Newspaper Page Text
April 10, 1992
Clark Atlanta University Panther
Page 5
Color Me Mad
By Chandra R. Thomas
Lifestyles Editor
There’s a serious problem plagu
ing the African-American commu
nity—skin tone discrimination.
We always hear about skin tone
discrimination against dark-
skinned African-Americans, but
what about the fairer skinned broth
ers and sisters. Speaking from
personal experience, I know that we
too light-skinned African-Ameri
cans face very similar dilemmas.
It is not uncommon for me to
walk down any street and hear such
ridiculous statements like ”Hey
yella’ gal" and “Yo, red bone” from
other African-American passersby.
However, unless I’m called “Shaka
Zulu,” “Tar Baby” or “Jiggaboo,” the
problem is considered minute, and
thus non-existent.
Maybe you guilty individuals need
to visit your local pre-school for a
boxofCrayolas. I hate to break it to
you, but my skin color is in no way
even close to the colors red or yellow
and who’s responsible for coloring
my bones red? Why wasn’t I noti
fied? Some of you take that Rain
bow Coalition thing a bit too literal.
Who says that such appellants
aren’t equally derogatory?
Would you guilty parties (you
know who you are) support the
doctrine that Caucasians, with their
ivory hue, are bom with outstand
ing innate characteristics that de
fine them as “The Superior Race?"
Like there's some real biological
link between a person's complexion
and their metal position.I think not.
However, it is socially accepted that
all light-skinned persons have a
mandatory attitude problem, big
ger than the whole continent of
Africa.
Attitudes are shaped by one’s
environment. Not a single soul on
this earth was bom with a precon
ceived state of mind. If any person,
regardless of their skin color, thinks
that they are any better than any
human being on this earth, it is
society’s fault.
Words To Remember. . .
Progress involves risks. You can't steal second and
keep your foot on first.
Fredrick Wilcox
We Must Remember Our
History Lesson
By Tara Gunter
Contributing Writer
Clark Atlanta University is oozing
with black history and it’s all right
under our feet. Many of us take for
granted this black institution we
attend. We are so busy complain
ing about the tuition and the regis
tration procedures, we don’tstop to
think about how we are able to
attend one of the six great black
schools in the Atlanta University
Center.
CAU is a vital part of our history.
If many of us knew that the first
classrooms Atlanta University’s stu
dents sat in were abandoned box
cars, we might have a better appre
ciation for the three-story buildings
classrooms are now in.
If many of us knew how hard
those first students struggled,
scraped and earned their way into
Atlanta University's front doors back
in 1865, maybe some of us would
be a lot more thankful for the mon
ies our parents give freely.
Back during this time students
took nothing for granted. Their
main focus was education because
they had a strong desire to educate
and up-lift the race. They knew
they were the lucky few to be privi
leged with a college education and
wanted to prove that they could
achieve anything through hard work
and persistence. These students
worked together, toward a common
goal: to make a difference.
And what a difference they made.
They didn’t sit around pondering
the black plight; they were too busy
coming up with the answers.
Here we are, today, secure in the
knowledge that we as black stu
dents have arrived, satisfied with
letting only a few make a difference.
Instead, we should (as our black
CAU predecessors did) concentrate
on making the whole university
shine. We have these capabilities,
we just don't use them.
As an observer, I constantly watch
and listen to many students put
down and degrade CAU as if it were
built for that sole purpose. These
students’ negative remarks don’t
seem to reflect the reason this
university was built. To provide
blacks, who would otherwise not be
able to attend school, with a sound
education. An education that will
enable and endow them with the
mental tools necessary to empower
and motivate black minds, of this
generation and ones to come for a
lifetime.
Letters To The Editor
I am a second year student of Clark Atlanta University: the Atlanta
University Center is internationally recognized as the largest consortium of
Historically Black institutions in the world. The AUC is touted as the Black
Mecca of Higher Education. People who are unaware of the contentious
collegiate climate here are also misled to believe that the six institutions
that comprise the Atlanta University Center are supposedly unified.
This falsehood reared its ugly head recently when I, and four friends of
mine (also Clark Atlanta Univ. students) tried to enter Sisters Chapel to
attend Anita Hill’s lecture. Unfortunately, the general public, as we were
referred to, had to enter half an hour later than Spelmanites.
I understand and expect that Spelman students will receive precedence
over other AUC students for lectures and other functions that are held on
their campus. However, I disagree with the manner in which Spelman’s
Student Government operated the event. There is no way possible that they
were unaware of the fact that Sisters Chapel seats about one thousand
people and that allowing their students (roughly 1800 students) entrance
a half an hour earlier would make it nearly impossible for anyone else in
the AUC to attend.
When Morris Brown College hosted the arrival of Mrs. Winnie Mandela
in January, they distributed tickets to all of the AUC institutions and there
was no preferential entrance time for MBC students. When Bishop
Desmond Tutu received his honorary doctorate degree too in February from
Clark Atlanta University, the event was open to all who wished to attend
and their was no preferential treatment for Clarkites.
With this knowledge, the event should have been open only to Spelman
students or moved to a more suitable venue. As a student of Clark Atlanta
University and one who stresses unity between the AUC schools I would
hope that in the future Spelman College would be more accommodating to
other students in the AUC.
If not, it will send a ripple affect throughout the other AUC institutions
will follow suit and close events to other AUC students. And this would
defeat the purpose of the Atlanta University Center.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Calendar
This letter is in response to the article titled “The Decline in Black
Leadership.” I am concerned by the authors idea of who are black leaders.
There are leaders such as Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Minister Farahkan, Dr. Ben
and many others who talk and discuss politics but are not politicians.
Therefore, I do not think that all our leaders are politicians so then is there
a real decline in black leadership.
Secondly, the authors attack on Marion Barry, former Mayor of Wash
ington, D.C., is unwarranted. I do agree that what he did as far as being
found guilty of using cocaine was wrong; however, we should examine to
what extent, if any, the government will go to prosecute or eliminate any
black leader. Also, if the author had heard the story correctly about the
oral sex incident in the prison, she would have heard that one of the
inmates was mad at Marion Barry for beating him at playing cards.
Finally, this article is subjective instead of objective and should not have
been included with the other articles but in the letters to the editor.
Sincerely,
Daniel N. Mushala
Graduate Student