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www.themaroontiger.com
November 10 - 16,2010
6 FEATURES
NBA Star Makes Presence Known at Morehouse
Elizabeth Sawyer
Features Editor
edsaw4@gmail.com
I t was a cold and wet day
under a sky of steel gray
but the awful weather did
not stop the crowds. Stu
dent after student filed into
the African-American Hall
of Fame in the Martin Lu
ther King Jr. International
Chapel. Soon the number of
people began to outnumber
the chairs and students were
asked to add rows to accom
modate the growing assem
bly. As the audience finally
settled in. there was an obvi
ous hum of excitement about
the room.
Amidst the buzz, the
source of all of the antici
pation somehow managed
to sneak into the room. It is
difficult to imagine a man of
seven feet two inches sneak
ing anywhere, but he did. Dr.
Gregory Hall and then Dr.
Laura Seay, both of the po
litical science department,
took the microphone to give
thanks and express exultation
about the events to come.
Seay gave a sparkling intro
duction of the guest of honor:
Dikembe Mutumbo.
On Nov. 3, humanitarian
and former NBA star Dike-
mebe Mutumbo came to
Morehouse College to speak
to AUC students. The event
was hosted by the Morehouse
College political science de
partment and the “Grand” Pi
chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity Inc.
Most remember Mutumbo
as one of the most dominant
centers to ever play in the
NBA. The four-time NBA
Player of the Year and eight
time NBA All-Star played
college basketball at George
town University and was se
lected fourth overall in the
1991 NBA draft. Mutumbo
played the game for 18 years,
spending five of those years
right here in Atlanta. He re
tired in 2009 and returned to
Atlanta, the city he now calls
home.
Mutumobo’s prominent
basketball career was not the
purpose for his visit, though.
He was here to speak about
his interminable determina
tion to help others. Mutumbo
is a noted humanitarian and
a prime example of a global
citizen. While with the NBA,
he did multiple service trips
with organizations such as
Basketball Beyond Borders
and was recently named the
NBA’s Global Ambassador.
In 1997, he started the Dike-
mebe Mutumbo Founda
tion Inc. The purpose of the
foundation is to improve the
health, quality of life, and
educational opportunities for
people in the Democratic Re
public of Congo, Mutumbo’s
native country. In 2007. the
Dikembe Mutumbo Founda
tion finished construction on
the Biamba Marie Mutumbo
Hospital and Research Cen
ter, making it the first hos
pital to be constructed in the
Congo for decades. The hos
pital is named after Mutm-
bo's mother, who died from
health complications exac
erbated by a lack of medical
resources.
Mutumbo’s service-mind
ed mentality began many
years ago. Growing up in
the Democratic Republic of
Congo. Mutumbo witnessed
some of the most painful
examples of the dangers of
lacking vital resources. He
came to America in 1987 to
attend Georgetown Universi
ty with every intention of be
coming a doctor and bringing
his skills back to the Congo.
Mutumbo’s towering height
caught the attention of the
basketball coach and natural
ly he requested that Mutum
bo join the team: Mutumbo
acquiesced. In addition to
deciding to play basketball.
Mutumbo decided to change
his major. Instead of remain
ing on a pre-med track, he
chose to double major in di
plomacy and linguistics. Mu
tumbo’s naturally kind nature
combined with the training
he received at Georgetown
and his prominent position in
the world of sports combined
to create a springboard for
his great acts of service.
The idea of global respon
sibility and citizenship was
the pith of his talk. He spoke
on his admiration for More
house to the dire need for fis
cal and sexual responsibility
within the Black community.
He stressed the idea that the
trends and changes affecting
African-Americans will be
gin with us and that is why it
is so important that we prac
tice pragmatism and consci
entiousness. It was very clear
that Mutumbo was eager to
hear from the students be
cause he spoke for only a few
minutes and then opened the
floor for questions.
Students asked questions
mainly relating to Africa,
particularly China’s current
investment in the continent.
Mutumbo ardently stated
that he was in favor of the
Chinese and their actions in
Africa, because he firmly
believed that their relation
ship was benefiting Africa.
He called attention to the
fact that Europeans stole
African resources for centu
ries. whether it were bodies
or minerals, and gave abso
lutely nothing to the conti
nent in return. Mutumbo said
that unlike Europe, China is
exchanging and allowing Af
rica to grow.
Mutumbo also expressed
great appreciation for the work
being done at Morehouse
College. When The Maroon
Tiger asked Mutumbo about
his opinion on the Five Wells,
he agreed that each of them
were essential. “I had to wear
a suit to work as a basketball
player everyday for 18 years.
Multiply that by 82 games a
year,” Mutumbo said. "Dr.
Franklin is trying to get [you]
to understand that there is
life after college and the Five
Wells prepare you for that.”
Mutumbo also stressed
the importance of getting in
volved not only in our com
munity, but also in Africa. He
spoke about the disconnect
that exists between African-
Americans and their ancestral
home of Africa. “I don’t know
why. Not a lot of minorities
want to travel... [And there
is] not a lot of interest from
African-Americans about
finding out about the Black
race,” Mutumbo said. “Either
because they do not care, or
they just don't want to know.”
He went on to beseech the
audience to travel globally.
"My best advice,” Mutumbo
said, “Try to find a way to
explore the world a little bit.
Maybe you can learn a lot and
open your eyes. It is good to
study in the books but it is
also good to see.”
Mutumbo spoke until the
very end of his allotted hour
and expressed gratitude to
the audience and Morehouse
staff for allowing him to
come. Mutumbo signed au
tographs and took pictures
for his adoring fans and then
made his way to a reception
in his honor in the Leader
ship Center. Students and
faculty swarmed around Mu
tumbo, asking questions and
expressing gratitude for his
visit. The crowd parted as Dr.
Robert Franklin, president of
Morehouse College, came to
speak with the distinguished
guest.
Soon after Franklin's ar
rival. everyone who attended
the reception witnessed an
amazing meeting of minds
that one should only be so
lucky to see. Andrew Young,
esteemed Civil Rights lead
er; former congressman; and
former mayor of Atlanta,
walked into the reception
and gave his greetings to
both men. Digital cameras,
camera phones, and video
cameras were flashing left
and right, trying to capture
this momentous and once-
in-a-lifetime occasion. The
men reposed in a conference
room and after a time, select
students were allowed to en
ter and converse with these
three great men and ask them
questions.
Dikemebe Mutumbo’s visit
was worth every ounce of the
excitement that came before
it. Mutumbo himself gave
rousing speech and through
his interaction with the stu
dents, showed his kind heart
and sharp mind. There is no
doubt that Mutumbo intel
lectually stimulated his audi
ence but by telling his story
and perpetuating the call to
service and equality that men
such as Dr. Franklin and An
drew Young have put forth,
more than anything, he in
spired everyone who heard
his words.
Mays Lecture Series
Attempts to Define
Masculinity in Fraternalism
CASA Hosts Annual
Disabilities Awareness Week
Darryl Hawkins
Contributing Writer
mrjiawkins 18@yahoo.com
M orehouse College
hosted its 19th Annual
Benjamin E. Mays lecture
series on Nov. 2. This year's
lecture, entitled “Defining
Manhood: A Visual Expecta
tion of Masculinity Through
Fraternalism,” gave its audi
ence a critical analysis of the
images that Greek organiza
tions. particularly fraternities,
portray in society. The audi
ence consisted of students,
Greek and non-Greek alike,
as well as influential figures
such as President Robert
Franklin, former president of
Morehouse Leroy Keith, and
the current general president
of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Inc., Henry “Skip” Mason.
The keynote speaker was
Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, a
member of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity Inc. Kimbrough
is the president of Philander
Smith College and the author
of the book “Black Greek
101: The Culture, Customs,
and Challenges of Black
Fraternities and Sororities.”
Kimbrough gave a slide show
of statistics and extensive re
search that he has collected
from observing his own fra
ternity as well as others. The
slideshow, entitled “Disturbed
About Man: Visual Represen
tations of Manhood Through
Fraternalism," discussed five
of Kimbrough’s observations.
In his first point. "Man As
Savages,” Kimbrough pre
sented his theory on how
the term "hazing” and its
ideas stemmed from intel
lectual communities such as
Ivy League schools. These
institutions would take their
freshmen through a series
of tests to prove their worth.
Kimbrough also discussed
the types of Greek chapters
where people pledge the hard
est, which are called “death
chapters.” Along with the dis
cussion, he showed graphic
images that were used as pro
motion. such as pledges being
hanged. He also pointed out
many of the Greek chapters’
hazing sessions that have re
sulted in negative outcomes.
One example he gave was the
2004 hazing incident that took
place at Emory University.
In part two of his slide show.
“Man Is Sexist,” Kimbrough
discussed the levels of explo
ration as it relates to the re
vealing photos of women be
ing displayed on Greek event
flyers and party promotions.
Kimbrough also called atten
tion to Black Greek organi
zations’ tendency to affiliate
with animals in his next point,
“Man as Animal."
In Kimbrough’s last two
points "Man Loving Man"
and “Man As Woman,” he
raised a concent of homosex
ual men as it relates to mascu
linity. He introduced his audi
ence to fraternities that were
created specifically for ho
mosexual men such as Delta
Phi Upsilon and Greek orga
nizations for men whose main
goal is to imitate sororities.
This particular point harped
on the issue of homosexual
ity and homoeroticism in the
Black community, an issue
that has been a sore spot at
Morehouse College since the
release of the “Mean Girls of
Morehouse College" article
in Vibe Magazine.
Kimbrough’s presentation
was highly controversial and
a source of heated debate dur
ing the question and answer
portion. It almost goes with
out saying that students left
the lecture with their minds
full of new information, opin
ions, and ideas. Having Dr.
Kimbrough speak at the Mays
Lecture not only stirred con
troversy, but also showed that
after almost two decades, the
lecture series continues to be
an effective tool in teaching
the students of Morehouse to
be critical thinkers.
Sierra Stokes
Associate Features Editor
sstokes6@scmail.spelman.
edu
L ook closely and you will
notice that a change has
come over Morehouse’s cam
pus this week. A friend is now
wearing vision-impaired gog
gles; students have ear plugs
and headphones over their
ears to block out all sounds;
suddenly a large number of
students are now on crutches;
someone who was running to
classes just yesterday is now
in a wheelchair. The source
of all of this change is the
Campus Alliance for Student
Activities (CASA) and their
choice to host Disabilities
Awareness Week.
Too often young adults pass
by people with disabilities and
never think of what it would
be like to be in their situation.
Or even worse, some decide
to make fun of those who lack
the ability to complete tasks
with impaired issues. CASA
noticed this problem and de
cided to dedicate a week to
the issue. More specifically,
Charles Hayes IV, recognized
the issue and felt it was his
duty to bring awareness to the
ignorance of others without
disabilities.
Hayes had a very clear vi
sion for Disabilities Aware
ness Week.
“My vision for Disabilities
Awareness Week was to shed
light upon the issue,” Hayes
said. “I think the issue of be
ing disabled in today’s so
ciety, let alone on a college
campus, is something that
very few people pay attention
to.
“However, if we take a
deeper look, we will see that
there are a number of students
on Morehouse’s campus
alone that have disabilities. I
think it is important for More
house students to be aware of
those around us, and to keep
in mind that it could happen
to us too.”
Although having a disabil
ity is not a personal matter for
Hayes. He has worked with
the event before and feels it
is imperative that everyone be
informed about the topic. In
addition to ensuring that stu
dents are better informed, he
would also like others to have
more respect for the disabled.
“I hope that students will
establish a sense of respect
for those students that are
disabled, as well as an un
derstanding of the etiquette
involved when we come in
contact with disabled individ
uals,” Hayes said. “They say
you don't know about a man
until you walk a mile in his
shoes, and I think this would
be the perfect opportunity for
students to get a glimpse of a
disabled individual's way of
life.”
Students can expect activi
ties and campus involvement
related to the issue during the
week. Flyers and signs will
be posted around campus
through out the week provid
ing information about certain
disabilities and the struggles
those with disabilities face.
At the beginning of the week,
certain student leaders, mem
bers of administration and
various other students, will be
selected to simulate a disabil
ity for the entire week. There
will be a blind-maze activity
in the middle of the campus
on Wednesday afternoon. The
purpose of the maze is for
those students not selected to
experience what it feels like
to be blind, even if it is only
for a few minutes. There also
will be an Awareness Forum
on Thursday evening at 7
p.m. in Sale Hall Chapel.
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