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Black Students’ Conference
Included Workshops and Speakers
Continued From Page 5
pre-dominantly white colleges
and universities. The questions
I was asked ranged from the
quality of education at Black
schools to what I have gained
from attending spelman. I
responded with facts and figures
1 gathered from research, but
most of my responses came
from personal experience. It was
unfortunate and disappointing
to hear the negative rumors and
stereotypes many people, not
only students, have towards
Black colleges. Other members
of the panel included Dr.
Donald Mullet, President of Lin
coln University in Pennsylvania
and Mr. Barry Beckham, Pro
fessor at Brown University in
Rhode Island and author of
Black Students Guide To Col
lege. Both panelist were ex
tremely supportive of Black
schools. While I spoke from
mostly personal experience, Dr.
Mullet spoke from a finan
cial/ administrative perspective
and Barry Beckham spoke from
a Professors perspective. Bet
ween the three of us we were
able to completely answer and
respond to all questions and
comments. After the panel
discussions several young ladies
approaced me with their in
terests in transferring to
Spelman, and of course I en
couraged them to “make that
move.”
There were a total of fifteen
workshops (panel discussions)
through the course of the
weekend. All of the workshops
were motivating and focused on
important concerns within the
Black community. We discuss
ed Blacks in the 21st Century
and just where and how we will
stand. We discussed economics
and the need for us to strive for
economic independency. We
discussed Black female and
male relationships and the im
portance of strengthening the
Black family, and we discussed
Apartheid and the need for
Blacks in the United States to get
involved with the struggle our
sisters and brothers are ex
periencing. The workshops
were not only uplifting and
motivating, but informative and
educational. On several nights
we students continued these
discussions in our rooms. We
shared experiences, goals, feel
ings and knowledge, and there
were times when our discussions
got so heated that we argued
and we cried. But we all left the
conference with a sense of pride
and unity among ourselves.
Along with the exceptional
workshops, we had the oppor
tunity to listen and learn from a
long list of dynamic speakers. 1
think it is important to point out
that not one of the speakers ask
ed for any money. I wish I could
express the look and joy and
pride on the faces of Kuame
Toure and Rev. Jesse Jackson.
They were so happy to see that
we students were concerned
about our continous struggle.
When Kuame Toure spoke, the
audience listened so carefully
and we students took in
everything he had to say. It was
truly an educational experience.
Kuame Toure expressed the
need for knowledge and action
in our generation, and also the
need for political awareness. He
said, “the purpose of knowledge
is to eleviate the sufferings of
humanity.” He was not only
speaking of academic
knowledge, but the history of
the world and our people. He
stressed that people can only be
liberated when they are con
scious, and being involved and
aware is the only way to be con
scious. He criticized people who
insist on “Spreading Ignorance,”
and he would rather them
“SHUT UP” than to generate
false or incomplete information.
Currently, Kuame Toure is liv
ing in Guinea and is actively in
volved with the struggle of our
people throughout Africa.
Minister Lewis Farrakhan,
National Spokesman of the Na
tion of Islam, was confirmed as
the keynote speaker. He came
to Philadelphia from Chicago for
Stewart Gives Final Comments
Continued From Page 4
Stewart said that a master plan
was underway. Secondly, when
discussing the fear students have
over a tuition increase, he
foreshadowed a stabilizing
within the next couple years. In
reference to dismayed Business
Majors who feel as if students for
the competition in the corporate
sector, he negated the state
ment. On the contrary, Dr.
Stewart feels that a Liberal Arts
Economics degree, gives a
broader range of skills as oppos
ed to a limited specialized
education outside of Liberal
Arts.
Touching on some other con
cerns, Dr. Stewart would like to
see more religious activity in
adherence to out traditional
motto “Our whole school for
Christ.” Moreover, he en
courages participation and more
attention given to the Fine Arts
by both Faculty and students.
In saying farewell, it was evi
dent that Dr. Stewart was stirred
with emotion mixed with feel
ings of pride. How do you say
goodbye? Well goodbye from
Dr. Stewart came in the form of
passing on knowledge and en
couragement to succeed. Suc
cess he determined through a
commitment to excellence,” a
sincere belief that we are all
capable,” “A less defeatist at
titude,” and a system of “will do
vs. can do.”
Spelman he expands, says
“Black women are important.”
But our important obligation he
explains, is not just self fulfill
ment but a broader good, a
human quotation that binds us
together.”
Racial Activities Are
Related To Reagan
Administration’s Policies
the event, and he was looking
forward to speaking to a group
of young Black students.
However, at the last minute he
had to cancel because of
numerous death threats. These
death threats were coming from
the Jewish Defense Organiza
tion (JDO), who openly de
nounced the beliefs of the Na
tion of Islam. The JDO was ac
tually quoted in the Daily Penn
sylvanian (U. of Penn’s
newspaper) for saying, “Far
rakhan was a perfect candidate
for assassination.” With open
and violent threats such as the
one quoted in the school paper,
Minister Farrakhan made the
decision not to speak. He felt
that not only was his life jeopar
dized, but also the lives of the
audience.
The uniqueness of this con
ference is that an event of this
magnitude has not taken place
since the organization of SNCC
(Student Non-Violent Coor
dinating Committee). One
significant difference between
SNCC and the NBSUC is that
two generations are involved,
however, our concerns and in
terests are the same. It is simply
a different day and age. I must
commend the organizers of the
NBSUC for their committement,
their unity, their dedication and
their strategic planning. All of us
participating students departed
with a strong sense of bondness
and a strong sense of pride
within ourselves. We realized
that our goals shouls not only in
clude ourselves, but also Blacks
throughout the world. If we
maintain the unity gained from
the conference — and I know
we will — we will have a power
ful networking system that will
prove beneficial to all. It is time
we understand that we are the
future Black leaders. We should
also take every opportunity we
can to communicate with our
current Black leaders
(educators, professionals, etc.).
The wisdom and knowledge
within them is something we
should take full advantage of.
Continued From Page 6
race-baiting is still a popular
technique to win whites’
support.
In Tampa, Florida several
weeks ago, New York Mets pit
ching star Dwight Gooden and
his friends were pulled over the
careless driving. The white
police officers claim that
Gooden leaped from the driver’s
seat, swore and began to attack
them. Gooden was forcibly sub
dued and charged later with
resisting arrest and assaulting
police officers. But eyewitnesses
tell a very different story. Joseph
Riley, a Black construction
worker who saw the arrest,
states that Gooden his no one
and that the police “grabbed him
when he was reaching for his
wallet.” Gooden was smashed
in the face with a flashlight, and
went down. Jerry Halstead, a
white executive who also
witnessed the incident, states
that Gooden was lying on the
ground, when the police "were
hitting him with nightsticks or
flashlights.” Even some
policemen’s accounts of the case
are at variance with the details
provided by other arresting of
ficers. The Gooden case shows
the neither money nor social
status can protect innocent
Blacks from becoming victims of
racist brutality.
There are literally hundreds of
similar cases each year, most of
which are never publicized. Last
summer in Brooklyn, for in
stance, a white gang attacked a
Black bus driver without any
provocation. Beating him
senseless with baseball bats and
garbage can covers, a crowd of
neighborhood whites applauded
and cheered the vigilantes. No
arrests were made in the case.
These and other incidents are
directly attributable to the
Reagan administation’s con
tempt for civil rights and civil
liberties. The president has
fostered the general attitude that
Blacks have “been given too
much” and that affirmative ac
tion is “reverse discrimination.”
As New York Black activist
Charles Baron relates, political
leaders and the legal system “are
sending a clear message to
police and vigilantes. This racist
climate has created less respect
for Black life.” As long as the
Black Freedom Movement re
mains on the defensive in its
struggle against both Reaganism
and racism inside the political
arena and criminal justice
system, these vicious attacks will
continue unchecked.
Dr. Manning Marable teaches
sociology and political science at
Purdue University, West
Lafayette, Indiana. ‘‘Along the
Color Line” appears in over 140
newspapers internationally.
Dean Carter Serves
As Acting President
Continued from Page 4
them long to figure our that you
are a person who only knows or
understands things on a surface
level. So you really are cheating
yourself. But it is an attitude. It
is the value of learning. The very
basis of a college or university is
the notion that learning is impor
tant. You should believe it and
commit yourself. Anything less
means that you are really not
getting the most out of why you
are supposed to be here.
J.A. - Spelman is priveleged
to have you as acting President
as a positive role model and
mentor. As Spelman continues
to grow as a strong Black
Woman’s College, what rewards
have you received?
Dr. Carter - Spelman has
been a place that is rewarding to
me. Rewarding in a sense of en
joying what I see happening to
students. Now I mentioned
Caroline Washington in the
Chapel. There is nothing that
gives me pleasure than watching
what is happening to her emo
tional and intellectual evolution.
That is a source of enjoyment.
If you believe in young people,
if you believe in learning, and
your life is about education, then
to see that happen is rewarding.
It is seeing what happens to the
young women who come her all
the four years that they are here.
It is seeing Spelman mold and
put a stamp on them. It is just
very rewarding.
J.A. - Some of my Spelman
sisters are hoping for a Black
woman as our next President.
Do you think that there is a
chance that one will be selected?
Dr. Carter -1 think that it will
be a black woman and an
outstanding Black woman. The
four final candidates are all
women. The permanent Presi
dent will be a Black woman. I do
not have any questions about it.