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Black Higher Education
Continued from page 4
creatively with the reality and discover how to participate in the
transformation of their world.
Freire, throughout his book, emphasizes the fact that as educators,
we cannot avoid communicating certain values; but this does not
mean that we will inevitably impose values on our students. Rather,
Freire is saying that all our actions, in and out of the classroom,
reflect a commitment to specific ways of teaching and living. Freire
strongly opposes what he calls the “banking” concept of education,
in which a teacher is seen as a “bank” or static repository of
knowledge, with students as passive receptacles into which the
“currency” of knowledge is transferred. Adopting Freire’s attitude
forces the teacher to abandon the picture of herself as the all-knowing
authority, transmitting truth to passive students. Freire advocates
“problem-posign” education, in which “men develop their power to
perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in
which they find themselves; they come to see the world not as a static
reality, but as a reality in process, in transformation.” (Pedagogy,
pp.70-71) Problem-posing education, which emphasizes the
development of a full consciousness of oneself and one’s values, thus
represents a truly humanizing education. For me, such a view of the
educational process should underlie all educational decisions.
However, putting Freire’s ideas into practice has been an extremely
difficult task for me, and I continue to experience many failures; there
are lots of valleys along with the peak experiences that make teaching
such a rewarding activity. In attempting to avoid imposing my own
values on students, and to remain open to opposing views, I have
often gone too far in the opposite direction. It is important to find
some balance between being authoritarian and appearing to be
wishy-washy and devoid of any firm moral commitments. This
problem in my teaching was brought home very forcefully when, mid
way through an Introduction of Philosophy course, I asked students to
describe my value system as they perceived it. I thought that I had
been too heavy-handed in emphasizing my commitment to communal
value systems, and in criticizing individualism, materialism, and
capitalism. However, to my surprise, nearly all my students per
ceived me as some kind of ethical relativist. They appreciated the
opportunity to express ideas openly, and most felt that they were
graded fairly; but they disliked by reluctance to express more of my
own opinions. They did not seem to think that doing so would inhibit
their own discussion; rather, they felt that I had a responsibility to
make clear my own commitments, just as I encouraged them to do. 1
have worked on this problem; but still I have not succeeded to my
satisfaction; as a student pointed out only last semester, “I feel the
instructor allowed for different viewpoints, and I feel it’s good for the
instructor not to want to influence students through her own con
ceptions and value system. But I feel that she should make more
input as to her own feelings.” To me, although my own goals are
clear, the process of implementing them is a never-ending process,
and one which demands a constant re-assessment in the light of
student reactions, both positive and negative.
Finally, I see Spelman as having the potential for creating human
beings who appreciate and are prepared to help create a world which
is culturally pluralistic. Julius Nyerere’s description of the goals of
Tanzanian education seem appropriate here, though he refers to
problems different in many respects. Ecucation, he says, “must
encourage the development of a proud, independent, and free
citizenry, which relies upon itself for its own development, and which
knows the advantages and the problems of cooperation. It must
ensure that the educated know themselves to be an integral part of
the nation and recognize the responsibility to gove greater service,
the greater the opportunities they have had.”
(Ujamaa: Essays on Socialism, p. 74) Each Spelman student will
define her community or nation for herself; but Nyerere’s focus on
commitment to human dignity, and to social, economic, and political
justice, is surely relevant. This development of respect and
cooperation can be fostered through positive interaction in every kind
of relationship in the college community. I’ll use another personal
incident to illustrate this point. In a team-teaching situation with
another faculty member last semester, we discovered that some
students through we had “planned” a disagreement over the subject
matter concerned. It seemed hard for some students to believe that
two teachers, both with strong opinions, one Black, the other white,
could disagree sharply (and frequently!) about many issues, yet see
those disagreements as part of a valuable, intimate, and honest
friendship. Through more such interaction in the Spelman com
munity, Spelman can provide a model for rational agreement and
disagreement, vyithin a context of mutual respect that cuts across
racial, class, and sexual boundaries. But achieving all these goals
will require energy, struggle, and work-and will require us to make
conscious decisions about the use of our time. We may find ourselves
asking, “Can I play cards every morning, watch the soaps everyday
from 1 to 4 p.m., party every night, and still be a student-or a
teacher-in any meaningful and responsible wav?”
It is these kinds of questions that philosophy can help to raise, in a
variety of contexts. It can train us to think objectively, while at the
same time helping us to clarify our values and consciously direct our
actions. Through a Center-wide Program in Philosophy, involving a
curriculum developed by faculty at all four undergraduate schools, we
are attempting to provide a wide range of opportunities for students
in all fields to deal with various kinds of philosophical questions.
Speak Out
Continued from page 2
MRS. ERNESTINE BRAZEAL
ALUMNAE SECRETARY
“Spelman has a bright future.
It was the first college for black
women in the U. S. and con
tinues its mission of educating
black women for constructive
participation in world society.
Although our students are
predominately black, we accept
any young woman who meets
our qualifications. As a private
institution, we are better able to
meet the demands of the
changing times and can lead the
way in the field of education. As
a small school...young women
SUPPORTING APARTHEID
can realize self-identity more
quickly. This they may not get
in larger institutions. Also, they
are taught that they are
somebody.”
All Center Foundation Support In
By Kojo M. Owusu Staff Wliter
Can you kill a group of
peopel and save their lives at
the same time? Some of the
corportions and foundations that
support the A.U. Center schools
seem to want us tb believe that
they can do this. These foun
dations and corporations help to
fund Black schools here in the
U.S., while at the same time
financing and perpetuating the
South African system of
Apartheid which is a very South
African style. By investing in
South Africa these corporations
so create unemployment here.
The Ford Doundation is a
major contributor to the A.U.
Center and has a large operation
in South Africa. In 1977 it was
estimated that the Ford Motor
Company (which is owned by
Ford Foundation), had invested
between $80 and $100 million in
South Africa. Teh investments
have increased since then.
Many of my statistics will come
from 1977 and 1974 due to the
inaccessibility of Ford Foun
dation financial reports. My
primary sources are the Ford
Foundation Annual Reports on
Church Investments Cor
poration and Southern Africa,
which was published by the
Coporate Information Center of
the National Council of Chur
ches.
The system of Apartheid,
wnich Ford suiports is actually a
form of slavery which in many
ways resembles the slave
system that was used by the
United Staes. The major dif
ferences are (1) t at the Afrikans
are being oppressed on their
own soil and ($) enslavers go
through the pretense of paying
the enslaved. The whites
constitute 17 percent of the total
population and reserve for
themselves 87 percent
f the land. The Afrikans, who
compose at least 70 percent of
the populaion are restricted to
13 percent of the land. Many
Afrikan workers are forced to
live apart from their families in
barracks which are rundown and
overcrowded. An Afrikan in
South Africa can be arrested for
failure to carry a special I. D.
card, for failure to have a
written explanation of where he
is going, for striking, or for
refusing to go to work as an
individual
In 1973 Ford claimed to have
315 Afrikan workers, 2,627
“colored” workers and 999
whites. Ford’s South African
operation has eleven labor
categories, Category No. 1 is the
lowest paid, most undesirable
work and Category No. 11 is the
highest paid, most desirable
work. The vast majority of the
Afrikans and “Coloreds” oc
cupy the four lowest categories.
There are no categories where
there were no Afrikans or
“Coloreds”. In 1973 only five of
the Afrikans who worked for
Ford occupied a category in
which the minimum rate was
high enough to match the
minimum monthly budget
suggested for an Afrikan family
(This budget was suggested by
the South African Institute for
Racial Relations--a white
group).
The total number of employees
that Ford admitted to having in
South Africa in 1973 was almost
4,000. It is ighly probable that
they had fare more employees
than they indicated at the time
but it is known that Ford has
accelerated its program in South
Africa since that time. Ford
Foundation supports Apartheid
in more ways than one. A good
example of this is the fact that
the Foundation owns over one
million shares of common stock
in the infamous and racist Gulf
Oil Corporation. Gulf has long
been known for is leading role in
the oppression and exploitation
of Black people in South Africa
(Ford Foundation Annual
Report -1974).
The money that Ford gives to
Institutions such as the A. U.
Center can rightfully be referred
to as BLOOD MONEY. If you
tie he vc that this is being
overdramatic, ask any person or
student who has lived under or
witnessed Apartheid. Because
of this, Black students,
especially in the A. U. Center,
should vigorously oppose and
protest the involvement of Ford
and others in South Africa.
Corporation such as these must
be made to understand that
regardless of how much money
they give to Black people in the
United States we will not accept
the oppression of our brothers
MARILYN WELLS
“The future of Spelman^
College lies, naturally, within
the women who choose to attend
the college. As long as Spelman
can offer women the type of
academic agenda and en
vironment that is suited to their
own individual needs...Spelman
will always have a progressive
future.”
Visit
the Broadcast
Music Becentenniai
Exhibit in The
Albert Manley Center
Feb. 27 - Mar. 9,
10 a.m.-9 p.m.
South Africa
and sisters in Africa or
anywhere else in the world. We
must show them that even
though they can buy control of
college administrations with
large ‘donations’ and grants,
that the students will always
oppose their hypocrisy. Black
students should demand that
the Ford Foundation and others
do at least two things:
1. Pull all of their operations
and other financial and military
support out of South Africa; the
racist and illegal South African
government thrives off the
money invested in it by the Ford
and other corporations. The
millions of dollars that Ford
alone invests gives a great boost
to the economy of the illegal
government. Removal of these
hinds would greatly weaken the
government and would place the
Afrikans further along the road
to freedom, justice and in
dependence from the white
minority. The same in
vestments that help keep Black
people enslaved in South Africa
are the same investments that
keep Black people in the U. S.
A. out of jobs.
2. Replace the South African
operations with new operations
in the United States or enlarge
the present domestic
operations; the Ford South
African operation and others
like it are known as “runaway
shops”. These corporations
have moved their operations to
othertountries in order to avoid
paying the required minimum
wages to people in the United
States. If this continues,
students will graduate into
unemployment lines because
the companies that funded their
schools don’t need workers in
the United States. Moving the
operations here would provide
employment for many people
here who are presently
unemployed.
If Black-Afrikan people
anywhere are to ever be free or
to even survive in the future, we
must oppose and stop the ex
ploitation of our people
everywhere by these twentieth-
century slavemasters. Our
liberation is oqr top priority.