men."
Vince Pinette, the grand titan of the
Ohio Knights of the KKK, deniedpreju-
dice against women. "We've got noth-
ing against white womanhood.... Our
organization is a family organization
with a pretty positive message, one
of hope, love and deliverance for white
people."
Rev. John Coats, vice president of
the NAACP Columbus chapter, said
,his group will be organizing agathering
at Columbus City Hall an hour before
the Klan's appearance.
The unified protesters will then
march to the Statehouse lawn to dem-
onstrateagainst theKlan when the mem-
bers appear.
Pinette said the Klan rally is in pro-
test to Martin Luther King Day; he
claimed King was "anti-American and
communist" and the holiday "is the
outrage of the century."
In addition to the crowd, there will
be hundreds of police officers and a
crowd fence, costing the city $10-
15,000.
When asked whether NWROC ap-
proved of the use of physical force
against the Klan, Masley said, "We
don't take a moral position on violence
or non-violence. We understand that in

a given situation that we want to do
what's necessary to advance the build-
ing of a movement."
McCleary added that he did not
expect - or condone - any violence.
"With the police contingency ... they
ain't going to get within two feet of the
fucking Klan. It's just pipe dreams."
NWROC, the NAACP and other
members of the anti-Klan coalition will
also be participating in protests in the
actual neighborhoods of the Klansmen
on Monday.
In response to the coalition's plans,
Pinette said he and other Klan leaders
plan to retaliate by protesting outside
Black leaders' homes sometime in the
future, particularly those of McCleary
and Columbus NAACP President Ruth
Fraling-McNeil.

MLKDay:'U' to
explore diversity,
multiculturalism

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial Lecture
10:30 Hill Auditorium
This memorial lecture will be
led by University of California's
director of the Center for Black
Studies and professor of
religious studies, Charles
Long. Prof. Long has been the
recipient of several scholarly
awards and is the author of
many academic books and
publications.

Keynote Presentation
lecture
4:00 Chrysler Center
Auditorium'
U.S. Representative William
Ford (D-Ypsilanti) will give the
keynote presentation on the
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Event Agenda. Ford chairs the
House Committee on Education
and Labor.

Panel Discussions
Panel 1:
Evaluation of the Civil Rights
Movement
Panel 2:
Equity in Education
Panel 3:
Social Justice
Panel 4:
Model of the Multicultural
University

Dr. Martin Luther King
Unity March
12 p.m. South University
between South Forest and
Washtenaw Avenues
Discussion - Race and
Racism in our fields of
Inquiry and Curriculum
10 a.m. Modern Language
Building 4th Floor Commons
Performance - A
Celebration of the Arts in
honor of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.
Art, Music and Theatre Schools
and Drama Department with vocal
group "Highest Praise"
1:30 p.m. Rackham Auditorium
3rd Floor Galleries

Discussion - University
Faculty Research on the
Economics of Race
9:30 a.m. Lorch Hall, Foster
Library
Lecture - The Positive
Power of Diversity.
Led by Alvin Pouissaint,
associate dean for student
affairs, Harvard Medical School
10 a.m. School of Business
Administration
Panel Discussion -
Insights, Issues and
Dilemmas In Multicultural
Work
Speakers from various University
multicultural, intergroup relation
and counseling organizations
1:30 p.m. Michigan Union,
Pond Rooms A, B & C

Multiculturalism Lecture
Led by U.S. Civil Rights
Commission Chair
Mary Frances Berry
10 a.m. Michigan Union
Ballroom
Lecture - The African
American Lesbian
Experience
1 p.m. Location TBA. Contact
Lesbian and Gay Male Programs
Office.
Panel Discussion -
Multiculturalism and
Diversity Symposium
Led by University faculty and
students
3 p.m. Institute for Social
Research, Founders Room

By ANDRES CORTES
FOR THE DAILY
The University is, in a sense, re-
turning to its roots for Monday's
Martin Luther King Day observance.
A day that was once called "Diversity
Day" is again being billed as a cel-
ebration of people regardless of race,
ethnicity or religious beliefs.
The University has planned a day
of festivities ranging from sympo-
siums on multicultural relations to
film festivals, art exhibitions and a
march across campus.
A pamphlet produced by the Uni-
versity lists several speakers who will
appear here Monday, and features a
complete outline of events beginning
Sunday. The theme is 'American
Culture' or 'America - the
Multicultural'; The challenge of the
21st Century."
Some members of the University
community said they find this manner
of observance offensive because it is
taking attention away from a Black
holiday, and turning the day into a
.celebration for all.
This dilemma has its background
in the days when the administration
refused to close the University in ob-
servance of the national holiday.
The University had been observ-
ing "Diversity Day" as a day for the
University community to educate it-
self on issues not concentrated solely
on African American history or the
Civil Rights Movement, but rather on
the issue of "diversity."
In 1990 the University established
Martin Luther King Day - years
after Congress had established the
day as a national holiday.
Vice President for University Re-
lations Walter Harrison said, "MLK
Day is a day to honor Dr. King and the

ideals he worked for. It is a time for
the University community to reflect
on the problems of race and ethnicity
in America and elsewhere."
Jessica Rodriguez, assistant mi-
nority peer advisor in East Quad, is
taking some friends to a symposium
in Rackham Hall.
"I am celebrating MLK Day as a
person. His message of non-violence
is important to everyone."
College Republicans President
John Damoose agrees that Martin
Luther King is an important person..
"All races should be included. I be-
lieve that all men are created equal
and it's important to be aware that
MLK elevated us to this position. He
is an inspiration to me and others that
want to create a non-racist society."
Regardless of the tensions that
have permeated MLK day in the past,
some students are eager for Monday.
Monique McCarthur, an LSA
sophomore, is glad "everybody can
come out and identify with Blacks
today. It's good that people want to
understand and identify with us as
students."
In remembering King, John
Matlock, director of the Office of
Academic and Multicultural Initia-
tives, said, "It is important that we
rememberKing's legacy andcelebrate
and observe it more than once a year.
The principles he stood for are still
applicable now."
He added, "One person really can
make a difference. We have to think
in terms of that. People of the world
embrace King. He fought for the rights
of African Americans and for the
rights of other people as well."
-Daily Staff Reporter James Cho
contributed to this report

These events are only highlights of the many activities occurring in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
For a complete listing, contact the Office of Multicultural and International Affairs or call 763-INFO.
All events are free and open to the public.

Faculty members take day off to conduct 'lectures'

By DEMETRIOS EFSTRATIOU
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
While many University professors
are looking forward to taking a day
off of class and attending lectures and
events to observe Martin Luther King
Day Monday, some faculty members
are busy preparing for the occasion.
Michael Jones-Coleman, MLK
symposium coordinator and program
associate for the Office of the Vice
Provost for Academic Affairs, is
working to make the event a success.

He said the numerous panel discus-
sions, lectures and performances will
be held throughout the weekend and
continue through the rest of January.
Prof. Frank Ukadike, the Commu-
nication Department's Minority Af-
fairs Committee chair, worked to or-
ganize a lecture featuring Chicago's
Rev. Albert Sampson.
Ukadike said Sampson's lecture,
titled "Mass Media and Issues of Self-
Sufficiency" will focus on and define
issues of self-sufficiency, how the

media portrays these issues, and how
Dr. King's message relates to these
issues.
Ukadike, who plans to attend
Sampson's presentation, noted the im-
portance of becoming involved with
the symposium events.
"I remember Dr. King as a person or
a martyr, if you will, who died for what
he believed in," he said. "He was a
symbol of justice, and he influenced
people and thinkers all over the world."
He also encouraged students to at-

tend this event.
"We're inviting Rev. Sampson to
come from Chicago to speak at the
University, and obviously wedon'twant
him to come to speak to an empty
room," he said.
Other faculty are recognizing Dr.
King through different approaches.
English TA Amy Brooks said Mar-
tin Luther King contributes significantly
to the study of literature. She has in-
cluded Dr. King's "Letter from the Bir-
mingham Jail" andhis"I Have aDream"

speech as reading assignments for her
section of English 125 this semester.
"Thematically, his speeches about
history and race are masterpieces of
rhetoric," she said. "He participates in
the tradition of oratory with a famous
style."
Brooks said she plans to attend some
of the events Monday. "I usually come
to campus on Monday and check out
the lists," she said. "There's always an
amazing amount of lectures and dem-
onstrations going on."



BOYCOTF
Continued from page 1
An issue addressed in the letter by
the BSU was the failure of the Uni-
versity to offer programs sponsored
by Black activists and "cultural he-
roes characteristic of other sympo-
siums."
Jones-Coleman disagreed.
"We have quality speakers and an
exciting program scheduled" includ-
ing a '60s civil rights activist, he said
during an interview before the boy-
cott by BSU was announced.
In past years, political leaders and
activists such as Virginia Governor,
Presidential candidate Douglas
Wilder and Caesar Chavez have spo-
ken on the issue ofsocial activism and
empowerment at the symposium.
This year Charles Long, Director
of the Center for Black Studies and
Professor of Religious Studies at the
University of California-Santa Bar-
bara, will be the keynote speaker.
"Long has published a number of
books and has spoken on the issue of

multiculturalism. I am confident his
contribution will be significant," said
Coleman-Jones.
LSA senior and MLK Planning
Committee co-chair Catrina Smith
said, "I had to do some research on
him. A lot of people didn't know who
he was. I'm still researching him."
University administrators said that
multiculturalism strengthens the day.
Coleman-Jones explained, "The
main purpose was to honor Dr. King.
To revisit his life and the values he
lived and died for. I think we've done
that."
John Matlock, Director of Aca-
demic and Multicultural Initiatives,
said, "This holiday is not just a Black
celebration. It was not intended that
way."
Vice President for University Re-
lations Walter Harrision said, "There
has always been a tension on whether
the day should focus on African
Americans or on a wide variety of
groups.
"I think this is a false division. I
don't see why we can't focus on the
problems of many different groups."

MLK
Continued from page 1
encouraged the University commu-
nity to celebrate and educate itself on
King's ideologies and support of di-
versity.
Even this move, however, came
amidst protest.
Different organizations, including
the Black Student Union (BSU) and
UCAR, felt that MLK day had turned
into a University publicity stunt, and
members claimed that the day was
straying away from its original pur-

pose of commemorating Dr. King's
achievements.
This year, several organizations
have taken steps in making 1994's
MLK day events different, and big-
ger, than they have been historically.
Although groups like the Lesbian,
Gay Male, Bisexual Programs Office
(LGMBPO) were not welcome to
participate in the Black Action Move-
ment of the 1970s, they continue to
struggle in promoting awareness and
unity.
LGMBPO Co-Coordinator Jim
Toy said this year's events will be
much more extensive than those dur-

ing past years.
For the first time in the history of
MLK day, Toy said, LGMBPO's pro-
gram will be moved from outside of
its office lounge to the Michigan
League.
And many members of the Uni-
versity community agree that the
struggle for unity on this campus is
far from over as evidenced by the
boycott of this year's activities by the
BSU. The University continues to go
through many changes and, conse-
quently, dedicates this years' MLK
day symposium to "The Challenge of
the 21st century."

r

BINDERS, KEEPERS.

Correction
Wednesday's Daily contained a letter entitled, "Lack of observance makes MLK holiday unnecessary." This letter was
incorrectly attributed to LSA first-year student Mike Smith.

I.

/

Friday
- Art Exibit Asian-American,
Michigan Union, Art Lounge,
S 68n m.

Q Rethinking World Models: sembly Hall, 10 p.m.
Mesopotamia and Anatolia,
speaker: Gil Stein, sponsored Sunday
hv the Denartment of Anthro- Q Celebration Worship

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Service.

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