Newspaper Page Text
November 3, 1978
The Panther
Page 3
Clark Student Experiences
Love in West Africa
Coronation
By Michael S. Bailey
PANTHER Reporter
This past summer, Dorothy
Gail Johnson, a Clark College
senior Sociology major, and
native of Philadelphia, lived
many Black Americans’
dream. Specifically, she
traveled and actually lived
throughout most of West
Africa. Senegal, The Gambia,
Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory
Coast, and Ghana were the
places where she lived this
adventure.
Johnson^s trip to the
“mother land” was sponsored
by Operation Crossroads to
Africa, an organization which
has been in existence for 21
years and whose main objec
tive is to enable people from
the U.S. to interchange their
culture with the people of
Africa. 300 students applied
for the trip, and she was
among the 150 participants,
(mostly students). She is the
first Clark College student to
participate in the program for
nearly ten years.
The 150 participants
attended orientation at
Princeton University July 5-7
where they were divided into
groups which were to live
together for eight weeks.
Dorothy’s group consisted of
six whites and five blacks. The
trip began July 8th.
According to Dorothy, her
trip was a very pleasant and
memorable experience. Her
first impression when she
arrived in Africa was that of
disbelief and deep emotion: “I
could not believe that I was
really in Africa. I was
overwhelmed," she stated.
However, before she placed her
feet on the African soil,
Johnson bent and touched the
ground, the first responsibility
of a Black American upon
returning to the native land.
Johnson and her group
spent their first night in
Senegal. However, their
longest stay was five weeks in
The Gambia. They stayed in
compounds which lacked elec
tricity and indoor plumbing,
and they traveled in jeeps.
“The men and women in our
group were assigned African
counterparts who lived with us
in the compound so that we
could interact and interchange
details of our culture," Dorothy
responded. She also said that
the group interacted very well,
and that she especially had es
tablished a good relationship
with the African brothers and
sisters. The group worked on
agricultural projects, and
among the projects they com
pleted was learning to level off
and cement for building.
Johnson visited several
villages in the Gambia where
she received many gifts.
Among her fondest memories
was the first gift she received
when she arrived in one of the
villages: “When I arrived at
one of the villages, I received a
chicken from one of the village
men. This was the first gift I
received at this village, and
thus, the most important
because the first gift one
receives is a high honor and
others follow,” Johnson af
firmed. In addition, she smiled
and stated, “The African
people are very warm and
receptive to Black Americans .
. . they treat you like a VIP.“
She celebrated her birthday in
Liberia on August 24th, which
is a national holiday, and she
was honored with numerous
gifts.
Upon returning to the
United States, Johnson
experienced culture shock, a
condition whereas one has dif
ficulty adjusting to a sudden
change in culture; however,
she has recovered and plans to
someday return and live in
Africa. “When I was i n Africa
I learned many things: I
learned that I cannot hate
anyone because the Africans
teach that love conquers all
and no good comes out of hate.
My whole experience was a
project of love,” she concluded.
Walker Traces
SCLC Roots
By Ben Lumpkin
PANTHER Staff Writer
The first scholarly history of
the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference
(SCLC) is being done by Clark
history professor Eugene
Walker.
“The Evolution of a
Southern Strategy for Social
Change,” is the title of the
study of SCLC history from
1955-1965.
“This study spells out the
happenings which led to the
foundings of SCLC,” said
Walker, “and traces the
evolution of the organization’s
thinking regarding what
should be done, what could be
done, to bring about a most
meaningful social change.”
‘ ‘When the move first started
in Montgomery,” continued
Walker,“they were
demonstrating to be treated
fair and just and just within
the scheme of segregation.”
But soon they found that it
was segregation itself they
had to attack said Walker.
“In time King and his
lieutenants began to preach
that one of the best ways to
overcome segregation was
through political involvement
and especially the use of the
ballot,” he added.
From 1957-1965 the primary
Southern strategy of SCLC
was to secure the ballot and
they accomplished this goal
with the passage of the 1965
Civil Rights Act. Explained
Walker, my study narrates and
interprets this story.”
Walker examined over 84,-
000 written documents at
King’s collection in Mugan
Library at Boston University.
He’s had oral interviews
with better than 200 people,
read scores of newspapers and
as many secondary books as
he could find.
The paper, which Walker
has worked on since 1974, will
be completed in December
after which Walker will receive
his Ph.D. from Duke
University.
Continued from page 1
Clark College (Olivia Bush)
appeared from the rear of the
gym walking briskly down the
aisle toward the stage; first
attendant (Sherry Stenson)
followed Ms. Bush in the same
manner. After the bold an
nouncement of Miss Clark
College 1978-79, there was a
moment of silence and rotat
ing spotlights in the air; then
Miss Catherine Kitty Edwards
descended from the rear
bleachers in a white full-
bodied gown. While walking
lively down the aisle, she
Dimension
By Denise L. Green
As hot as modern dance has
become lately, the prime
suspect accused of setting the
fire would have to be Alvin
Ailey.
Ailey formed his own dance
company in 1958, debuting in
New York’s 92nd Street
YMCA.
The dance company received
outstanding recognition and
along with that Ailey also
choreagraphed such famous
plays as: Carmen Jones,
Dark of the Moon and
African Holiday.
During the early stages of
his dance troop, it was all
black and indeed a showcase
of Afro-culture.
“Then I met some incredible
dancers of other colors, who
could cutthework,” said Ailey.
So, the following six years
Ailey’s dance troop became
multi-racial.
Not only did the young Ailey
concentrate on dancing, he
also accomplished some ac
ting. His debut was in 1961, at
New York’s One Sheridan
Square in Call Me By My
Rightful Name, Ding Dong
Bell, Talking To You, and
lastly Tiger, Tiger Burning
Bright; which made it to the
Booth Theatre on Broadway.
During his childhood, Ailey
lived in a small town called
Rodgers, located in Texas,
where he attended church
gospel meetings, processions,
and rituals that helped spark
the “down-home” atmosphere
in his works.
Ailey left Rodgers at the age
of twelve for Los Angeles.
After graduating in 1948 from
Thomas Jefferson High
School, he attended UCLA and
later Los Angeles City College.
While attending LACC,
Ailey began studying dance
with Lester Horton, a devoted
black dance choreographer.
Not only did Ailey dance his
way through school, he also
worked as an office clerk, bus-
boy, baggage handler and
counterman to help pay for his
expenses.
In 1950, Ailey was officially
introduced to society as a
greeted the audience with a
gleaming smile. The audience
applauded with an extended
standing ovation. While await
ing on stage, they were
brought roses from the dove of
peace (portrayed by Harold
Moore).
In the grand finale all of the
lovely queens were presented
flowers by their escorts and
taken down the center aisle
where they assembled in the
rear of the gym. This ended a
delightful evening of first-
class production.
dancer with the Horton Com
pany in Los Angeles.
Popularity and talent
enabled Ailey to perform with
many established performers
of that era, such as Harry
Belafonte in 1956 in the play
Sing, Man Sing.
After many years of diligent
and creative work, the U.S.
State Department funded an
Australian and South East
Asian five month tour in 1962.
In the years to follow this
“good-will” tour, the company
appeared in the Middle East,
Rio de Janiero, Sao Paulo
(Brazil), New York, Chicago
and Russia.
Aside from the company
winning First Prize at the
International Dance Festival
in Paris in 1970, other
highlights of Ailey’s are stag
ing and choreographing An
tony and Cleopatra,
Carmen, Lord Byron and
Mass which opened in
Washington, D.C., at the
J.F.K. Center for the Perform
ing Arts.
More recently, in 1974 Ailey
produced a Thanksgiving Day
special for CBS entitled,
“Ailey Celebrates Ellington.”
Then in January of 1977, the
American Television audience
saw the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theatre receive the only
standing ovation given to
performers during any
Inaugural Eve Gala for
President Jimmy Carter.
Because of Ailey’s
dedication to the arts, he has
been awarded honorary
degrees of Fine Arts, the Dance
Magazine Award 1975, and the
NAACP Spingarn Medal in
1976.
Recently in Atlanta, Ailey
once again proved rich his
peoples’ culture and heritage
at the Atlanta Civic Center,
October 6-8. And on Spelman’s
college campus in Read Hall,
auditions (which were closed
to the viewing public) were
held for the purpose of gran
ting scholarships.
Now a history-maker in his
own right, Ailey has created
one of the most outstanding
multiracial institutions of
dance repertory in the world.
Mill
iiw
«K"sg;
The Clark College Philharmonic Society Choir sang during Heritage Month
worship services at Central United Methodist Church. Special emphasis was also
given to Clark College, which had its beginnings at Central. Dr. Elias Blake, Jr.,
president, congratulated Central’s Pastor, Dr. Joseph Lowery on the church’s
112th birthday. Former Clark president Dr. James P. Brawley’s book, The Clark
College Legacy, which traces the history of the college and its relationship to Cen
tral, was also highlighted. (Photo by Tyraun .Patterson)
Ailey Brings A New
To Dance