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EDITORIALS
Remove the hood, be a man
This editorial is in response to the flyers circulating around campus calling for the firing of certain
administrators. The Maroon Tiger has opted not to cover the incident as a news story to avoid providing
the perpetrators of the deed a larger forum for their baseless charges.
It appears that there is a hooded syndrome at Morehouse. The ugly face of the Old South is
attempting to reappear on this campus, with all of its cowardice intact. But this time the face
underneath the hood is more likely that of a Black man.
This spineless hood has the gall to attack people's character and work ethic by disseminating
flyers in the dead of night. The face under the hood has the audacity to attempt to air our laundry
out in the streets. The coward's hood has no place at this institution.
Many students have had registration problems due to the registrar's and financial aid offices.
That is a fact, and the administration should be applauded for coming forth and saying they did
not meet the mark.
Many students have questions that they would like answered. But to distribute an anonymous
flyer in the dark of night is an unacceptable manner to achieve those goals. Morehouse is a place
for men. And men stand on the wall, and declare the news.
So, if discussion is the true issue, remove the hood. If you believe there is incompetence in a
certain department, state your case. If you feel someone is not qualified, gather the facts and
present them to the appropriate parties.
In this institution, discussion is always welcomed. There is no substitution for the intellectual
act of discourse. If you believe in it strongly enough, be willing to accept the consequences. After
all, King did say "A man who stands for nothing, will fall for anything."
Come out of hiding. Darkness will eventually give way to light. We no longer need to wear
the mask. Are you really concerned about Morehouse or are you just a coward lurking in the
shadows? Do you really want your voice heard? Are you scared to be seen? Have you no integrity?
If you are bold and brave enough to speak the truth as you see it, remove the hood and be a
man.
— R. Francis Blakeney
Afrocentricity perspective misplaced
By Aaron Chilton
Guest Commentary
Afrocentricity resulted
from the lack of recognition by
the prevailing white male-
dominated establishment of
the contributions made by
African Americans to western
civilization.
Apparently, a group of
Blacks decided
that a major
instrument used in
the oppression and
marginalization of
Blacks in western
culture and society
paradigm of ethnocentrism
that they criticize whites for
radiating.
When evaluated as a
critique of western culture, the
afrocentric perspective is at its
best. However, its goal should
not be to replace one narrow
minded perspective
(eurocentrism) with another
(afrocentricity). And, hence, as
is the
"eurocentric"
perspective with
which all aspects
of western society is
evaluated.
The afrocentric
perspective attempts to deny
the superiority of the
eurocentric in the evaluation
of knowledge. Subsequently,
afrocentricity adopts a
perspective centered in the
"African world view."
The controversy
surrounding afrocentricity
centers around two ideas: first,
whether westernized African
Americans can adopt an
African worldview; second,
whether or not by employing
afrocentricity, the Black
intellectual falls into the same
As much as some of us may forlorn for our
African roots, the truth is that we are all as
western as any other race or ethnic group in
America.
a model for the prevailing
paradigm of African American
scholarship it fails due, in part,
to its narrow scope in
emphasizing the African
perspective only.
If one of afrocentricity's
criticisms of eurocentrism is
that it marginalizes those who
are not European, then the
same criticism can be made of
afrocentricity. It attempts to
redefine the parameters of
intellectual inquiry by
approaching issues from the
so-called African worldview.
Not only is such a thing as an
African worldview
nonexistent, but it also implies
a normative assertion of
supremacy over other
perspectives.
In addition,
afrocentricity's ability to
adequately and accurately
depict the diversity of African
cultures through a western
Afro-American perspective is
suspect at best.
As much as some of us
may forlorn
for our
African roots,
the truth is
that we are all
as western as
any other race
or ethnic
group in
America. In
fact, we are
probably more Americanized
because of the disconnection
between contemporary Black
Americans and our West
African ancestors.
Numerous attempts have
been made to connect us to
every African that ever lived,
from the great kings and
queens of the Nile Valley, to
Ethiopian feudal monarch
Haile Selassie, to South
African president Nelson
Mandela. As Black Americans,
we make every desperate
attempt to connect ourselves
to some great history.
But considering the
dynamics of the western slave
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trade, it is most likely that we
come from captives of war and
other oppressed classes. It is
highly unlikely that any kings
or queens were involved in the
slave trade except as
entrepreneurs selling our
ancestors to greedy western
mongrels.
Afrocentricity makes the
error of romanticizing our past
and doctoring tunnel-vision
for our future. The truth is that
few, if any, of us can actually
trace our lineage to Egypt,
Ethiopia, or South Africa. It is
one of the many tragedies of
slavery that we lost our
cultural history and were
coerced into adopting
eurocentric culture. However,
that does not give us free
license to romantically
construct one picking and
choosing the highlights of
every period of every culture
on a continent more diverse
than the whole of the world
outside of it and attaching to
it the normative claim of
superiority.
