PAGE TWO
THE BENNETT BANNER
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1984
Black voters reflect racial respect
“Hey, the election is next month. I can’t wait to vote. Are you registered yet?”
If that statement is made, can you imagine the response? The number can be
counted as to who would have an unconcerned facial expression and say, “Big
deal! My candidate is not going to win anyway so why should I bother?” or “I
don’t have time to deal with that mess.” Mess, you say? It will be a mess if you
allow a candidate to take office who undoubtedly doesn’t need to be there be
cause he doesn’t give “cat-dog” about your personal concerns or rights.
It is of great concern that thousands of people have this attitude. Many peo
ple are too busy sitting around the table fussing and complaining about what
funds President So-and-so cut or what jobs he can’t find or even how Mr. So-
and-so is making the rich richer and the poor worse off than before.
Do these people realize how long and how determined their ancestors fought
for their right to vote? We have, as Blacks, misused and shamed our right to
'"^^Realize your vote will make a difference. Be a role model for your brother
or sister If your friend sees that you care about voting, then he or she will get
out there and tell a friend, and that friend will tell a friend and so on. In the
long run, it will reunite our black power and hopefuly make it stronger.
It is time we put our pride and selfishness in the closet. We should grab the
hand of our neighbor and lead him. “Where, you say? The right way!
Once everyone is counted by vote, then our vote will make a definite impact,
and we won’t have to worry about where our next dollar for school will or will
not come from or whether we’ll be out in the battlefield instead of the classroom.
Please don’t misuse the right we have to turn this nation inside out. Like
Geraldine Ferraro said, the time is now. So make the time and take the time
to count. It will make a difference—a big one at that! (Dee Evans)
October conference is a big step forward
We politely differ with anyone who says, “Nothing ever happens on this
campus.”
The truth is that plenty has always happened here, but this fall is especially
rich in events.
A few weeks back, there was the splendid 10th Annual Evening of Public
Speaking—a night of rollicking and provocative entertainment that showed this
college in its very best light.
Tonight is the eve of Parents’ Weekend whose highlights include a talent
show, which traditionally draws raptuous reviews; conferences between the
faculty, parents and students; and a special Founder’s Day service on Sunday.
Next weekend brings the coronation of Rhonda Chapelle Jackson as the new
Miss Bennett.
But between these two showcase events on the college calendar, there’s
something new and we’d like to focus on it.
Occurring Oct. 17-19, a conference sponsored by the Bennett Scholars, “A
Socio-Cultural History of the Black Woman in America: Traditional, Feminist
and Ethnographic ” will bring three distinguished black female writers, Mar
garet Walker Alexander, Paula Giddings and Angela Davis to this campus.
This is a conference of national significance. It vdll attract scholars _ from
across America, involve the Greensboro community and offer first-class illum
inations to all Belles.
In many ways, our acclaimed guests represent links on the chain of sister
hood that has ennobled black women and profoundly affected the course of
American history.
In addition, the conference ideally fulfills the mandate of President Isaac H.
Miller, Jr. who has urged the college to accomplish things of national importance.
We congratulate the Scholars, who have worked long and hard to make this
conference a success, and extend our special thanks to Dr. Marshena Baird,
director of the Scholars, who wrote the proposal which secured sponsoring
funds from The North Carolina Humanities Committee.
What’s happening at Bennett? It’s called excitement.
Black College Day march
Unity and euphoria reign in Raleigh
by Karen R. Taylor
It was hot. The tempera
ture soared above 80 as a
mass of 3,000 black college
students came together to
rally for survival, peace,
freedom and equality.
Purposefulness and anger
intermingled with an appre
ciation for history in the
making. There was euphoria
as it became evident to the
assemblage that we had over
come apathy. We came — no,
we swarmed — together with
individuals from coast to
coast to form the body of the
march. The body grew until
finally it flowed into the
streets.
It flowed freely this time
as a white police force seemed
more interested in keeping
the peace than in restricting
the movement of the march.
Most of the marchers were
black college students, but
there were some five to 10
black dignitaries who came to
join the National Historically
Black College Day agenda
with their own agendas.
We knew the importance of
marching and rallying. We
had first-hand knowledge and
we went to demonstrate our
awareness. We went to show
the present administration
that we are fired up and we
are not going to take it any
more. We went to show that
“we don’t need no music,”
because all we want to do is
read and write, study hard
and stay in our black schools.
Represented on the speak
er’s platform and in the fore
front of the march were all
student government presi
dents of all the black colleges
in North Carolina. We talked
about everything from slav
ery to freedom. We talked
about everything from the
negative aspect of life to the
positive aspect of life.
We talked about everything
the government once offered
and everything that Pres
ident Reagan has now cut.
We talked about the chauvin
istic view of male society and
the ongoing struggle for
women’s rights. We talked.
We were listened to. We were
heard. Our message was di
gested by every soul that
came to partake in the Black
College Day meal.
Leaving the march, we all
brought home a renewed spir
it of positive action. We re
turned carrying a new feeling
of power and freedom. We
went, we saw one another and
now, together, we will con
quer. That’s the way it was
on Sept. 24 in Raleigh.
Bennett College played its
role in making Black College
Day a success. For the 70
Belles who went, the meaning
of Black College Day soon
became evident.
Bennett was very suppor
tive, and among its members
true sisterhood was shown.
Politics means discretion
a column
by Vicky Dunn
I was all psyched up to
write a political article, the
timing being perfect, as Dem
ocratic vice presidential can
didate, Geraldine Ferraro,
was in Greensboro only a few
days ago.
And in a sense, I will be
writing politics — only of a
different nature. Politics, in
a broad sense, is “the total
complex of relations between
men in society.” That, of
course, is merely a denota
tion ; politics, or the act of
politicking in reality is quite
a bit more interesting than
those nine words would ever
lead one to believe.
I’m sure that Ferraro real
izes that she must act in a
political manner everywhere
she goes. She must be per
fectly attired, infallibly spok
en, and incredibly well-man-
nered. These virtues may be
expected of everyone pres
tigious, but never would their
absence cause such an uproar
as they would in Ferraro.
She is an image maker.
Sure, she has had political
forerunners, but never before
Letters to tlie editor:
has a female candidate (for
president or vice president)
been taken so seriously. Mil
lions of Americans are watch
ing her simply to see that she
is indeed wearing her strand
of pearls. Even her pearls, a
symbol of femininity, are po
litical to voters. They sym
bolize to many that she is and
always will be a woman.
I had the opportunity to do
a little politicking myself this
weekend as I often do while
traveling with the Bennett
College Choir. After picking
out just the right dress, and
following specific instruc
tions to curl my hair just so,
I thought I was prepared for
both of the performances at
two large, prominent church
es in Winston-Salem and
High Point. Both were quite
impressive to me, bringing to
mind the cathedrals I studied
in Humanities 201.
As we were whisked about
from room to room, I noticed
many African artifacts, maps
and other relics. This was
understandable, as it was
African Missions Emphasis
Day. But our presence on this
particular day? Coincidence
or politics? I’d call it the
latter.
I must admit that I’m
somewhat biased in the mat
ter, but I placed a small wager
on the afternoon’s menu, and
the expected delicacy showed
up—fried chicken. I am in
clined to think that more than
coincidence was involved. The
political response, of course,
was to smile and bear it.
Later that evening, I had
the pleasure of hearing the
new Bishop, L. Bevel Jones,
III, of the United Methodist
Church. One well-respected
minister responded to his
message with “in the words
of my constituency, you done
good!” Most of the audience
enjoyed the exclamation.
When one of the ministers
approached me after the ser
vice, patted me on the back
and said, “You done good,”
I’m certain that he read the
disapproval in my face. Poli
ticking was then shot to the
wind. I was calm, as I never
intend to cause damage to
Bennett’s image. I simply in
tend never to do damage to
my image as a black woman
either. To those who require
a smile from their fellow po-
litickers, I say, “Yes, we did
do well.”
Yearbook amended; NAACP stats
*r%e Fennell
Editor-in-Chief Dee Evans
Associate Editors Avanti Allen
Alaina Cloud
Vicky Dunn
Tricia Hairston
Karen R. Taylor
Reporters Chandra Austin
Bernice Scott
Adviser Michael Gaspeny
Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the editor belong to
the author, not to the staff of the Banner.
Send letters to the editor to Box 2, All mail must be signed by hand.
To the Editor:
I’m writing you concerning an
outstanding mistake that was
made about me in the 1984 year
book regarding my nationality.
On page 111, I am listed as
being from Raleigh, N. C., while
on pag,e 130, I am posing with
the group of international stu
dents with the understanding that
I am supposed to be international.
I cannot be international and at
the same time be labeled as being
from Raleigh, N. C.
I would appreciate it very much
if you would please state in your
next issue of the Banner that I
am from St. Croix, Virgin Islands
and not from Raleigh, N. C.
I am international.
Thanks very much for your
cooperation.
Very truly yours,
Dayme Joseph
To the Editor:
The following breakdown comes
from the Black Resource Guide,
which lists the black population
of the U.S. as 26,488,248.
Enrollment in Colleges 1,200,000
Veterans 4,000,000
Trade Unionists 3,000,000
Men & Women in the
Armed Forces 376,747
Officers in the
Armed Forces 12,619
Postal Workers 108,000
Black Churches 65,000
Police Officers 30,000
Doctors 10,540
Lawyers 14,000
Firefighters 8,000
Elected Officials 4,912
Dentists 2,600
Black-owned Newspapers 400
Mayors 196
Members of Congress 18
The Bennett College
Chapter of the NAACP
Correction Box
• The name of the chair
man of the social sciences
division was misspelled
in our last edition. It
should have read Dr.
William Candley.
• The middle initial of the
residence life director
was given incorrectly.
Mrs. 0 u i d a Scarbor
ough’s middle initial is R.
• Dean Chelsea Tipton’s
leave of absence covers
one semester, not the
entire academic year.
Please accept our apologies.