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Page 5 Clark Atlanta University Panther April 16, 1991 Op-Ed CAU: Afrocentric or Eurocentric? By JAMES PELHAM Guest Editorial When the decision was made to attend Clark Atlanta University, it was made in the hopes that a full and complete Black experience and challenge could be met. Most of the students at this institution would agree that the decision to attend Clark was because of the race of the population. It was Black. With this fact, one would assume that in matriculation it is expected to come closer in contact with ones culture and closer to a better understanding of the plight of the African- American. One would also assume that the images and views of the university would exude positivity with reference to African-Americans and would support the progressiveness of the race in general. If this is so, then why does the educational curriculum include so many eurocentric principles in every phase of its' composition? The answer in this instance is desperately begging the question. I will allow for the fact that this institution was founded "historically" on Babylonian methodology. However, since this institution has emerged through years of legal racism, discrimination, social ostracism, and alienation as one of the foremost of its’ kind, then why continue to perpetuate our loss of culture and continue the brainwashing assimilation that has led to an almost destruction of what was and still is the most powerful people on earth. The textbooks used at this African-American school are more eurocentric than the authors who penned them. Some of the texts include blatantly racist slurs with deafeningly biased overtones that support every well known stereotype and generalization that society, White and Black, seemingly deems as truth. They range from the subtle generalities such as "those people are underachievers” to the most painfully obvious such as "shoe shines are almost invariably given by Blacks..." These quotes are pulled directly from textbooks for which young African American college students pay a great deal of money; textbooks that support the mainstream stereotypes of racist America, and contribute highly to the low-level of morale and self-esteem that many African-Americans hold for themselves. For example, the required texts for freshman-based GED-S 105 and 106 Social Institutions includes Crisis in American Institutions(7th Edition , Jerome Skolnick/Elliott Currie). Page after page are the most opinionated, selective, and abominable generalizations I have ever seen in print. It's just a continuation of the same educational experience we had in high school. There was no real focus on African and African American history. According to my Global History teacher, I had ‘ no history prior to coming to the "new world". So then, why should Clark Atlanta University be any different? It is a Black school, isn’t it? I may have to differ a bit on that one. Especially considering what is on pages 143-177 of the above-referenced text. It begins with the quote," I wouldn't want to be Black in America, would you?" which sets the tone for the entire section. It goes on to read how Blacks are struggling to achieve simple " decency" in America, and how our problems are so innate that we have no other alternative but to fill the rungs of the social ladder that we allegedly occupy. Furthermore, the article goes on to say how many of us have assumed new identities such as the Nation of Islam in an effort to escape the plague of being Black. And then, to top this all off, the article presents a table of how 100 white Princeton students view their minority counterparts. The groups that were " judged" included Chinese, Japanese, and African Americans. It was first interesting to note that the two initial minority groups were rated in categories of intelligence, aptitude, progressiveness, alertness, aggressiveness, neatness, and other favorable attributes. On the same page, African Americans(who for the sake of the survey were referred to as Negroes) were rated in the following: laziness, physically dirty, ostentatious, superstitious, slovenly, stupid, naive, happy-go-lucky, ignorant, and of course our ability to be musical. Some people may argue that it is important to be objective when reading material like this. But forgive me for not wanting to spend $36 to be abusively insulted. There was no flip side to that chart. Nor is there included in any other part of the article the views that African Americans or the other minorities that were judged hold for whites. Asking someone to be objective when it pertains to bold faced bias is allowing that bias to fester and grow. Not to mention that students incur financial burden to supply themselves with these books. Requiring the use of these and other books is an obvious demonstration on the part of the university to perpetuate these stereotypes and promote social unconsciousness. This means that what? It means that Afrocentricity is not viewed as an important basis for education at this African American school. It also means that the school is not dedicated to abolishing the very same social obstacles that make our progression as a race impossible. I might add this also demonstrates the lack of effort made by the university, with the exception of certain faculty and staff, to establish that necessary link between our cultural and academic education. I want to say that I understand that many who came to Clark Atlanta University sincerely want that Black experience, but only when it is convenient to them. It is incumbent upon them to make that attempt to familiarize themselves with the present African American culture, as well as the culture that was stolen. But what is the university doing to stimulate that need to learn more about who we are? Why isn't there a reading list of prominent Black literature for incoming freshmen? Why aren't Black studies courses offered as mandatory? You could ask these questions all day. It helps to really examine what your schools' priorities are. You also start wondering where all the money for "cultural activities" is going. Hmmmmmm. In closing, I will clarify that this is not an assassination of Clark Atlanta University. All schools have their problems. These problems need the attention of all faculty, students, and administration. My goal is for students to read this article and realize that these issues are serious. We can't wait for "PRESIDENT VETOES MAJOR CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION" to come out on home video. Similarly, we cant wait for situations to digress on our campus. Each day we lose thousands in the bottomless abyss of apathy. I hope that the concerns I have listed will awaken the campus population and raise these thousands from the abyss, and motivate people to get involved. Contrary to popular opinion, it is important to question things when you feel they are being done wrong. If we as students don't do that then we are as much to blame. THE HAPPENING... YtAU AAS XA MM.. - MF0&O' OA rw A?. srxMM Meet- MAcxMM/ eam-'.TmrS m/ MiCKAAME- ■ ■ MOf A AoAEy M fAtfO- ■■ V0WMP--1 mao AT CAU.'-OMj 4T mMAA-.-S AumM OAE li&i.i'v!-!, 1 (mmv Ftw sTftftP-y (X) /??/ >f Illustration by Anthony Carter