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EDITORIAL
Robyn D. Mahone
Flo Kennedy told a group of students at a luncheon held after
her talk in Sisters’ Chapel that she thinks blacks who say that
they are “not interested in the money,” when choosing a career
are silly. She said that one of the things that we as black people
should do in order to progress is to seek high paying jobs because
high paying jobs usually mean managerial positions.
I hope students listening to Ms. Kennedy did not take what she
said to heart. Sure, it’s nice to make big bucks. It’s fine to have
that managerial position. But, positions and money should not
be the focal point of a means by which a people liberate
themselves.
Money tends to passify people. Sure, you may say now that
when you start making that big money you’ll sacrifice a portion
of it for the cause (don’t be afraid, when I say cause I mean the
progression of black folk), for those less fortunate than
yourselves. Or you may say now that though you may be work
ing you’ll spend some time doing positive things for the com
munity. But, it doesn’t always work out that way does it? It is
quite apparent today that once most blacks reach that fat income
bracket all feelings of responsibility and accountability to the
black community disappears.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t want to make money, this is
a capitalist country and most folks, especially college folks, are
thinking in terms of big bucks. In fact, money is the reason why
a lot of people come to college in the first place. They believe that
they will make more money than they would if they hadn’t
attended an institution of higher learning.
I am saying that there is nothing wrong with accepting a job
that you find fulfilling and will benefit a lot of people though you
will not be making a lot of money in the process. If you can find a
job that is fulfilling and benefits and brings a large salary your
way, then, that’s fine.
However, there are too many black people currently in the job
market who do not give a tinker’s damn about anyone but
themselves. These are the people with the “I, I, ME, ME, ’’com
plex as Ms. Toni Cade Bambara, author and writer in residence,
describes selfish folk.
Another thing Ms. Kennedy said is that it is stupid to volunteer
your time. “Why the hell should you volunteer your time when
you could be making money” was Ms. Kennedy’s rationale.
Ha. People who volunteer their time for the good of the people
are in a minority in black communities all over america. Nobody
has time. I urge you to volunteer for something.
Ms. Kennedy said, at the luncheon, that she was making
generalizations because she was just passing through and in all
probability would not pass this way again. Consequently, she
did not have time for details.
I don’t think anyone should speak to a group of impressionable
young people (and we are impressionable, many heads shook in
agreement with Ms. Kennedy) with generalizations of that sort
which may damage if taken the wrong way. And some
generalizations can be taken to mean different things to
different people if not given thorough examination. This is why,
when you are talking about things that may cause a people to
move in certain directions, especially people that represent the
future, you should say exactly what you mean because it is that
important.
Don’t say, after your talk is over and the audience is gone, I
said this but I mean that, however, I am just passing through so I
have no time for details.
' I did not agree with Ms. Kennedy on the points which I have
stated, and others, and it is of course my opinion. If you don’t
agree with me, or if you do, I want all of you seemingly cripple
fingered people out there to pick up a pen, pencil or quill and let
me know that you’re alive!
Pamela D. James
Associate Editor
Speaking Plainly
Black Women
And Womens Lib
The appearance of Flo
Kennedy on campus last Tues
day, sparked an interesting
thought in my head concern
ing the involvement of black
women in the women’s
liberation movement. Msr
Kennedy contends that black
women are not interested in
the liberation movement
because they fear losing black
men to white women. Granted,
there are many black women
who are appalled at the sight
of white women dating black
men, but this is not the major
reason that black women are
not interested in the liberation
movement. Black women are
not involved in the liberation
movement because their his
torical struggle and the
struggle of white women in
this country are of totally
different spectrums; their des
tinies are not consistent with
one another.
The white woman’s struggle
for liberation began in the mid
1800’s. This struggle was the
result of constant conflict with
her male counterpart. She
rebelled against being sub
missive to the male and not
having the same access to
traditional male roles in
society. She was denied the
right to vote, the right to serve
on a jury and the right to
divorce her husband without
fear of losing custody of her
children. She was not given
the same opportunity to
become a lawyer or physician
or a businessman. She was
denied all of these rights and
privileges because she was
placed on a pedestal and was
too delicate an object to be
abused. In essence, she was
suppressed because of her sex.
Black women were also
denied access to traditional
male roles in American
society. She was denied the
right to vote, the right to serve
on a jury, or to become a
physician or lawyer. But the
historical similarities between
black and white women stop
here. Black women were also
denied the right to read or
Reply To Speaking Plainly(Vol. 31,No. 3)
The English language is one
of the most versatile
mechanisms ever utilized by
man. If we fail to use it to its
fullest extent, then we are
certainly doing an injustice to
ourselves. The most important
fundamental is to know how to
use the language correctly and
appropriately in whatever
situation that one may en
counter.
We must realize that
“proper” English does not and
never has fit into every
situation. Every group of
people has always created
some type of slang or jargon
that represents that
generation’s ideas, attitudes,
and feelings toward the society
in which they live. The use of
slang is just an imaginative
expression of one’s ephemeral
reactions to a particular
write. She rebelled against
submission to a race. She was
never thought of as a thing of
beauty or placed on a pedestal;
she was a slave. In essence,
she was oppressed because of
her race. She had to submit to
the authority of the white
female as well as the white
male. Although white women
were subdued in their
persistence to compete with
white males, she still enjoyed
the privileges of being white.
Black women were never given
the opportunity to compete
because her race was burdened
by the abuse of white
authority.
Myths have a way of keep
ing people from thinking
rationally. There are people
still claiming today that
“black women have always
been free.” This is a myth
which needs to be dis
simulated. She has not been
situation: “You need not want
to get rid of slang.—Stop! No
you didn’t say put an end to the
jargon.”
Slang is an important figure
of speech because it gives a
group a unique identity and
provides the group with a
certain type of unity that may
be needed at a specific point in
its development.
Pamela Johnson
Testing
Pamela Denise Moore
The main purpose of the
writer is to express the sen
timents and moods of the
people that the people,
themselves, have not the
energy, ability, courage or
time (and sometimes concern)
to express for themselves.
It is with this purpose in
mind that I write this editorial.
About one month ago, a group
of lab students came to me
with a general grievance. The
students who had taken
biology lab under a certain
teacher had not been informed
of what to expect on the test.
The reason for that is because
another instructor made out
the test. On the day before the
exam, the students’ instructor
had not seen a copy of the test.
Consequently, the lab students
felt that they were at a great
disadvantage. For, while all
students cover the same
material, different teachers
may emphasize different
areas.
Was the test made out in
such a way that it was fair to
all the biology students? And,
were the instructors acting as
conscientious responsible
teachers in their method of tes
ting?
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free because her race has not
been free. It is these types of
myths which create tension
between black women and
black men and keep them
apart.
Black women, for the most
part, will probably never in
volve themselves in the
women’s liberation movement.
They are more concerned with
making sure that all of their
children are free and not just
their daughters. Her fight for
liberation is the fight for her
people to be free. Black women
and white women will never
see “historically” eye to eye on
this point.
! Li \ ! ! - ' ... \
Editor-In-Chief
Robyn I). Mahone
Associate Editor
Pamela I). James
Feature Editor
Nancy West
Literary Editor
Karen McCullin
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