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^Clark College hPANTHF.R CLARK COLLEGE MARCH 1874 AU CENTER POLITICS IN PERSPECTIVE Candidates Increase In SGA Elections By RON HARRIS Election Process Differs On AU Campuses Students in the Atlanta University Center have been griping about the conditions on their res pective campuses all year. With the upcoming Student Government Association elections, they now have a chance to do something about them. This year’s SGA elec tions should offer a re freshing change from last year’s apolitical contests. With five students run ning for president atSpel- man, four running at More house, and three at Clark, there should be an abun dance of campaigning, de- baring, and politicking, throughout the AU Cen ter. Of the four undergra duate in the AU Center, the political picture sur rounding Morehouse and Spelman College seems to be the most interesting. Spelman’s present SGA president, Dyan Raysor, will be graduating at t he end of this year, which pre sents the question: “Who will be Spelman’s next SGA president.” Sandra Farragut, a jun ior at Spelman College, is making her bid for the va cant president spot. Ms. Farragut feels her personality gives her a “plus one” over the other four candidates. “I feel that I have the potential and capabilities to run the SGA office ef fectively, and perhaps my knowing how to deal with people gives me the upper hand,” she said. “If elected,” Ms. Far ragut said, “I would like to get the administration to view the student body more realistically and not have them at the bottom of the totem pole.” Ms. Farragut said she plans to do this by re channeling the traditional view of the students that the administration now holds. Continued on page 11 DEBORAH PROTHROW PAT WILLIAMS By BRENDA CAMP The student government election process onAtlanta University campuses is as diverse as the member schools themselves. Dorris Wright, present Clark Student Government Association (SGA) presi dent, explained the campus political situation of the past year. “Basically, communi cation was the real big problem,” she said. “Af ter the initial contact, we (SGA) got their ( stu dents’) support.” Ms. Wright, a junior political science major, ran an uncontested race in 1973. The contenders for SGA offices gradually slipped out of the running. "There was no real rea son for this other than per haps they felt they couldn’t get their type of programs across,” Dorris said. According to Ms. Wright, her term has wrought many successes; co- ed visitation, academic coun cil representation for the student body, a student representative on evry major committee of the college, the founding of a center-wide SGA, the viable Women’s Resource Center (WRC). However, the SGA has had its drawbacks. Jea nnette Grace, elected to the vice - presidency in 1973, resigned her position. Ms. Wright’s comment on the subject was “she didn’t know her role.” Dorris has had relative success in dealing with Clark’s reigning hierar chy. “They have been tre mendous, they realize they have to deal with student,” she pointed out. ”1 tend to be a pest. I don’t like them to continue to say no without reason. So they in turn cooperate.” One innovative feature of the election process this year is the election of class CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 Tells SSC 6 White Racism-No. 1 Mental DiseaseBrown BY RONALD HARRIS Savannah - Applause and laughter filled Meldrid Hall on Savannah State College March 1, as Tony Brown, executive director of Black Journal and dean of the School of Communications at Howard University, spoke to an audience of about 600 persons on the need for communications among Black people. Brown’s speech, which highlighted two days of act ivities of the 23rd annual Southern Regional Press In stitute, centered around the issue of white racism and incorrect information that is being funneled into the Black community. “America’s number one problem is a mental dis ease called white racism,” Brown said among cheers of approval. “White racism is a contagious mental dis ease and a negro is a Black person who has caught it.” “Slavery was overt rac ism. Racism is covert sla very,” Brown pointed out. “The only difference is you don’t know the name of the dance you’re doing,” he added. Brown attacked the va rious myths and short comings of Black people, describing them as seman tic manipulation -- an ex tension of white racism. “The basic problem that we have in this coeity is a problem based on infor mation that is not true,” Brown said. “We rode in, satin, beg ged in, cried in, and died in for integration and now it has almost destroyed us,” Brown said. “Wecon- fused freedom with proxi mity to white people,” he continued. “Integrationon ly asks that Black people give up what they have, it doesn’t give them any thing.” Brown systematical 1 y dismantled the various myths that surrounds the Black man’s plight. He be gan by attacking the idea that Black people have too many illegitimate children. “How can you define an act of god illegitimate,” Brown asked. “I’ll bet if you’re the mother of a child, you’ve never seen your child with an illegi timate appetite,” he add ed. Brown continued, anly- zing the concept of “second class citizenship” and “minorities.” “We are what - second class citizens,” Brown said. “Have you ever seen a second-class giraffe,” Brown asked the laughing audience. “Either I am or I am not a citizen. ’ ’ “Now they’ve got a new bag they call minority,” Brown said. “This is the funniest one yet.” “I’m a minority but nine out of ten people in the world got good Kinky hair and a big thick nose like mine,” Brown said. “I am a minority -- another at tempt at semantic manipu lation. Brown stressed theneed for sfdents to be concern ed about the struggles of Black people in America and to pursue their educa- cation for that cause. “My message to students is this,” Brown said. “If you’re going to be a stu dent be a dam good one or shutup.” Reflecting on his perso nal experiences, Brown said, “My generation had nowhere to go, no idea of what we were, we were as confused as we could be. Your generation is doped up, confused and you don’t know where you want to go for other reasons,” he ad- ‘ded. ‘Some of us can’t make good grades because we don’t want to let white ra cism down,” Brown told the audience. Brown reminded the stu dents in the audience of their responsibility as the new generation of Black people. “The only way the world can be prepared for new thing is to destroy the old,” he said. “The freedom of Black people, Brown said, “isthe responsibility of Black people.” “If your house is dirty, it’s because you don’t clean it,” Brown said. “If you make bad grades, it’s be cause you don’t study,” he continued. “If you stink it’s because you don’t bathe,” he added. “Everything there i s about you is your personal and collective responsibi lity,” he added.