PAGE TWO
THE BENNETT BANNER
Friday, February 28, 1986
Imbibe black history all year
As we all know, February is the month set aside as Black History Month.
During this time we celebrate the accomplishments, achievements and contribu
tions of black Americans who have richly enhanced our heritage.
It is sad that for so many of us we only learn, or perhaps I should say mem
orize, the significance of our fellow black Americans for the 28 days of Feb
ruary. When February has come and gone, so has our remembrance and knowl
edge of our black history. And I ask myself why. Was black history all made in
28 days? No, because our history is still being made today and will continue to
be made tomorrow and the next day too. Can we possibly learn all about our
heritage in just one month? I’m inclined to think not. Our celebration of black
history should not be confined to one month out of a year. Besides February is
the shortest of all the months. Black history should be celebrated 365 days a
year.
There is always something new to be learned about our heritage. In fact, we
should make it a point to learn something new about our culture every day.
Whether we learn or become aware of significant happenings in our classrooms,
in the newspaper, on TV or just by conversing with our friends, we should make
it a point to do so because it is all worthwhile.
Furthermore, we must learn not to accept what little has been given to us or
told to us, but we must search and find out for ourselves.
The next time that someone asks you about the significance of February,
don’t say that it is Black History Month. Instead say that it is a time when
more emphasis is given to black history, but the celebration lasts the whole year.
(Penny Hill)
‘Love’ had everything to do with it
Sentiment is a strange thing, you know. What seems insignificant on one day
instantly takes on meaning given another situation.
Last week, for example, on what would have otherwise been simply considered
a dreary, snowy Friday afternoon, I observed men and women enrapt with pas
sionate thoughts of one another braving the elements to prove their love.
I saw them buy cards with trite but nonetheless touching verses and roses
with far more stems and thorns than buds. I think I spent the greater part of
Thursday and Friday evenings making the greater part of the Greensboro com
munity happy from happiness headquarters—Bernice’s Flowers and Gifts.
It was no chore unloading hundreds of roses on eager customers, their mouths
hanging open and eyes jumping to the ring of the cash register. No one com
plained that day. I suspect that love had everything to do with it. Of course, I
didn’t mind dethorning all of those roses, pricking my already aching fingers
and inflating all of those difficult balloons. They said I love you in a beautiful
script.
Somehow, though, I questioned the motives of some of my more passionate
customers Like the guy who bought five plants and signed each of the cards
“To my very best girl.” And then there were the customers who simply refused
to commit. They didn’t want “I Love You” balloons; they wanted Can we nego
tiate a short—I mean very short relationship” balloon.
All in all, it was a good day. I wouldn’t want to repeat it though. I ve had
the last of rose dethorning for a while. (Vicky Dunn)
George Washington Williams triumphed over the odds
by Laura Nelson
John Hope Franklin’s bio
graphy of George Washing
ton Williams presents the life
of a black American that few
people know about, a man
who contributed much to his
country and his race.
Franklin traces the history
of George Washington Wil
liams, historian, pastor, law
yer and legislator. The author
tells of his amazement at how
such a successful contributor
to society could have been
overlooked as Williams was.
The biography begins with
his family, freed from slav
ery, settling in Bedford
Springs, Pa. Williams’ youth
is described as being full of
uncertainty until he enlists
in the army at the age of 14
under an assumed name and
age. Franklin’s story of Wil
liams’ life creates for the
reader a multi-faceted life.
Never did George Washington
Williams seem to lead an un
exciting life.
Franklin’s biography of
W^illiams pursues every as
pect of Franklin’s life, such
as the circumstances sur
rounding his unsuccessful at
tempt to sue his wife for di
vorce on grounds of deser
tion.
This book gives the reader
a story of triumph. Williams
achieved many rewards he
wished to attain, even though
he lived the first half of his
life illiterate. He became a
Civil War veteran, an Ohio
legislator, the author of the
first history of blacks in
America and a spellbinding
orator.
George Washington Wil
liams was a true adventurer.
He traveled extensively in the
United States and abroad, go
ing to such places as the Bel
gian Congo. Franklin’s bio
graphy of Williams reveals
all the well-known people Wil
liams knew. Williams became
associated with Frederick
Douglass and Mark Twain;
numerous presidents admired
Williams.
Franklin puts George
Washington Williams’ life
back together, piece by piece,
and gives to his readers an
opportunity to learn of yet
another great black Amer
ican. Williams gave all of
himself to recording his race’s
history in the last years of
his life.
Franklin’s biography is
simple and straight forward,
giving readers a sense that
there is more to know about
this driven man, George
Washington Williams. This
biography will capture the
reader’s attention, and if none
of the facts are remembered,
readers will recall that
George Washington Williams
was a black man who did
great work like that of Fred
erick Douglass, George Wash
ington Carver and the many
other famous black Ameri
cans.
It is disturbing to think
that our society refused to
acknowledge Williams’ con
tributions and allowed him to
be an obscure part of the
past. John Hope Franklin paid
homage to an amazing man,
and we too can do our part.
While we are paying tri
bute to our black leaders and
contributors during Black
History Month, honor George
Washington Williams. Read
his biography and learn of
new history discovered in the
life of George Washington
Williams.
Belles suffering washer blues; Botswana’s dilemma
Gambian
a column
by Gladys Dayo Forster
I was born in Banjul, the capital
of Gambia. The Gambia is sit
uated on the west coast of Africa.
It is partly surrounded by Senegal
and lies next to Guinea Bissau.
The Gambia is a small country
merely trying to survive on her
two feet. She has a population of
about half a million, and it is
often said everyone is related or
knows one another.
The Gambia is a predominantly
Muslim country. Christians have
very little say in governmental
affairs. There are three so-called
tribal groups. Akus referred to as
“creoles,” make up the majority
of the Christian community. The
Mandinkas, the most powerful
tribe, form about two-thirds of
the government. The Wollofs are
also next to the Mandinkas but
have more say than the so-called
Akus.
Sir Dawda Kairba Jawara, a
Mandinka, has been president
since the nation gained its inde
pendence from Britain in 1965.
The Gambia is a democratic state
and has a three party system—
The Peoples' Progressive Party,
the ruling party; The National
Convention Party and United
Party which is slowly declining.
The Gambia’s staple food is
rice. The main crop exported is
peanuts and the economy of the
country largely depends on this
and tourism.
Tourism in The Gambia starts
around October and ends in late
April. It is dominated by white
people, and the hotels are con
stantly kept busy. On package
tours, the visitors move across
the country and take a lot of
pictures. They bask in the sun,
and some have the right tan color
they wanted before they leave.
profile
Buses take tourists to the Nature
Reserve, hospitals, House of Re
presentatives, State House (where
the president lives) and, most
important of all, “Juffureh,”
where Alex Haley’s roots began.
Most people work for the gov
ernment, but the cost of living
rises everyday, and salaries are
very low and insufficient. Private
businesses are becoming more
numerous as people add this as a
means of maintaining their fami
lies. The problem of unemploy
ment leads to juvenile delinqu
ency, which is quite rampant.
Industries are growing, but very
slowly, and education is the worst
problem being faced now. There
are not enough high schools and
technical schools for less fortunate
Gambians. An ambitious person
finds it very difficult when she
finishes high school and hopes to
continue her education. She has
to be ready to work hard to spon
sor herself if she plans to go
somewhere else that is not Africa.
The Gambia government can
sponsor students who plan on
studying in Africa but this de
pends on one’s high academic per
formance, and there are competi
tions.
Students are now going into the
army whicii came into existence
about four years ago. Gambia
never had an army but a need
for this was demonstrated after
the 1981 coup d’etat. It failed, but
Gambians lost many loved ones,
relatives and friends, leaving sad
memories.
It may take a long time but
Banjul, The Gambia will creep
through its problems slowly. De
dicated Gambians need to follow
the national anthem: “We pledge
our firm allegiance. Our promise
we renew. Keep us Great God of
Nations, To The Gambia Ever
True.”
To the Editor:
Many Belles on campus are
suffering the washer machine
blues. Everytime we try to use
the machines they are either
broken or in use so that a person
can’t get to them until two in the
morning.
I think it is time that we start
looking for a new washing system
here at Bennett. There are just
not enough washers to go around.
There is only one washer per
dorm, except for Cone, which has
two and Pfieffer, which has none.
It is time for new washers in
every dorm or it is time for Ben
nett to build a wash building
where everyone just goes to one
place to wash her clothes on
campus.
Many people find it better to go
off campus to wash their clothes.
Even though it may be incon
venient for the person. At least
you will be sure that your clothes
will be clean when they come out
of the washer. You can put a box
of soap in the washers here and
your clothes will still be as dirty
as they were when you put them
in.
TTie dryer is not any better.
The clothes are as wet as they
were when you put them in the
dryer. You might as well take the
wet clothes and bring them back
to your room—which many people
do now.
I think it is time to retire those
no-wash, no-dry, money-hungry
machines for new ones. We need
more per dorm or one major
place for us to wash our clothes.
Shonna Luten
To the Editor:
Botswana, an African republic
that borders on South Africa, has
had difficulty staying away from
the influence of apartheid-minded
expatriates and neighbors.
Formerly Bechuanaland Protec
torate, Botswana gained its inde
pendence largely through the ef
forts of Seretse Khama, a leader
who married an English woman
and was exiled from his home
land under South African pres
sure. He gained popularity as an
opponent of racism and colonia
lism. Returning home, he became
prime minister in 1965 and the
first president in 1966. When he
died in 1980, Quett Masire suc
ceeded him.
Last month there were land
mine explosions in South Africa
which she claims Botswana knew
of. A Botswana news commen
tary says that it is “an intention
by the South African regime to
invade Botswana again.” Bots
wana has in the past punished
any person or group of people who
were using her land as a base for
illegal acts. The Minister of Ex
ternal Affairs, Dr. G. Chiepe, had
recently stated that Botswana
would not want to offend her
neighbors.
According to the commentary,
the violence in South Africa is
the result of apartheid. “To op
press a person some form of vio
lence is necessary,” it read: “and
it is common knowledge that vio
lence breeds violence.” Therefore
South Africa should stop blaming
her neighbors, and instead “.
seek the path to peace by dis
mantling apartheid.”
Hopefully, this word of knowl
edge wUl be seriously considered
so that Botswana as well as her
other neighbors will be free of
the deadly fangs of apartheid.
Elfrida Mensah
nn^
Carla Bannister
Editorial Staff Mardell Griffin, Shonna Luten,
Bernice Scott, Karen R. Taylor
Columnists Vicky Dunn, Tricia Hairston, Elfrida Mensah,
Omotayo Otokl
Reporters Avantl Allen, Cassandra Henderson, Penny Hill,
Dee Little, Laura Nelson, Rita Rushing, Anna Lisa Sumpter,
Rhonda Wesby, Vennessa Williams
Photographer W'ss Myra Davis
Faculty Advisers Michael Gaspeny, Dr. Martha Brown
Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the editor belong to
their authors, not to the staff of the Banner, whose ideas appear in the
editorials at the top of this page.
Send letters to the editor to Box 2, campus post office. All corres-
pondence must bear a handwritten signature and must be acknowledged
by the author. Letters are subject to editing according to newspaper
style and demands of space. No anonymous letters will be published.