PAGE TWO
THE BENNETT BANNER
Friday, February 16, 1990
Celebrate achievers each day
People of African descent have been lifelong contributors in the development
of history, here in America and abroad. It goes without saying that many of them
have been a neglected part of history.
Black History Month is the time in which these great personalities can be
lauded and uplifted along with the well-known African-American history-mak
ers such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman and Frederick
Douglass.
It is a shame that history books never mention such illustrious individuals
as Alessandro de’ Medici (1510-1537) who was the first reigning duke of Flor
ence, Italy and the alleged son of Pope Clement VII. According to Italian history
“the young duke began his reign well . . . with wit and wisdom, a true sense of
justice, and ‘judgments that would have done credit to Solomon.”
Another was George A. P. Bridgetower (1789-1860) also known as “The Afri
can Prince” in British aristocracy. Bridgetower was one of the most brillant
violinists in history and was envied by great musicians such as Beethoven.
He wrote seven compositions, two of which are preserved in the British Museum.
A woman by the name of Mary Seacole was the first “modem Red Cross
nurse” during the Crimean War, and Dessalines “The Ferocious” was Haiti’s
liberator and its first emperor.
The greatness didn’t stop there: it poured into America which, in fact, was
explored by African and non-European explorers even before the Eu;ropeans
knew land existed beyond the Atlantic Ocean. People of color were rulers of great
empires that were “technologically advanced” prior to European influence. These
people were mentors in the world of knowledge and entertainment. They demon
strated this in ways such as early pioneering, the arts and sciences, athletics,
politics, business and humanitarianism.
February is the period set aside for commemorating the struggle and ac
complishment of African-Americans and other distinguished people of color.
Their legacy, however, cannot be sufficiently memorialized in 28 days. It is up
to all Americans to correct the neglect of black and non-European history-makers
365 days a year.
Only then can their many contributions to this planet be justly recognized.
(Rehan Overton)
Ex-Mernerites invoke golden rule
As we all know, several of the students who were residents of Meraer Hall,
including myself, suffered quite a loss from the fire damage. And luckily, mem
bers of the community did what they could to help us in our need for clothing
and other items.
However, it seems to me that although the fire was a major impact on the
lives of all of the Memer residents, not all of our fellow “sisters” understand
the significance of that impact. All of the residents of Merner were relocated to
other dormitories, and from what I have witnessed myself and heard from
other fire victims, many of our new neighbors are insenstive and uncompassio-
nate in dealing with us and our possessions.
We are lucky to have our lives, much less our possessions from Memer, yet
our neighbors don’t seem to care. All they care about is the removal of our things
from the hallways. Now, granted, our boxes do have an unpleasant smoky odor,
but if we moved them into our rooms, our rooms would then smell of smoke. So,
until we have the opportunity to try and clean anything that can be salvaged
(remember, we still have classes to go to as well as you do, in addition to other
activities), and Bennett comes up with suitable storage space to meet our needs,
our boxes will have to stay in the hallways.
After the deadline for this editorial, on Feb. 8, 27 days after the fire, it
was announced that space for boxes had come available in Barge and Pfeiffer.
So, I’m sure, that all of our boxes will be out of the hallways as soon as possible.
And I stress “possible.”
All we ask, and I’m sure I speak for all of the Memer residents, is that you,
supposedly mature Bennett women, be a little more patient. If the situation were
reversed, I’m sure you would feel the same as we do.
I would also like to thank members of the faculty and staff for offering their
help and patience to myself and the other fire victims. It’s some consolation to
know that there is a spirit of kinship between the faculty/staff members and
students, if not between the students themselves.
And this entire situation reminds me of the old adage that you find out who
your true friends are in times of trage:ly. I just hope a situation like this never
happens again, especially to those comp’aining about the odors of our boxes.
Why, you ask? Let me put it to you this way: Treat others as you would
have them treat yourself. Get the point?(Yvette N. Freeman)
Has our sisterhood deteriorated?
by Louise Morris
A strong bond between
Belles has been one of the
finest attributes of the
college, but as years pass,
sisterhood seems to be a con
cern of the past, according to
respondents to a Banner poll.
Sisterhood is slowly deter
iorating and many students
do not seem to have any
suggestions on how to im
prove the situation, but they
do know just why it exists.
“Sisterhood is limited to
certain situations,” said
Nichelle Green, a senior from
Montclair, N.J. “Like the big
sister and little sister pro
gram, it has a bonding of
sisterhood.”
“Where is the togetherness
between the ladies of Beimett
College?” asked Sherrilyn
Hides, a freshman from Rich
mond, Va. “We are pulling
each other apart instead of
sticking together.”
There are a few who be-
Eeve first impressions and
stereotyping weaken sister
hood.
“One of the reasons we do
not have sisterhood is because
there is too much jealousy,
conceitedness and prejudge
ment of others,” said Rhonda
Williams, a sophomore from
Asbury, N.J.
Regional differences some
times cause antagonism.
“One of the reasons why
we do not have sisterhood is
because there is a geographi
cal separation on the cam
pus,” said Asiya Abdella, a
freshman from Washington,
D.C. “Bennett is now compe
titive and stereotypical be
cause people automatically
know where you are from by
the way you dress or look.”
One respondent felt that
sisterhood was an issue that
could be solved by discussing
problems.
“I feel our sisterhood is a
very debatable subject be
cause I don’t feel we have lost
all of it,” said Paulette Ross,
a junior from Charlotte. “I
feel it’s up to the individuals
that make up Bennett to come
together and improve our
sisterhood.”
On the other hand, a res
pondent said we did have
sisterhood.
“Yes, I believe that there
is a sisterhood at Bennett,”
said Cynthia Washington, a
junior from Washington, D.C.
“Although it is not as tan
gible to some or obvious, it is
there.”
Washington said that “stu
dents have to realize that you
are not going to get along
with everyone you meet and
that’s life! Almost everyone
has had some ‘adventure’ or
good experience with another
student that they will not
trade for anything. Then there
are times when you disagree
or argue, but all in all, that’s
a part of sisterhood.”
Rap is a positive force
by Rehan Overton
The political and social
messages of rap artists are
a positive effort towards
building a unified and drug-
free culture in America, ac
cording to students.
Although rappers are often
criticized for their non-con-
forming and sometimes
radical lyrics, Belles approve
of the messages that rappers
send out.
“They (rap artists) start
an awareness,” said Shana
Chambers, an advanced fresh
man from Denver, Colo. “And
an awareness is needed . . .
Our (black Americans) posi
tion right now in the United
States, we’re kind of between
a rock and a hard place . . .
There’s two forks in the road.
One way, we could keep going
the way we’ve been going for
all these years. And then one
way, I see a revolution. I feel
the deciding factor will be rap
music.”
Belles feel that rap music
is the key to end the social
and political problems that
this generation of blacks is
facing.
“Young (people) are much
more aggressive than the
older generation and they are
getting tired of a lot of the
social and economic depriva
tion that is on them. And I
feel like they (rap artists)
are using the music to get a
message across to the young
(people) and they’re waking
up . . . It’s not a bad thing
when it has a good message,”
said Jacqueline Jennings, a
freshman from Washington,
D.C.
However, some Belles spoke
about the negative and pro
fane messages that rap artists
such as N.W.A. (Niggers
With An Attitude), The Too
live Crew and L.L. Cool J.
exhibit in their music.
“When it’s negative, they
(teenagers) pick up what the
words are,” said Marya Moon,
a sophomore from New York,
N.Y. “Like L.L. Cool J. for
example ... In his video
when he’s climbing up a
wall . . . It’s not realistic; it’s
not something that you know
people admire . . . That (he)
should go out and tease their
minds with something as
crimnal as that.”
According to junior Erica
Salter of Cincinnati, the
rap group N.W.A. was almost
banned from performing in
Cincinnati and was prohibited
from singing certain songs
because of obscene lyrics.
Special interest groups
claim that album covers
should display labels that
warn parents of songs that
contain adult or negative
lyrics.
“They (white Americans)
don’t understand what needs
to be censored vdth us and
what doesn’t need to be cen
sored,” said Chambers. “If
there is going to be a censor
ship ... of rap music and
R&B music, it should be done
by black people who under
stand what our situation is
right now.”
White America’s insecuri
ties about its own position in
society may be the reason
behind aU the uproar about
the political messages in rap
songs such as “Fight the
Power” and “Don’t Believe
the Hype” by Public Enemy,
according to Jennings.
Belles feel that no matter
how much rap music is put
under fire, it announces the
awakening of black America’s
consciousness. It is the music
of this generation.
Gravely comments on changes in students’ attitudes
Editor-in-chief Yvette N. Freeman
Reporters Iris Beclon, Rehan Overton,
Lorraine S. Patton, Erica Salter
Photographer Yvette N. Freeman
Adviser Michael Gaspeny
Opinions expressed in essays, coiumns and letters to the editor belong
to their authors, not to the staff of the Banner, vi^hose 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.
(from page 1)
students who are just begin
ning their careers and help
them focus on a positive
career.”
A Greensboro resident,
Gravely has “never been far
from the college,” but in 1985
she decided she “needed a
change,” so she left the college
to work at the YWCA as a
program director at educa
tional services. Though she
was not working at Bennett,
she was still an advocate of
the college. She was president
of the Greensboro Alumnae
Chapter as well as a national
officer for the national or
ganization for alumnae for
three years.
As the assistant vice pre
sident of student affairs.
Gravely says she does not
foresee making any changes.
She says she’s here to “sup
port the administration and
their whole effort to focus
the college towards the future
or to address the year 2000
and its expectations of its
generation of students.”
Gravely has been “surprised
to a little degree at the extent
of the apathy among students
and the lack of students in
volved in their college learn
ing experience.”
Gravely’s idea of a college
student is “a person that is
thirsty for learning and that
every experience for the stu
dent becomes a leaming ex
perience whether it’s positive
or negative,” but a few of the
students she’s seen “tend to
want to dwell on negative
aspects, and it seems there’s
a lot of energy wasted on
negative things and that’s
not the norm for most of the
Bennett students.” She thinks
“most of the Bennett students
are really into their studies
and moving about.”
Even though she’s had a
variety of positions here at
the college, she feels this is a
challenge to work in a new
area with students in another
capacity. She says the job is
a 24-hour job instead of a
12-hour job.