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By Kimathi Lewis
Personals Editor
"How can you say you love
your people if you don’t seek to
know everything about them?"
This question was posed by
former Black Panther Party
leader, Kwame Toure (formerly
Stokely Carmichael) at a lecture
held earlier this month in Clark
Atlanta University’s new sci
ence building. Many Atlanta
University Center students and
faculty remain divided on the
pertinence of the Black History
Month celebration.
Organized by Carter G.
Woodson (noted as the father of
black history) in February of
1926, the holiday served as the
foundation for the study of
Negro life and history.
Originally deemed “Negro
History Week,” its expansion in
the sixties lead to its present
name, “Black History Month.”
“It raises consciousness, it
causes us to remember our past.
Hopefully, that will enable us to
direct our future,” said CAU
Student Government Association
Graduate President and Adjunct
Professor of Psychology, Philip
Dunston.
Hajj Womack, a junior at
Morehouse College, agreed that
the holiday is effective but feels
it “needs to be reenforced 365
days of the year” with addition
al emphasis placed on the
month of February.
However, Morehouse senior,
Chris Brown said he felt Black
History Month should also
focus on other minority groups.
“There is not enough spoken
about Native Americans and
Hispanics, who have a strong
tie to African Americans.”
According to Lerone Bennett
Jr., author of Before the
Mayflower, Black History
Month prevailed as an ideologi
cal base for scholars and
activists. To many, the exis
tence of Black History Month
was regarded as a requirement
for the enlightenment of black
people.
Several students said more
emphasis should be placed on
black history within the AUC
curriculum and others
expressed a need for it to be
extended to primary and sec
ondary education.
“I learned more about my cul
ture here than from kinder
garten growing up. If we focus
more on educating children we
will reap the benefits in the
future, " said Morehouse senior
James Rowan.
Nikki Johnson, a senior at
Spelman College, agreed, “It
should be taught in elementary
school.”
A Morris Brown student, Hap,
said it should be taught in pri
vate sessions and public areas
such as churches.
Professor of history at CAU,
Dr. Linda Lane, said the holi
day is only as effective as the
efforts behind it. Lane, who is
coordinator of African history
activities, organized the
African Peoples Exhibit in the
lobby of McPheeters Dennis
Hall. She was assisted by the
CAU Historical Society student
group who raised funds for the
event.
“There is no history of black
things. We are talking about
African people and African
heritage,” said Keith E. Baird,
professor of history and interim
chair of the African American
Studies program at CAU. He
contends that Black History
Month should be referred to as
African Heritage Month.
“History is only an account of
events. African Heritage
Month goes beyond events, it’s
the whole experience of life.
The culture, language and cus
tom constitute the expressions
of a human group,” he said.
Through the suggestion of
Baird, Lane said the history
department has acknowledged
Black History Month as African
American History Month at
CAU.
CAU Players To Perform With Dutton
By S.N. Brown
Staff Writer
The CAU Players will present
An Evening of Shakespeare with
actor Charles Dutton at the 14th
Street Playhouse on March 5.
Dutton, a former broadway
actor, best known for his role on
the Fox sitcom Roc, will perform
as the legendary black
Shakespearean actor Ira Alridge.
Dutton will be joined by an
ensemble of more than 30 students
to perform scenes from Julius
Caesar, MacBeth, King Lear, A
Winter’s Tale, and Richard III.
Dutton, who spoke at CAU last
semester, agreed to do a benefit for
the CAU Guild to raise money for
the scholarship fund.
The company has been in daily
rehearsals for more than two
weeks. Many of the student actors
had never performed said they
have not been exposed to
Shakespeare and are looking for
ward to this opportunity to tackle
the pieces while working with
Dutton.
Monica Ellis, president of the
Players said, “I feel that being stu
dents at a historically black univer
sity we don’t get the same experi
ences as students at predominately
white institutions. However, this
production with Charles Dutton
has exposed a myriad of students
from the CAU Mass Media Arts
Department as well as other AUC
schools, to the fabulous works of
Shakespeare.”
Todd Payne, a junior at CAU
said, “I’ve never done
Shakespeare, and I really never
liked Shakespeare, but I appreciate
it now that the play has come
along.”
Actors from the Atlanta com
munity will also appear in the
show. Mary Lou Newcott, who
will portray Desdemona in Othello,
said, “This is a wonderful experi
ence for the students...I’ve admired
(Dutton) and never dreamed that
I’d ever get to work with him on
the stage.”
Joan W. Lewis, director and
theater instructor, said, "I asked
Charles Dutton to come back to do
something with the young people
in the near future. I didn’t know it
would be so soon. I am pleased
and honored to be working with
him as he returns as an actor in the
role of an another actor, Ira
Alridge,” she said
Lewis said the production
promises to be an exciting evening.
What Do
You Think?
"I think it should be celebrated year round
in your heart, not in a month."
-Kevin Baker
Morehouse Junior
"There aren't enough activities going on to
help celebrate Black History Month. Too
many people ignore it."
-Kawanna Lewis
CAU Sophomore
"I don't celebrate Black History Month, I
celebrate Black History year."
-Ali Pierce
Morehouse Junior