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iRuniai
An independent student newspaper serving the CAU community
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* • • News to you.
Volume III Number XVI
Atlanta , Georgia
March 27, 1992
Hooks Speaks at CAU's First Consolidation Convocation
By Veronica Fields
Editor-In-Chief
America’s political state, educa
tional policies and state of the black
community were the topics of Dr.
Benjamin Hooks’ address to the
Clark Atlanta University family dur
ing consolidation week.
Hooks, executive director of the
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People, was
the guest speaker at CAU’s first
consolidation celebration convoca
tion on March 19.
The ceremony was held to com
memorate the unification of it’s
parent institutions Clark College
(CC) and Atlanta University (AU) on
July 1, 1988.
Dr. Hooks stated that few could
have seen what would become of
this university when it was founded.
He said that when he looks back at
the humble beginnings of CC and
AU and sees where the university is
now, the phrase “I’ll find a way or
make one,” still holds today.
Clark College, founded in 1869
and Atlanta University, founded in
1965 were started a few years after
the emancipation of enslaved blacks
according to Dr. Hooks, who was
amazed at how four million black
people could have the desire to build
higher institutions. He stated that
they did more with nothing that we
do with something and that we are
the beneficiaries of those who did
what they did.
When discussing America’s po
litical arena, the civil rights leader
said that if you took the brains of
PHOTO BY LAKESHA GAGE
Pictured above, Raymond Street and
Beckwith Streets, the area on which the
campus attacks took place.
Pictured above, Benjamin L. Hooks speaking
the people on the U. S. Supreme
Court and put them in the body of
a bird, the bird would fly back
wards.
He talked about the state of
black America and said that some
thing is speaking to us from the
past. He said that crime, drugs and
violence do exist and that these
problems will never be solved un
less they are discussed. “The lead
ing cause of death of young black
men is by another black man,” said
Dr. Hooks. He quoted Muslim leader
Elijah Muhammed saying, “No one
can save us from us but us.”
The audience was told, “It is stu
pid to hate white people because
they are white. If you do that, then
they have the right to think of blacks
in the same way.”
There have been four executive
directors of the NAACP, and two of
them, James Weldon Johnson and
Walter White had ties to CC.
On an educational standpoint, he
said that it is important for young
people to learn mathematics and
the sciences. He said that blacks
Campus
By Kesha Moorefield
Copy Editor
Recently, attacks in front of the
Communication Arts Center have
caused concern for student and
faculty safety.
On March 16, ClarkAtlanta Uni
versity freshman, Frank Robinson,
was assaulted as he tried to get into
his cdr parked across the street
from the building. The student, who
volunteers as a production assis
tant for shows taped at the campus
television studio, was leaving with a
friend around 5:30 p.m. prior to the
incident.
PHOTO BY LAKESHA GAGE
to CAU at the convocation.
cannot turn their backs on educa
tion by saying that this subject or
that subject will not benefit me in
any way. “You are spitting on your
own grave when you refuse to learn.
Do not look back to the pyramids
and forget that we landed on the
moon.”
He said that we as a race must
understand the deprivation our
people went through and not get
mad, but get smart. “Do not be
bitter ‘For whom the Gods would
destroy, they first made man.’”
“Those to which much is given,
much is expected,” said Dr. Hooks.
At a small press conference after
ward, Dr. Hooks said that Pat
Buchanan, who is running for the
Republican nomination, is pitiful
and that his platform is racist and
is not in the best interest of this
countiy.
Dr. Hooks said that as head of the
NAACP he could not endorse a presi
dential candidate, but thinks that
blacks will overwhelmingly vote
Democratic.
He said that Paul Tsongas’ par-
Attacks
Two adolescents passing the men
as they walked to their cars, com
mented on the car radio Robinson
was carrying. One of them said
that’s a nice pull-out radio.
“Probably high school students,”
Robinson replied to his friend as
they continued walking. He had
taken the radio out of the car to
prevent someone from stealing it.
At this time, the person walking
with Robinson had gotten into his
truck and left him alone. As the
victim was approaching his car, he
noticed agroup of young boys stand
ing at the comer of Raymond and
Beckwith Streets.
continued on page 2.
ticipation in the Democratic race
helped elevate it and that Bill Clinton
has a lot to think about as far as the
black community is concerned.
In light of his recent announce
ment to retire from his position as
executive director, Dr. Hooks said,
“Fifteen years is a long time. I am
67 years old and I’ll be pushing up
roses pretty soon and I’d like to
smell some of them first.”
He decided to do as little as pos
sible with the decision of a new
person to replace him but said that
if the board asks him for help he
will.
Responding to an article in the
Feb. 23, issue of The Atlanta Jour
nal Constitution that the NAACP,
“has become a stagnant social club
for aging marchers,” Dr. Hooks said
that the organization has always
been a target of criticism.
“There have always been critics,”
Dr. Hooks said. “Critics thought
that the world was flat when it was
really round. We’ve never been
worldwide accepted. I doubt if they
really know what we are doing.”
The NAACP “will continue on the
platform they are on now,” said Dr.
Hooks. “We will not abandon our
historic fight. We will not flinch.
The NAACP will be moving forward
for all people.”
As part of the consolidation cel
ebration, the Philharmonic Society,
under the direction of Thomas D.
Hager, sang "Reign, ClarkAtlanta,"
one of the three songs proposed as
the CAU Alma Mater. The text was
written by C. Eric Lincoln and ar
ranged by Roland M. Carter.
\
The Insider
An Energy Boost
Attacks continued 2
Haitian Refugees
DeKlerk and South Africa 4
Hot Responses
The Beast Beware 5
Sooooul Train
A Play Thing 6
Words of Glover 7
Panther Men Fall
Ladies End Season ^
V )