Newspaper Page Text
Friday May 14, 1999
THE MAROON TIGER
PAGE 3
Lerone Bennett to address the class of ‘99
Staff Reports
For this year's spring
commencement, Morehouse
has recruited one of her
own, Ebony Magazine
Executive Editor and Board
of Trustee member Lerone
Bennett, to deliver words of
wisdom to the graduating
class of 1999.
Bennett, a native of
Clarksdale, MS, graduated
from Morehouse in 1949.
His journalistic career began
while at Morehouse as a
writer and editor for the
Maroon Tiger.
Oprah Winfrey to participate in
commencement exercises.
After Morehouse, he
worked as a reporter and
editor for the Atlanta Daily
World, an associate editor
with Jet magazine and
Ebony, and later, an
Executive Editor at Ebony.
While holding
editorships with the various
publications, Bennett
acquired numerous
doctorates. He has an
honorary doctorate in Law
from Dillard University
(1980), Humanities from
Wilberforce University
(1977), and Literature from
Marquette University (1979)
and Tuskegee (1980).
Bennett has
also had many
books published,
including the
groundbreaking
"Before the
Mayflower",
which is still used
extensively in
college classes
around America.
*Other notable
publications
include What
Manner of Man:
A Biography of
MLK. lr. (Patron
Saint Award
Winner), and
Shaping of Black
America.
Bennett has
also contributed poems,
short stories and articles to
many periodicals and
books, and has won awards
from the American
Academy of Arts and
Letters and the National
Association of Black
Journalists.
"Lerone has exemplified
the Morehouse tradition
and is a nationally respected
journalist and historian who
remains a role model for
African-Americans across
the country," College
President Walter E. Massey
said.
As previously
mentioned, he is a Board of
Trustees member at
Morehouse College,
Columbia College and the
Chicago Historical Society.
A member of Kappa Alpha
Psi, Sigma Delta Chi & Phi
Beta Kappa, Bennett also
served as a delegate to the
sixth Pan African Congress
in 1974.
Also participating in the
commencement exercises is
world-renowned
entertainer and
philanthropist Oprah
Winfrey. No stranger to
Morehouse, in recent years,
Ms. Winfrey has
contributed millions of
dollars to Morehouse's
scholarship fund. Winfrey
Scholarships have provided
several students the
opportunity of full
matriculation through the
college.
"I look forward to
hearing what Lerone and
Oprah share with graduates,
who are beginning the next
phase of their lives."
Massey added.
Author and Ebony Magazine Executive Editor Lerone
Bennett Jr. ‘49 will deliver the Commencement Address.
A look back and forward
Joe Carlos
Sports Editor
This time of the year, there are
many things on the minds of
seniors. Most of them are worried
about the tests they just took, their
credits adding up correctly and
basically making that graduation
list that goes up on the 14 th .
Despite all this, many of them are
waxing nostalgic about their time
at Morehouse, and are interested
in the future of their soon to be
alma mater.
Several times this school year,
I have heard seniors like class
president Reggie Prepetit,
Student Government Association
president Chris Jones and
Elections Committee chair
Marcus Downs all speak about
the future of the college. These
men, like many other seniors have
a vision for the school and have a
belief of what the future should
belike.
Recently I sat down with
graduating senior LeVar Burke.
Burke is a history major from
New York. In the fall he aspires to
be employed by the Center for
Disease Control, teaching at a
private school in the area, or
pursuing graduate
studies at either the
Morehouse School of
Medicine or Harvard
University.
I asked him about
his experience at
Morehouse, and things
that he learned.
"I learned about
self, and how to be self
reliant. I learned about
all things that are
obstacles, and trying to
get around them."
Burke said.
Many seniors face
the problem of having
things come up
missing in certain
offices, primarily the
registrar's office, prior
to graduation. To
alleviate such a
situation, Burke offered advice.
"Document everything. I
learned that here at Morehouse
people cover themselves to feign
things. I mean everybody from
students to teachers to
administrators." Burke added.
Like many seniors, Burke has
a vision for the future of
Morehouse, and when asked, said
he would send his children to
schools in the AUC. I asked him
what he thought Morehouse
would be like twenty years from
now.
"I hope Morehouse will
reorganize itself to provide better
services for students. In upcoming
years, black men will need a place
like this, but if Morehouse stays on
its current course, it won't be
around."
Burke went on to say,
"Morehouse needs to do its best
to attract students who will be a
viable asset to the college. We need
to look for those who will
contribute to the college, not just
those who pay the bills."
Like many other seniors,
Burke also offered other advice. To
incoming freshman, he said,
"Never mix business and
friendship." To rising seniors he
commented, "Always make sure
that what you're doing is for you
happiness. Not anyone else's."
Seniors like LeVar Burke are
the pacesetters and trailblazers for
the new millennium. The great
names that we as Morehouse
students have heard over and over
again like King, Thurman, Mays,
Gloster, Maynard Jackson and
others will soon be joined by the
likes of men like LeVar Burke,
Chris Jones, Jarvone Dolby, Jason
Worth, Reggie Prepetit, and
Marcus Downs. These
contemporary alums will soon be
the names that our sons, and our
son's sons will look up to and
admire, and they will help to
sustain the prominent position
that the college has achieved.
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Log on. Move in.
Vin/Special
LeVar Burke ‘99