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WOLVERINE OBSERVER March, 1968- Page 5
A Funny Thing Happened
By Sandra Smith
War In A Picture World
How hazy and remote the conflict seems
Like fetus with pulse unfelt
Reports drift to form a dizzy spectral
Striking blind consciousness, little imprint left.
Each flick of the lense
Lights up a new field of black and whie
With bodies reclining ashen in death
At the end of the gory fight
The camera focuses on the truth of battle
Just as the mike transmits the crackle of gunfire
Snapping as it spits around the heads of men
ABlistering destruction within the hour
And bursting through the oaths of combath.
Endless, resilient, the reel rolls on
A twist of the dial will suspend its life
Only to throb on within the heart
Pulsating without pity and prepared to remain the night.
Portia Randall
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sponsor Of A'Telethon’
One of five young girls
who had their car break
down in an upper-income
residential area as they
were returning home from
a stage play in a Southern
City (Atlanta) wrote a letter
about their experiences.
Since the letter has general
application, its publication
seems indicated:
Dear Sir:
Four girls and I went to
Chastain Park to see the
play “A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to
the Forum.” Let me tell
you of the experiences we
had “On the way Back from
the Forum.”
“The water pipe of our
car broke on West Paces
Ferry Road near Peach
tree Road. We were in
front of a house, owned I’m
sure by some very nice
people, only they weren’t
too nice that night. You
see, we were Negroes in
a white neighborhood.
“1st incident — Some
nice kids passed by and
stopped to help us. (They
were our own age.) They
stayed with us until a po
liceman came by around
11:30 p.m. They told him
of our trouble. Assured
that they had helped us
and that he would then help
us, they left. (If we saw
or heard from that officer
again, you did).
NICE HOUSE
“2nd incident -- We were
immediately in front of a
nice house. We rang the
doorbell. If the occupants
came to the door to help
us, you did. However, if
they were asked to give
an accurate account of
everything that went on that
night, I’m sure that they
could. They even got a
flashlight so that they could
see anything that may have
missed with their God-
given eyes.
“A lot people were slow
ing up to see if we needed
help. Upon seeing that we
were Negroes, they decid
ed among themselves that
we didn’t. A car finally
stopped to help us. They
were white. As they stop
ped, a friend of ours pass
ed by who had also been
to see the play. We then told
the nice people who had
stopped -- thank you very
much, and our friend took
our driver to a service
station. We waited, four
girls all alone, wishing that
we had someone to turn
to. The people above us
kept staring out their win
dow. We could have for
given them (because I may
not have opened my door
that time of night, either-
not knowing), but we felt
that they had been there
long enough to know how
the situation was- even the
way that we were dressed
should have told them
something.
“3rd incident— A blue
with a black vinyl top GTO
had passed us twice. (I
usually notice cars). Upon
passing the second time,
something was thrown at
us. Just what it was, I
couldn’t say, but I do know
that it was metal
“Why didn’t we get back
in the car? It was still
smoking.
YOUNG MAN
“A nice youngmanpass-
ed by us, then turned around
and came back and stopped.
He went to get help for us.
He returned to assure us
that help was on the way.
This is what you call a
decent human being, not a
nigger lover. We were
grateful because we had
come to the conclusion that
our friends were not having
much luck. Our friends re
turned shortly after that.
So did the mechanic, who
had to go back to the ser
vice station to get a new
pump. While he was gone,
another incident occured.
“4th incident — A car
full of young wite man,
who had been drinking,
stopped. We then got back
into our smoking car. The
reasons we got back into
the car were: (1)the young
men had been drinking; (2)
one young man had on black
gloves; (3) one young man
had a pipe in his hand;
(4) they wanted to have a
party.
“They did not threaten
us; they only talked fool
ishly.
“When them car first
stopped, one of the boys
yelled, “NIGGERS.”
“I HOPE THESE NEXT
FEW LINES WILL HELP
PEOPLE THINK:
“Nigger - used deroga-
tor ly. A Negro - now us
ually contemptous. Impro
perly or loosely, a mem
ber of very dark-skinned
race, as an Indian, a Filli-
pino, an Egyptian.”
“That definition was
taken from Webster’s dic
tionary - if you care to
check it. The point hee
is that nigger is a slang
word. We could call the
white man “a red neck,”
“white trash,” “a crac
ker,” and other things. The
point here is to do unto
others as you want them
to do unto you. I don’t
want anyone calling me a
nigger, and I would not
call anyone a cracker.
“What we want is basi
cally and rightfully ours.
To go to better schools,
to better movies, to eat
where we choose when we
eat out, to go to cleaner
restrooms. We have those
privileges now. They are
rightfully ours.
‘.‘Some people may say
that we had no right to
be out at that time of night,
alone. Why didn’t we? We
had just as much right
there as anyone else tra
veling that street did. We
wanted to go to see 'the
play. Girls don’t always
want to go out with their
boyfriends. We saw groups
of white girls together--
get the picture?
“I hope that those drunk
boys who threw at us are
able to think clearer today.
We don’t throw at you, or
do ugly things to you when
you come in our neighbor
hoods. It’s not that we are
afraid to. It’s just that we
don;t see why we should do
it. And don’t say that you
don’t come into our places
of entertainment. Hunter
Street (at night) is a very
good place to find this com
mon thing. The Peacock,
on Auburn Avenue, is ano
ther. Take a very good
look at our boys and you’ll
see that we couldn’t be
afruid of you. We feel that
one person’s money should
be as good as another’s.
Not because of who owns
it, but because it’s spend
able.
“To the people who
wouldn’t let us in to use
the phone: I HOPE WITH
AKK MY HEART you never,
never have a daughter,
niece, friend - or wife,
even - stranded any where
needing help. I’m sure that
if my people saw someone
needing help (especially in
front of their house - for
two hours and fiteen min
utes) they would help them,
one way or another.
“it is a sad business
when a world passes by
five young girls, all alone
in a Strang neighborhood
(that was plain to see) and
does not offer a helping
hand.
“to the policeman: I am
sure that you took an oath
upon becoming an officer,
next time, please try to
live up to it.
“to the white persons in
the window-, take a good
look at the Negro. Then
look in the mirror. We
are all (both sides) diffe
rent sizes, shapes, even
complexions. Some of you
tan so compulsively it is
hard some times to dis
tinguish you from our very
light Negroes. . . . Some
of us are ignoratn, so are
some of you. But many of
us are smart and pros
perous, so are some of
you. Some os us smell -
so do some of you. Some
of us live in poverty -
so do'some of you. Some
of us bear illegitimate chil
dren - so do some of you.
Not everyone is perfect.
Maybe God didn’t intend
for us to be.
“we don’t expect the race
probelm to be over within
a few days or years. It
didn’t develop within that
short time - maybe you
As a part of the total
human relations program
at Morris Brown College,
the Human Relations Club
has selected for ,ts theme,
Social Change: Personal,
InsLtutional, and Com
munity.
The club, along with the
human relations classes,
is using the expert services
of consultants from the
Boston University Human
Relations Inst tute. These
persons make periodic
visits to the campus to
speak to the club. Max
Birnbaum, one of the con
sultants, has spoken to the
club recently on the ways m
which a change can be in
stituted at Brown in the re
lationship between the stu
dents and administration.
The discussion was brisk
A Telethon n the in
terest of the March of
Dimes Campaign, was
sponsored by Gamma
Gamma Chapter of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority of
Morris Brown College,
January 31, 1968, in the
Hickman Student Union
Building.
Cynthia A. Jefferson, a
member of Alpha Kappa Al
pha was chairman and co
ordinator for the Telethon,
say, I don’t want to eat
with them, sleep next door
to them, my son (daugh
ter) to marry one of them.
Had you ever thought that
maybe we don’t want these
things either. That is -
don’t want them the way
that you say it. We just
want the right to be Ameri
cans, to live, to eat, to
marry whomever we love,
to own property or a house
we like, and to eat when
we become hungry.
“In conclusion, I hope
if ever again five girls
are stalled on a lonely
street, someone will help
them, courteously and
kindly.”
as each student gave his
opinion about the “slip-
shody and suspicious” re
lationship between the stu
dents and administration.
The term, “administra-
t.on” was loosely applied
to the faculty and the ad
ministration. One member
expressed a desire to con
verse with members of the
faculty on a closer basis
and at the same time, the
students admitted that some
of their attitudes contri
bute to the poor relation
ship.
•
The Human Relations
Club is an open forum of
discussion and all of its
programs are planned lar
gely by the student mem
bers. Everyone is invitee
to attend its meetings.
Faculty advisor for this
soror ty is Dr. Elsie Ed
mondson, professor of Eng
lish.
The Telethon was a con
structive , as well as an
exciting affair. Entertain
ers were on hand to add
color to the occasion.
In order to execute the
Telethon, several tele
phones were nstalleci and
more than twenty mem
bers of AKA took calls
from these who Wished to
make pledges by phone.
Communities, business
es and individuals respon
ded readily to the cause.
Mrs. Mickleberry, Mrs.
Alday and Mr. HammocK,
who are members of the
Board of Directors of the
March of Dimes, worked
diligently with the sorority
to give them their greatest
support in service.
AKA raised $600,
Reporter: Patricia L.
Dawkins.
That Royal
Blue And Gold
The Sigma Gamma Rho
probates sang durmg the
fall about “that royal blue
and gold” and they sang it
with the soul needed to be
made whole.,Those pro
bates, now neophytes, and
the other members of Beta
Lambda Chapter, Sigma
Gamma Rho Sorority are
planning to utilize that soul
ful blue and gold again dur
ing its Sigma Week ob
servance, March 4-8, 1968.
As a member of the
NAACP and in sympathy
with all CiVil rights or
ganizations, Beta Lambda
is planning a chapel pro
gram designed to carry
out the theme, “A Survey
of Civil Rights, 1968”. A
skit, illustrative of this
theme, will be presented
to the membersof the
freshman class during this
program. An evening af-
affair called a “Negro In”
will be given during which
refreshments will be serv
ed and animated survey of
the American Negro’s con
tribution to the culture of
this country will be given
by Beta Lambda Chapter.
HUMAN RELATIONS
CLUB REORGANIZED