Newspaper Page Text
Vol. XXIX, No. 5
CLARK COLLEGE - ATLANTA, GEORGIA
March, 1966
Julian Bond and the Right to Dissent
by William Hammond
There has been much written and said recently about Julian
Bond, controversial public figure and prominent Negro civil rights
worker. The tumultuous events of the past few weeks have seen
the development of an issue as yet unresolved. The right to dissent
has long been a thorn in the legislative side. The problem is when
this right should be curtailed and when does it conflict with our
commitments as American citizens.
Mr. Bond and his supporters have maintained that his agree
ment with SNCC’s statement condemning the United States’ policy
in Viet Nam was within his rights as a private citizen and guar
anteed in the Bill of Rights. Certainly, there are few who would
dispute or deny him this right as a citizen. The value of his state
ment may be questioned, but certainly not his right as an in
dividual. What then is the problem? When Mr. Bond spoke, he
did not clarify whether he was speaking as a private citizen, or
as a representative of his people. Since that time he has been
more precise in his statements. Bond spoke as an individual, but
the consequences of his statement have affected him and, more
importantly, the people of his District, the 136th. Certainly, Mr.
Bond is to be admired for his courage in expressing his opinion,
but his timing leaves much to be desired. Perhaps, through his
outspokenness on this sensitive and emotional issue, Julian Bond
has placed himself in unnecessary jeopardy and thereby, unable
to serve those people who elected him to office with overwhelming
support. In the House, Mr. Bond could have contributed much
to advance the cause of all of his constituents; outside, his aid must
be limited. The results of this incident are most unfortunate for
Mr. Bond and for the 136th District.
Julian Bond may yet retain his seat in the House of Repre
sentatives. A special election has been called by Gov. Carl Sanders
to fill his vacant chair. If he does, and it is certainly to be wished,
it is hoped that he will remember the words of Abraham Lincoln
when he said that the duty of the public is to “do the greatest
good for the greatest number.” It is further hoped that he will
remember that judgment must temper justice and that the value
of what he says will be measured on many scales. Many a scrutin-
ous eye will be waiting to pass judgment on, or detract from
previous accomplishments, and to retard any future efforts that
may be undertaken.
Presently there is a proposal before the House, introduced by
Rep. Jones Lane, leader of the movement which resulted in Mr.
Bond’s being denied his seat in the House, that would prevent the
swearing-in of the young Rep.-elect if he is re-elected. A court
decision on Feb. 11, decreed that Bond had gone beyond the limits
of free speech in his endorsement of the SNCC statement. While
Mr. Bond has said that he would appeal the decision, these two
forces will undoubtedly limit his effectiveness as a legislator if
he is re-elected and seated. The fact that he has placed himself
in such a position is regrettable. We are in sympathy with him,
but it would seem that Mr. Bond will have to wait for the dust
to settle before he will be able to accomplish anything in the
House.
College Students and Vietnam
Bernice Little
The recent “Speak-Out” on Vietnam held in Clark College s
Davage Auditorium served, for me, a two-fold purpose. The
“Speak-Out” brought some issues into focus and cleared up some
points concerning American foreign policy about which I was
perplexed. For this I am grateful. The “Speak-Out” also, during
a heated discussion concerning
“Affirmation Vietnam” (spon
sored primarily by Emory stu
dents), brought a few questions
into mind regarding the role of
college students in respect to
American foreign policy. These
questions were perplexing,
frightening, and enlightening,
but I am still grateful. I was
made to examine a bit more
carefully the trend today of stu
dent ideas and the possible out
come of these ideas.
One of the most shocking
issues pointed out by a member
of the audience was his fear that
young Americans in favor of
American policy in Vietnam are
becoming brutalists, and that
that quality of brutality is be
coming more overt and wide
spread. I’m sure students who
favored American foreign policy
were shaken. Students who were
proud to stand and say “I’m
with America” were, because of
their strong, unshakable loyalty,
being accused of a possible
quality of brutality. Could this
be true? Upon examination of
reasons for upholding American
foreign policy I had to admit
that more than once I had said
to myself “So what about the
(Continued on Page 4)
Clark College
In the Spotlight
by Arcie Bennett
The Twentieth Annual Con
ference of the National Alumni
Council of the United Negro
College Fund convened in the
Statler Hilton Hotel in Cleve
land, Ohio, from February 10-
13, 1966. The two main high
lights of the Conference, ac
cording to student delegates,
were the crowning of Miss Na
tional United Negro College
Fund and the election of new
officers for the National Pre-
Alumni Council. On both oc
casions Clark was in the spot
light.
The Miss National UNCF
Coronation was held in the fab
ulous Grand Ballroom on Friday
night, February 11, 1966.
Twenty-five young ladies, repre
senting twenty-five of the UN
CF Colleges, anxiously partici
pated in the Coronation know
ing that neither their beauty,
charm, or talent would win them
the crown in this pageant. The
criterion for judgment was the
college with the largest amount
of money per capita. The crown
went to Miss Charlene Hamilton
of Houston-Tillotson College in
Austin, Texas. Houston-Tillot
son raised the largest amount of
money, $6,218.50 with $11.20
per capita. Miss Arcie Bennett,
representing Clark, was the first
runner-up to the crown and
trophy, since Clark College had
the next highest amount, $5,-
716.10 with $7.39 per capita.
We felt proud out-distancing all
but one of the thirty-three col
leges. However, our motto is
“Second to None” and in next
year’s contest we must live up
to it.
The major business of the
final assembly of the Pre-Alum
ni Council was the election of
officers. The Nominating Com
mittee prepared a slate of of
ficers on which Mr. Calvin
Sharpe’s name appeared as a
candidate for the presidency.
After official procedures of ac
cepting these names from the
Nominating Committee and
others submitted from the floor,
voting began. Each school had
one vote to cast for each office.
Sharpe won an easy victory over
his opponent from Hampton In
stitute, as he was the best quali
fied man for the position. Mr.
Sharpe very efficiently presided
over the remainder of the meet
ing. It now becomes his respon
sibility to lead the pre-alumni of
the remaining thirty-two col
leges in their fund raising and
educational activities during the
1966 campaign year.
Vietnam Speakout at Clark
On February 10, 1966, Davage Auditorium was the scene of
the Atlanta University Center Speakout on Vietnam.
The Speakout was presented in three sessions: two in the
afternoon and one in the evening. Edmund Gaither, Morehouse
College, served as chairman of
New Program
In Journalism
What may be Atlanta’s first
collegiate journalist-in-residence
program began 2 weeks ago at
Clark College. It brings to the
city a well-known national mag
azine writer who will conduct
the program over a two-semester
period.
The new program is sup
ported by a grant from the Field
Foundation and has been de
scribed by college officials as a
pilot effort directed at encour
aging more students to enter the
field of newspaper journalism.
It will be centered around a
series of lectures and seminars
featuring outstanding editors,
writers and reporters who will
be brought to the campus to
help bridge the gap between
classroom and cityroom.
Journalist-in-residence and
director of the program is
George McMillan of Aiken,
South Carolina, whose articles
and special studies have ap
peared in Life, LOOK, Saturday
Evening Post, and other na
tional magazines.
McMillan is a former Lasker
Fellow in Civil Rights and win
ner of the Benjamin Franklin
Award for the best magazine
article of the year. He has con
tributed extensively to the liter
ature on the Negro movement
for Civil Rights.
His Southern Regional Coun
cil-sponsored study, “Racial
Violence and Law Enforce
ment,” is well-known through
out the nation and two years
ago his article “Birmingham
Bomber” was published in Sat
urday Evening Post. On special
assignments, he was among
NBC-TV newsmen who pre
pared that network’s investiga-
the afternoon sessions. Speaking
in the first session were Dr.
Howard Zinn, Professor of Po
litical Science at Boston Uni
versity, and Dr. Robert Bris
bane, Professor of Political
Science at Morehouse College.
During the second session John
Barber, Executive Assistant to
Martin Luther King, Jr., and
Desmond Wilson, Professor of
Political Science at Emory Uni
versity, presented their views on
the Vietnam situation. This was,
perhaps, the liveliest session. A
representative of the Affirma
tion: Vietnam committee came
to extend an invitation to inter
ested persons to join the rally
on February 12, 1966 and was
subjected to many fiery ques
tions. A representative of the
Southern Coordinating Commit
tee to End the War in Vietnam
appeared and urged a protest
march on the Affirmation: Viet
nam rally.
SGA President Marion Phil
lips was chairman of the eve
ning session, whose speakers
were Tom Huston, National
Chairman of Young Americans
for Freedom, and David Mc-
Reynolds, Field Secretary of the
War Resisters League. The pre
vious speakers opposing the
Vietnam War returned to this
session so that there were three
speakers opposing the Vietnam
War against one speaker sup
porting the Vietnam War.
—M. Banks
tion of the Kennedy assassina
tion.
He was a combat correspond
ent with the Marine Corps dur
ing World War II and earlier
served as Acting Chief of the
News Bureau of the Office of
War Information. In 1949 his
book The Old Breed traced the
history of the 1st Marine Di
vision in World War II and was
named one of the best 100
books of that year.