The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, July 12, 1983 - Page 7
JOHNSON KNOWS HARDSHIP
'U' students lack hindsight
By JACKIE YOUNG a
Sporting Izods and designer jeans, t
some students today often forget there a
was a time when racial and financial f
barriers prohibited many from seeking t
a college education. a
Although the long fight for civil rights d
has changed much of that, School of
Social Work Dean Harold Johnson still g
C
PROILLE~ F
maintains vivid memories of those A
days, and says the academic com-
munity often "loses historical perspec- Ca
tive," taking civil rights strides for s
granted. W
EVEN WITH major racial and finan- m
cial barriers removed, the elitist image c
"scares away a significant number of So
poor, minority students from thinking
about attending the University," he ob- d
serves. b
At 57, Johnson tempers pessimism U
with optimism in formulating a th
prescription for many of today's social te
ills. His perspective is drawn from a
variety of human experiences that ac
make his biography read like an in
American best-selling formula for he
overcoming unfortunate circumstances
and rising to success.
Yet Johnson cautions that his for-
mula has its drawbacks and just isn't
the "formula" solution which
automatically works for everyone.
"I CAN remember as a kid when I
couldn't walk into a restaurant and
have a glass of pop or a hamburger. I
can remember as an adult being turned
away from business establishments
because I happen to be from a minority
group" said Johnson adding that this
has changed over the years.
Many students lack historical per-
spective when assessing their personal
situations, Johnson said, and this is
something he, as an educator, tries to
instill in his students.
Johnson said he often feels frustrated
by the number of students he sees who
fail to identify or take advantage of the
existing opportunities for developing
their potential.
"I KNOW things have gotten a great
deal more complex than when I was a
kid. But as for myself, I always have
wanted to be the best in whatever I do.
When you have that kind of motivation,
I guess it makes a lot of things easier."
"I see an awful lot of people who have
talent that is wasted. If people feel they
are being discriminated against in
some way, then they should exercise
the law in their behalf - there are now
all kinds of legal remedies - including
internal remedies at the University,"
said Johnson.
'U' rejects
(Continued from Page 1)
Vice President Jono Soglin, and pe
Treasurer David Livingston submitted (S
a plan to hike the MSA fee to $6.00 faff Pr
term, with an additional 25 cent in- so
creases in each of the next two years.
Johnson vetoed this request, ts
however, recommending only the $4.50 MS
fee next year and the right to increase or
the fee for just one additional year in- let
stead of two.
Those who are being discriminated
gainst should feel more than comfor-
able to use legal resources that are
vailable, Johnson said. "They should
eel a sense of responsibility - too of-
en people are discriminated against
and they walk away from it - that
oesn't help to improve the situation."
BORN during the Depression and
rowing up without a father in Windsor,
anada, Johnson managed to work his
ay through college by holding down
wo full-time jobs - one at a Detroit
ord plant and the'other at a brewery.
Soon after signing on at Ford, John-
on became president of his United
uto Workers union local.
After graduating first from a
anadian college and then from Wayne
tate University's School of Social
'ork, his talent for organizing and ad-
inistration eventually lead him to his
urrent post operating the university's
cial work school.
JOHNSON, appointed as social work
tan in July of 1981, is one of only two
ack deans of the 17 deans at the
niversity. Rhetaugh Dumas, dean of
te School of Nursing was also appoin-
d in July 1981.
At a relatively young age, he had
quired numerous accomplishments
human rights reform which included
eading a committee that set up law for
the first "fair employment practices
act" in Ontario.
Recently returning from a trip to
China and the Soviet Union where he
studied the health care of the elderly,
Johnson still holds many leadership
positions in organized labor and in the
larger community in addition to par-
ticipating in University politics.
DURING the Carter Administration,
Johnson was offered one of the top
positions in his field, as U.S. Com-
missioner On Aging, but chose to
remain-at the University.
In contrast, a few years ago Johnson
was associate director of a Neigh-
borhood Services Organization and
spent much of his time in Detroit's in-
ner-city ghettos, working through chur-
ches, schools, and fire stations to "go
out with the people" and put his
education to practical use helping the
underpriviledged, disabled, and
depressed.
"I HOPE THE people of the 80's
generation see these problems as
challenges and can do a better job than
we've been able to do," Johnson said.
But with the threat of nuclear war
now looming over our heads, Johnson
said he is disturbed about the "kind of
work some of us elderly folks are
leaving behind for the younger folks."
"I'm also concerned with the
inability of people to get along better
than they do with each other, that ap-
plies for domestic and international
relations," he added.
ALTHOUGH HE is aware of im-
provements made to society over the
last few years, Johnson said, he is
worried that this trend of improving
society will not continue.
"I am unhappy and happy about
students because it seems to me there
has been a kind of shift in the direction
of students over the last few years to a
much more materialistic orientation,
away from a kind of mission of
changing or improving society, said
Johnson. Society is not going to be im-
proved by individuals focusing only on
their own circumstances," he added.
Gazing out the window of his second
story office, Johnson is momentarily
silent while contemplating his expec-
tations of students who will soon take
over the mantle of leadership.
"My one hope for students who come
to the University is that they leave the
University with a greater sense of
responsibility to their fellow man," he
said ina clear, assured voice.
"I think the University has a respon-
sibility to inculcate that type of value -
responsibility to society - because it
should be an important part of an
education."
Profile appears every Tuesday.
Harold Johnson, Dean of the School of Social Work, worked his way through college by balancing a night shift job at the
Ford Motor Company Plant in Detroit and a job at a local brewery.
MSA student fee hike
"SCERI will be approximately a 90 a dramatic fee increase when many
rcent duplication of the SOAP University units are slashing their
tudent Organization, Activities, and budgets.
ograms) offices in the Union," John- MSA leaders, however, say that their
n said. fight is not over. Rowland said that if
THE SOAP office handles the accoun- the Regents do not approve the plan for
of all campus groups registered with SCERI, they will go back next fall with
SA, and can provide help in another proposal.
ganizing events or training group THIS MONTH'S six-and-a-half page
aders. review of SCERI is far short of the 40-
Johnson also said he objected to such page plan MSA had anticipated, she
request
said, and MSA members will spend the
rest of the summer revising and
enlarging their request.
"Student organizations need a sup-
port mechanism," said Richard
Layman, a major force behind SCERI's
planning. But he added that he thought
SOAP did not provide students with the
means to gather information on studen-
ts and student life, a major function of
the proposed center.