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Pace 12
SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
April. 1976
POETRY ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS
Chapporals
Atlanta’s Very Own
The Chapparrels are a group
consisting of nine members
born and raised right here in
Atlanta. The other day 1 had the
pleasure to sit and talk with
Horace Henry, a member of this
amazing group. Horace is a
counselor at Clark College, a a
Qark College alumnus. Most of
A Dying Colonialism
By Franty Fanon
Franty Fanon in his book, A
Dying Colonialism, reveals an
indepth study of the psychology
behind the colonial people of
Algeria rising up to form a
revolution to take over the
existing colonial government.
Fanon talks of the need for
revolution and what conditions
mist prevail in order for a
successful revolution to occur.
Fanon puts a great deal of
emphasis on explaining the role
cf the woman in the revolution
of Algeria and how she plays a
major part in the success of the
revolution. He describes how
prior to the thought of a
revolution occurring, the woman
plays a very low key, submissive
role. And how later, she
becomes just as significant as
the man.
Understanding that the basis
of any successful struggle lies at
the heart of the family, Fanon
addresses a large percentage of
A Dying Colonialism to the role
of various members of the
family. He deals with the father
and mother and their roles as
well as the son and daughter.
He speaks of the family prior to
the revolution and during the
revolution to show the changes
that occur. Family unity is vital
in a revolution, according to
Fanon.
Finally, Fanon deals with the
relationship that the native
Algerians have with their op
pressors and how they overcome
the one hundred and thirty
jears of exploitative rule that
exists in order to unite and
become an independent people.
the other members of the group
are also graduates of other
colleges within the Atlanta
Ihiversity Center.
The Chapparrals were
started by two brothers in
Douglasville, Georgia about
three years ago. Since that
time, the group has grown to it’s
present size. Although the
Chapparrals are a fairly young
group, they have seen their
diare of the chitlin’s circuit.
The chitlin’ circuit is a part
cf the past now'. In 1974 the
chapparrals performed with
“Sly and the Family Stone“,
since that time, the group has
had nothing but good fortune.
They have performed with
groups such as RUFUS* * THE
Isley Bros.”, and the Com-
mondores” just to name a few.
The Chapparrals have just
signed a recording contract with
Ivory Tower International
Records of Lbs Angeles and
Empire Management here in
Atlanta.
Sea Song
The waves curl and strike the
sea
The sea sings its song to me,
1 think of losted loves and hopes
As the sea sings to me,
Loves that arte losted are never
loved again
And hopes are passing ships
light upon the sea
O’Sca, sing your song to me
Sing of my love to come
Sing of the life we shall bring
O’Sea, sing your song to me.
Konakry
I love you Konakry
Through the drums beat
And the sweet melody
That in the morning our women
sing.
I shout your name and sing your
praises
The memories the suffering of
the past
That from one move you destroy
And that 1 never stopped crying
for
Our fathers through the ages
Have been the witnesses
Of the destruction and sabotage
Caused by the long pale
shadows.
0 Konakry daughter of Guinea
The Chapparrals are not
just another talented group.
They are also astute
businessmen. They have turned
himan nature into a money
making process. “WE always
try to win the ladies over. If the
ladies like us, their men will
become protective and the next
time the Chapparrals appear,
the men will make sure they
a tend the show with their
ladies. Therefore, we get two
dollars instead of one,” ex
plained Horace.
Before signing with Ivory
Towers International Records
aid Empire Management, the
group managed and marketed
themselves. Horace, who has
been in fourteen grouos over the
last ten years, has seen groups
being used by management and
booking agencies. Therefore,
the Chapparrals share the
philosophy that a group should
know the business they are
hvolved in. This is so they can
protect themselves from “the
dutches of the greedy booking
and management agencies. We
think that we have accomplished
From the day that from you I
was taken away
I cried I swore
But today I am happy I am
seeing you.
At the top of glory
You are Standing
The universe reflects on you
And your light shines above all.
Guy Louise Julie
the feat of eliminating this
problem by signing with ivory
Tower International Records
aid Empire Mangement.”
So there you have it Alanta,
/>ur very own Chapparrals, on
their wav to becoming one of the
’’hottest” groups of our time.
We will be hearing from them
sxm. Don’t forget you heard if
from me first!!!!.
“I HAVE A DREAM” is a new stage drama about Martin Lather
King, Jr. starring Billy Dee Williams as Dr. King. The drama will
qpen at the Fox Theater in Atlanta April 28th thru May 2.
History From A Black Perspective
Margaret C. Lee
Political Editor
It is imperative that Blacks begin to understand the need to write
their own history and to learn Black history that has been researched
and written by Black historians. After all, only a Black persons can
write from a truly Black prespective and we are foolish if we fell that
anyone else can write our true history or tell us what we must do.
After all, whites write their own history, so why shouldn’t Blacks write
their own history?
In this article I will give an analysis of the traditional study of
Black history from a European perspective as opposed to the study of
Black history from an African perspective.
As a basic reference point, let us define Black history ex
perience, past and present, of AMFRICAN PEOPLE IN Africa and
the world.
With the most recent discoveries of the history of the Black man
in Africa by Black historians, a conflict has arisen between those
historians, both Black and white, who perpetuate the European in
terpretation of Black history and those Blacks who perpetuate an
African interpretation of black history. In 1976 it is of vital importance
that as Black people we develop our own history. Haki Madhabuti
(Don L. Lee) says, “The history of a people is the survival and
development record of that people. It tells of their accomplishments
and defeats, of their ups and downs and for a strong people there are
more accomplishments - great and small - than defeats, and one of the
greatest accomplishments of a people is to produce their own history.
When strangers write your history you will be stangers to yourself and
ninety-nine times out of one hundred those strangers are your
masters. We Black people in the Western hemisphere are not in that
one percent category and are at present living among strangers.”
Most of the so-called Black history today, written by whites and
“Negro intellecturals,” deals with the history of Black people as an
extinction of European history. They totally neglect historical findings
that the cradle of civilization was in Egypt and that all history stems
from the experience of the Black man. G. M. James in his book, The
Stolen Legacy, says, ‘ ‘Blacks must discontinue the practice of gusting
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in their speeches and the intellectual
models the so-called Greek Philosophy is stolen Egyptian
philosophy....and the term Greek PHILOSOPHY* TO BEGIN WITH*
IS A MISNOMER* FOR THERE IS NO SUCH PHILOSOPHY IN
EXISTENCE ....THE Greaks were not the authors of Greek
philosophy, but the people of North Africa commonly called Egyp
tians.”
Yet wc continue to except the European interpretation of Black
history that attempts to completely destroy any knowledge of our
history prior to our landing on the shores of America. Our pride,
culture, and strength as a people has been stripped away from us and
for lack of any other alternative we assimilate and integrate into the
American stream of things. And at the same time we demand our
civil rights and become priviledged citizens of the United States, our
human rights are denied us and thus we continue to exist in the
oppression and exploitaticn of America.
The history that the Eropeans write about Black people questions
the legitimate existence of the Black man in America and it per
petuates the myth that Black people have not contributed anything to
the world. Haki says, “White world history as it has been taught has
given us a view of the world that is not only anti-Black in every con
ceivable way but has virtually eliminated the positive image of Black
people as a functional part of the world’s people.”
Many of us have been so brainwashed by the European in
terpretation of Black history that it becomes very painful to deal with
the true struggles of our fathers and forefathers. Instead we engulf
ourselves in white European schools, where we are not told the truth’
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