Newspaper Page Text
October 30, 1982/The Maroon Tiger/Page 5
Assembly: Mis-Used Time
By Robert C. White
This year, for the first time the entire
student body of Morehouse College is
assembled weekly in the Martin Luther
King, Jr. International Memorial Chapel. I
feel that this required assembly is not
being effectively utilized for the benefit
of Morehouse students.
Last year one student circulated an
expose demonstrating that the student
body has no real power in deciding who
speaks at assemblies. The charge was
never fully countered. At the first
assembly of this year however, Academic
Dean Hubert did attempt to relate the
history of mandatory assembly and argue
that if assembly were not mandatory there
would be no way to ensure respectable
audiences for distinguished speakers.
No. Well-known figures draw their own
audiences. I willingly admit that less well -
known figures often have valuable
messages and deserve an audience. It is
the quality of assembly speakers and their
messages which troubles me most.
I think I represent the consensus of
opinions from upper classmen in declar
ing that assebmly speakers have steadily
deteriorated in quality. Of late assemblies
have generally been a farce with few
redeeming moments.
I have been appalled and insulted by
meaningless rhetoric and ridiculous ser
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Pan-African Series
Identity- Who Are You?
A serious problem which we Africans
born and/or living in the Carribean,
North, South and Central America and
Europe have is the fact that we don't know
who we are. We have been deliberately
kept ignorant of Africa and African
achievements by Europeans for centuries.
The purpose of such action was both to
paint a picture of Africa as a savage land
and to force us to disassociate ourselves
from our homeland. By doing this, we
Africans, who had been removed from
our home and made into slaves would be
afraid to admit, even to ourselves that we
are AFRICANS- Let’s take a scientific look
at who we are.
Our distinctive characteristics and
behavior by which we are recognized
serve as the tenets of our identity. These
traits have biological (internal) and
societal (external) origins which are both
inherent in our universal and specific
observation; we can see that all black
people wherever we are living, ar£ in fact
African people.
Biological and biochemical obser
vations point out the facts that whatever
your phenotype (the physical expressions
that are the result of the gene make-up
and the modifications by the environ
ment - the characteristics that are visible
or evident) it comes directly from our
genotype (the collection of all the
hereditary characteristics of an individual
- the actual chemicals that are passed to an
individual from his parents and expressed
as his physical appearance and his traits).
The phenotypic expression of our genetic
traits also show the interaction of our
bodies with our specific physical environ
ment. So the color of our skin is the
outward expression of the content of
melanin in the skin. The amount of this
pigment is due to the genetic content of
the specific genes controlling this
pathway and also the intensity of external
factors such as sunlight. Likewise, the
presence of a trait for sickle cell anemia is
a genetic trait prevalent in many Africans -
a selection resulting from the high
incidence of malaria in certain parts of
Africa. Traits like broad nose, thick lips,
wooly hair, all are the outward ex
pressions of the genetic make - up of the
African. The persistence of these
characteristics through generations of
intermarriage and being a minority in this
American society is enough to give
one pride in being African. Through
biological and biochemical observation
then, black people are Africans, having
traits and characteristics peculiar to the
people of Africa.
To further clarify who you are, you may
raise and endeavor to answer these
questions: Who am I? What am I? When
am I? Why am I? To what extent am I?
These questions when related to African
people take on the entire spectrum of
human existence as it is known. In this
light, we might want to look at African
history, African culture and African
society. These external factors from the
society further clarity, specify and qualify
who we are as a people. In general,
society molds the individual given his
genetic make - up, into a part of the acting
body. Accepted and correct interpersonal
monizing. There are vital issues to be
addressed intelligently and analytically.
There is a great body of tradition to be
preserved and passed on. But no, we
suffer an hour a week the stupefying
onslaught of unconstructive criticism and
irrelevant information.
On the other hand, I have been
impressed, on occasion, by excellent and
moving presentations, especially those
directly involving our own fellow
students. I would suggest that much more
time be made accessible to Morehouse
students.
Morehouse is a great institution, and to
speak before an assemblage of 1,800
young black men should, must represent
Letters To
Editors:
It is strange that our major media
people will wail to high heaven about the
slightest violation of human rights in any
country in the world, except one.
Israel confiscates Arab property, shoots
Palestinian demonstrators, blows up their
houses, physically removes duly elected
Arab mayors of occupied towns, and uses
other brutal methods of repression
against the Palestinians, but few U.S.
editors, columnists or commentators will
an honor, a privilege, and a responsibility.
The student body is clearly in need of
inspiration and visible role - models, as
'may be seen by an observation of pitifully
inadequate assembly speakers and
general student behavior within and
outside of the chapel.
Alumni have related wonderful ex
periences by which they were made
better in “Chapel”. Are we to be denied
these experiences? We are in need more
than ever of the inspiration, affirmation,
and understanding that an effective
assembly program provides. Let us not
hope, but work to obtain that which is our
right and our heritage as men of
Morehouse College.
The Editor
write or utter any criticism of this.
Surely they don’t approve of these
vicious violations of human rights; no
fairminded person could do so. Then why
don’t we read or hear their criticism, their
condemnation?
They boast of freedom of the press and
of speech so that honest opinions can be
given, but when Israel is the violator they
become disturbingly silent.
Why?
T.J. Campbell
Keep Up The Good Work
I just read a copy of the Maroon Tiger
(Sept 22, 1982) and I found it very
appealing, informative and positive. Of
course, the tragedies were of concern to
me; I know all three brothers personally.
As a former editor, I am always in
terested in the newspaper for it reflects
the entire ethos of a community if done
with care and concern in mind. This issue
did just that and I am proud of you and
that tradition.
Your Friend
Karl Robinson, ‘82
“The Wisdom Of Our Forefathers”
To the degree that Africa is indepen
dent and respected, we are independent
and respected. But to the same degree
that the Africans at home are dis
respected, we are disrespected. Our
origin is the same and our destiny is the
same, like it or not.
Malcolm X
*****
Those who believe that one race is
superior to another are in fundamental
error; they reject the crucial fact of
human nature. Birth and death are
indifferent to race or sex. The maternity
clinic, the hospital, the prison and
cemetery should be a constant reminder
of our common humanity, the subjection
of all human beings to the same i natural
laws and the same ultimate fate.
Thomas Nsenga Kanza
If we make money the object of man -
training, we shall develop money-makers
but not necessarily men; if we make
technical skill the object of education, we
may possess artisans but not, in nature,
men. Men we shall have only as we make
manhood the object of the work of
schools.
W.E.B. DuBois
Common sense affairs and folly denies
that the man who has suffered the wrong
is the man to demand redress, that the
man struck is»the man to cry out, and that
he who has endured the cruel pangs of
slavery is the man to advocate liberty.
Frederick Douglass
♦♦♦♦♦Compiled by Wendell Williams
relationships are taught and enforced.
Relationships can be learned and un
learned. These are things provided by the
society. Citizenship is granted based on
time of residence and personal desire to
become a citizen. African people, having
been in the United States for about three
centuries, definitely have a right to
citizenship if they so choose, but Africans
never asked to come here. Some things
the society cannot change and that is the
physical genetic make - up of an in
dividual. Coming to America from Africa
didn’t change that and from many of our
appearances, the time here; the in
terracial mixing and other harsh realities
didn’t change that.
We are Africans and refuse to admit it,
therefore we live a dangerous life like a
man who has amnesia. Even though some
people know his identity and may tell him
of his identity, he doesn’t know it and
goes from one situation to another using
only recent recall and memory. He
doesn’t benefit from all of his history, in
the caseof African people — thousandsof
years of history. We must know our
history! We are African People!