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Photo by Patrick Spencer
Ellis Haizlip challenges Clark College students to de
velop alternate forms of mass media.
Haizlip Blasts NET
For Removal of SOUL
By RONALD HARRIS
A concerted effort is be
ing made by various in
terest to phase Black peo
ple out of television pro
gramming, according to El
lis Haizlip, former pro
ducer/director of “Soul.”
Brother Haizlip spoke to
a group of students at Clark
College Thursday, Novem
ber 8, 1973.
According to Brother
Haizlip, Black programs and
television programs inclu
ding Black people, have
been or are being dropped
from television broadcast
ing.
Due to the arrival of the
Nixon Administration and
feelings of impending dan
ger emerging from the white
community, a massive ef
fort is being made to eli
minate Black people from
television, program--
ing, Haizlip said.
“Just look around,” he
said. “Julia’ is gone, ‘Room
222’ has been dropped, ‘Mod
Squad’ has been dropped,
‘Flip Wilson was not re
scheduled, and “Sanfordand
Son” may not be reschedul
ed.”
“Soul,” a progressive
Black program formerly
aired nationally on the
public television network
was not refunded and has
disappeared forever, ac
cording to Brother Haizlip.
“Soul” and “Black Jour
nal” were not refunded be
cause the directors of the
Ford Foundation felt that
“Soul” and ’’Black Jour
nal” were insulting the
American people because
they had no white input,”
Haizlip said.
“Soul” had the highest
rating of any program on
public television,” Haizlip
said. “Eighty per cent of
all Black people watched
‘Soul.’
Haizlip mentioned va
rious means by which Black
could insure the kind of
programs that they want
will be aired on televisi
on. Lobbying and
writing televisions stations
may be what is needed, he
said.
“What Black people ac
tually need is a new form
of Mass Media.” said Hai
zlip. “It is up to you (the
students) to develop a new
form of mass media for
Black people,” he said. “I
don’t know what it is but
it is your responsibility
to develop it.”
HENDERSON SLATED FOR HONOR
Pres. Vivian W. Henderson
On January 24, 1974,
Clark students, faculty
members, and administra
tion will all be invited to
participate in our “Dr.
Henderson, We Love You
Madly!” Day.
Organized through the
Student Government Asso
ciation, the day will be to
honor our most illustrious
president and to acknowled
ge his earnest efforts to
keep Clark on the move.
The affair will be held in
Davage Auditorium, at 11:00
a.m. and all classes will be
dismissed so that everyone
can attend. All organizatins
campus-wide are helping to
make the day a success, so
please take heed and make
it over to Davage to the
happening!
PANTHER-December, 1973 -Page 5
4 Cotton Patch’ scores hit
ByBARBARA MASSENBURG
The department of drama
and the Morehouse-Spelman
players presented a play,
“Sho Is Hot In The Cot
ton Patch on November
6-10 and 13-17. The come
dy written by Ted Shine is
one of the most humorous
productions presented this
semester by the players. It
consisted of one act.
The scene begins with a
group of Blacks busy work
ing in the kitchen of the
WYCA. The “Y” is own
ed by Miss Weaver, who
doesn’t exist, but is creat
ed by Carrie as a means
for frightening the black
worker. Mrs. Shelton, play
ed by Paulette Clay, is a
white woman who super
vises the “Y”. Carrie,
played by Linda Sills is
busy bossing the other wor
kers and arguing with them
to complete their assigned
jobs. Very seldom does she
perform manual labor in the
kitchen.
Portraying the role as
an“Uncle Tom” nigger,”
Carrie is hated by all the
kitchen workers. A great
deal of hatred and hostility
is shown between Carrie
and Cora Lee, played by
Shelia Davis. The other
workers, Lena and Alber
ta are very passive in their
feelings for Carrie. Lena,
played by Linda Flourney,
is very religious and the
peacemaker out of the group.
Alberta, played by Edwins
Andrews is the laziest of
the kitchen workers. She
constantly complains about
her tiredness throughout
the play. Leadbetter, who
represents the sterotype -
black man, is very incon
siderate in performing his
share of the work. Murray
Joseph Riggins, II plays the
role of Leadbetter. James
Deacon, and Clarence three
young men who work at the
“Y” par-time, represent
ed a new generation of
blacks.They were not con
cerned about working hard
to satisfy the white man.
Alphonso Whitfield, H. John
Harris, Jr., and Dennis
O.W. Shott played these
roles, respectively.
The mood switches to
the night a fabulous dinner
will take place at the
“Y” supposedly. Under
pressure by Mrs. Shelton
Carrie is ordered to make
sure all the black workers
remain to work overtime for
the affair. However, Carrie
finds it difficult to obtain
a commitment from the
workers, because each had
planned their personal ac
tivities for that night.
Hoping to prevent Cora
Lee from leaving, Carrie
cuts her dress into shreds.
The point of excitement
in the play occurrs when
Carrie tries to force Lena
to remain at the “Y.” The
two women begin fighting
and scuffling. Carrie draws
a knife on Lena, but even
tually falls on it and kills
herself. Hysterically, Al
berta and Lena call for Lead
better. Leadbetter, who
promised Carrie he would
get the last laugh, handles
the situation, sufficiently
He removes Carrie’s body
from the kitchen and pro
ceeds a to grind with the
meat for the dinner affair,
at the ‘ Y’.
Blacks Revolutionize
Xmas with KWANZA
December is the time of
year which has traditional
ly been the month to cele
brate Christmas, which is
supposed to symbolize the
birth of Jesus Christ. As
long as most of you can
remember, your head has
been filled with “Santy
Claus” reindeer, elves,
toys, candy canes, and
brightly wrapped Christmas
packages. December 24 was
celebrated as Christmas
Eve, and many of us went
to church, possibly for
the second time in the year,
(Easter being the first), and
participated in the services.
As children, we hurried
home to bed . after sing
ing Christmas carols, only
to rise early in the morn
ing to see what Santa brought
us.
As we matured, so did
Santa Claus, and we rea
lized that our parents had
been masquerading as San
ta Claus and his helpers all
along. This was the be
ginning of a more serious
and religious look at Christ
mas, and a study of what
it was really all about. You
grew to understand that
a white Jesus Christ was
born in a manger, and
Christmas was a cele
bration of his birth and a holy
day of thankfulness and joy.
In 1973, the time has come
to past, for Black people
to question themselves
about the relevancy of
Christmas and other whit-
enized holidays^ What pur
pose do they serve towards
the liberation of Black
people, and in the nation-
By KATHYE LEWIS
wide struggles of Black
people? Is Christmas truly
a religious holiday or is it
an ot h e r institutionaliz
ed and white-washed means
of maintaining mental con
trol on Black people.
Many well-known Black
protest figures, such as
Imamu Baraka, (Leroi
Jones), and Ron Karenga,
have examined these ques
tions, and in an effort to
reestablish connections and
links with out African heri
tage, they have adopted the
celebration of Kwanza, and
attempted to popularize its
significance in Black com
munities. Kwanza is a week
long period of feasting and
celebrating, which many
African communities par
ticipate in to show thank
fulness for a successful har
vest season. Kwanza is a
swahili word for “first-
fruits,” which is the har
vest.
For those of you who do
not know about Kwanza and
its significance, this is an
attempt to explain it to you.
Kwanza is celebrated for
seven days to recognize sev
en sacred principles which
African people believe: 1)
Umoja (unity), 2. Ujamaa
(cooperative economics), 3.
Ujima (collective work and
responsibility), 4. Kujicha-
gulia (self-determination),
5. Nia (purpose). 6. Imani
(faith) 7. Kuumba (creati
vity). Each day of Kwanza
is centered around its re
spective principle as far as
activities are concerned. A
candle is lit every day at
sunrise to begin the day in
representing each princi
ple. Also each family^cele-
brating should have a
straw mat, candle holder,
candle, and a few other es
sentials in order to fully
celebrate Kwanza. These
things are either handmade
or easily attainable. The
Seventh day, Kuumba, is
a day for feasting, dancing,
and overall enjoyment.
Usually organizations such
as The Congress of Afri
can People and local com
munity organizations spear
head activities.
Some may ask what is
the relevance in celebrat
ing Kwanza. This African
celebration demonstrates a
collectiveness among Black
people. Preparations are
handled collectively, and
participation is for the
masses. It is an effort to
cleanse our minds of ano
ther fragment of white
washing to reincorporate
our traditional African cus
toms into our lifestyles. Al
so the seven princi
ples, provide a substantial
base for Black unity, pres
ervation and power, in this
white dominated society.
One point of clarification
should be made cone-; rn-
ing the legitimacy ofK. an-
za. It is not an"African
Christmas” , which is an
allusion to white customs.
Kwanza is celebrated De
cember 26th through Jan
uary 1st due to the season
al difference between
Africa and America.