Newspaper Page Text
November 12.1968
THE PANTHER
Page 3
Johnnie Bruce.
While many Clarkites consider themselves to be actively
involved in the happenings, of our times, presides in a public
work camp in Griffin, Georgia, a fellow student. A fellow stu
dent who decided to correct the wrongs brought upon his bro
thers and sisters. A fellow student who no longer accepted
the role of passiveness under the white system. A fellow stu
dent who wanted desperately to instill dignity and pride in his
brothers and sisters. This fellow student is Johnny Bruce,
Chairman of P.R.I.D.E. - Persons Ready In Defense of Ebony.
Black
Student
Movement
The Atlanta University Center is hovering on the verge of
a major confrontation—a confrontation containing all the com
bustible components of faculty and student unrest which pre
cipitated the bloody battles at Columbia University last spring.
The major source of the crisis seems to be the Center’s
authoritarian administrators who are failing to relate suffici
ently to student and faculty goals. The administrators of the
A.U. Center (which includes four undergraduate colleges, one
graduate school and a theological seminary) apparently see
themselves as paternalistic guardians of their students. Conse
quently the students are subjected to a host of rules, regula
tions, threats and abuses that their administrative overseers
have arbitrarily imposed.
The following excerpt from the Morehouse catalogue gives
an accurate indication of the administrative point of view:
“The College requires. . .an observance of recognized stand
ards of morality, good order, and gentlemanly behavior. . .
Regulations exist for the good of the student to secure to him
in the highest degree the end for which he comes to college.
The aim is to produce self-control and to secure the cheerful
acquiescence of the student in rules that are made for the
good of all.”
Some of the things the college demands* under cover of this
and other provisions are ridiculous. But the students are re
quired to be gentlemanly, to exercise self-control, and to
keep their mouths shut or face consequences ranging from out
right dismassal to grade and credit reductions.
The Spelman catalogue is much more explicit about its lock-
step authoritarianism. In a section called “Character Refer
ence and Academic Potentiality,” the following threat is made:
“The College reserves the right to require, at any time,
the withdrawal of students who do not. . .give evidence of entire
sympathy with the ideals of the institution. THOSE WHO ARE
UNPREPARED TO ACCEPT THIS CONDITIONING SHOULD NOT
APPLY FOR ADMISSION.”
Sheer
Blackness
BY MARILYN WALTON
Blackness, sheer blackness,
an unbreachable void.
My heart, my soul, my mind-
destroyed.
Eternity, Infinity, purpose
without aim.
Loneliness, panic fear with
out name.
Confusion, rejection. Cons
cious despair.
I reach out for help-there’s
nobody there.
Chaos, pandemonium, perpe
tual terror.
My life, my death, my birth -
all error.
Desperation, desertion, lost
and alone.
A door - I knock - nobody
home.
Faster, faster, I rush through
a maze
of endless, lost dreams, in
a mind-bending haze.
A prisoner imprisoned in a
small private cell,
Enclosed in my mind-my own
private hell.
Louder, louder, like a lost
child I cry.
In recapitulation, this past summer, Johnny organized a
black dignity organization in his hometown of Griffin, Georgia.
Serving basically the same purpose as the P.R.LD.E. Organi
zation on the Clark College campus, it was composed of a ma
jority of the black youths in the town. One of the main duties
of the organization was to publish a newsletter at random
which was critical of mal-functions in the white system.
Supposedly, one of these newsletters was said, to be liberal.
As a result, Johnny was arrested and placed under a $2,000
bond which was immediately paid by the NAACP in Griffin.
Upon his release, Johnny began collecting evidence to prove
what had been written was true.
His evidence was so revealing that the plaintiff dropped
the charges. Thus, on the day of the trial the case was dis
missed. Later, the fact that the plaintiff went to the solicitor
to drop the charges was revealed.
The solicitor in Griffin however, pressed charges of
“criminal libel” against Johnny and ordered him back to court.
In this trial, Johnny was without counsel and, thus, defend
ed himself. The first time, a “hung jury” was the result.
After being ordered back out by the judge, the jury returned
a second time with a verdict of guilty.
The key phrases in these two excerpts are “cheerful ac
quiescence” and “entire sympathy.” The implication is clear.
The students are being put into the same position as the slaves
who were told by their masters, “Not only must you kiss my
ass, you must smile when doing it.”
I listen intently-then hear
no reply.
Blackness, sheer blackness,
an unbearable void.
One of the most ironic aspects of the situation is that More
house and Spelman are generally conceded to be the two most
liberal colleges in the Center. But Clark, Morris Brown, Atlanta
University and the Seminary have similar statements in their
catalogues.
The students are on the verge of a major revolt.
They have formed a centerwide coalition called the “Ad
Hoc Committee for a Black University” and have drawn up
a list of demands scheduled to be submitted to the college
presidents this week. They have also been circulating a flyer
containing the following charges and demands:
“The so-called predominantly Negro Colleges, with the At
lanta University System high on the list, continues to function
as one of the main tools used by our oppressors to perpetuate
the cruel colonization of Africans and America. In essence,
our sincere desire for growth, truth, and relevant education
has been used against us.”
My heart, my soul, my mind-
destroyed.
The Negro Must Learn To
Sell As Well As Buy, Else
We Remain “A Begger Race?”
*
BE A
*
*
*
*
*
*
PANTHER
*
*
*
*
*
BOOSTER!
*
*
■V.
HANGIN
As a result, Johnny was sentenced to 12-months imprison
ment.
Now, I can editorialize, criticize, jump up and down and
curse about the white system in Griffin, or, for that matter,
anywhere else. But, the fact still remains that Johnny is in
jail because of his efforts to help his community.
At present, Clark College has paid the lawyer $100 who,
in turn, has gotten an appeal.
Yet, Johnny is still in jail, under $5,000 bond, until his appeal
for his next trial in December.
* In Like Mays *
The'Etudent Government As
sociation is headed by Mr.
James Mays of Gary, Indiana.
Long associated with student
government and campus affairs,
Mr. Mays worked in New York
City this summer. He was af
filiated with the New York Post
as an all around reporter.
The job came about from
his enrollment in Mrs. Long’s
journalism class last year. With
her help, James obtained the
job and began work June 17th.
Immediately afterwards he be
gan to write stories, includ
ing many with a by-line. His
subject matter encompassed the
whole spectrum of life. Per
sonal interviews were had from
dope addicts to movie stars,
alcoholics to presidential and
political candidates. He visit
ed the worst ghettos and the
finest hotels. It was also in
his line of duty to talk to
the impoverished as well as
the filthy rich. In all, Mr.
Mays had a rather hetic but
rewarding summer. According
to James, “the newspaper bu
siness is one of the most edu
cational businesses in the
world. It allows you to meet
people and see things that ot
hers may never see in a life
time. The job is so rewarding
and stimulating that I will at
tempt to do it again this com-
ing summer.”
Some of the student demands are:
—Administrative support of student sponsored community
projects.
—The elimination of administration supported cultural acti
vities which do not directly relate to African culture. Including
appearance of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
—The disarming of the guards on the campus security force
and the firing of any guard who works for the Atlanta Police
Department.
—The elimination of all classes organized within the frame
work of the European culture.
—The elimination of curfews.
—The elimination of all compulsory dress standards.
—Student representation on the Board of Trustees.
Many faculty members in the Center are disgruntled also.
The faculties are virtually powerless, and many of the in
structors have indicated that they will support the students
if a confrontation occurs.
Up to this point, however, neither the students nor their
disgruntled professors have been able to launch an effective
movement against the recalcitrant administrators. There are
a number of reasons for this, but the most important is proba
bly the near-dictatorial powers of the administrators.
The administrators are all powerful. They are answerable
only to their white overlords, euphemistically referred to as
“trustees.”
(Cont. on Pa S e 6 )
^ sk 5k sk 5k sk sk 2k 5k sk sk 2k 5k 2J
Authorities said Sunday night
that several arrests probably
will be made within the next
few days in connection with
the torture - - hanging of a
30-year old Negro in Prichard,
Alabama, Saturday, Sept. 23,
1968.
Detective Lt. R. L. Heath-
coe of the Prichard Police De
partment said at least half a
dozen persons have yet to be
questioned and that after ex
amination of suspects, warr
ants possibly would be served.
The victim, E. C. Deloach,
was found Saturday morning
bloody and gagged, hanged by
his heels from an outside roof
corner of an abandoned school
in the Negro section o f Pri
chard.
Authorities said Deloach, who
was clad in only a pair of
blue under shorts, apparently
had been tortured and killed
elsewhere and then brought to
the deserted school.
Prichard has been the scene
of a number of protest de
monstrations and mass meet
ings by whites this summer be
cause of court-ordered inte
gration at previously all-white
vigor High School.