March 09, 1987 (vol. 97, iss. 107) • Page Image 1
…Racism pervades black student life By EUGENE PAK First in a five-part series In dormitory cafeterias the separation is visually striking: Black students sit with black students; white students…
… sit with white students. Laws relegating blacks to separate, often inferior, public facilities and institutions were repealed more than 20 years ago, but a separation along racial lines is still evident…
… today - both nationwide and at the University. Many say the separation occurs not because of racism, but merely because students stick with friends who share common interests. Marvin Woods, president of…
… the Black Student Union, said, "People get together based on their common interests and not so much physical similarity, even though that does play a part in it." The separation of black and white…
… students "is a combination of a little bit of negative feeling against the other group and each group having its own set of interests and cultural values," Woods said. "It's more cultural interest than…
… racial animosity." Nevertheless, it is clear that many black students feel alienated from the rest of the University community, both socially and academically. Both minority and majority students must…
… students. She added, however, that it may be necessary for white students to take the initiative. "It's very hard for you to be black in this world and not know about white (culture), but you can be white in…
… this world and not know about blacks," Royster said. Part of the problem stems from a cultural clash. Many of the black undergraduate students on campus are from Detroit, while many white students are…
… from the surrounding suburbs or northern areas of Michigan where few blacks live. In 1985, 81.1 percent of black undergraduates were from Michigan (compared to 71.1 percent for white students), and a…
… great majority of these students came from the southeastern part of the state. Of the 176 black Michigan freshmen in 1985, 109 came from Wayne County. Thus, even before they arrive on campus, many white…