THE BENNETT BANNER
N,
'‘Believing that an informed campus is a Key to Democracy’^
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1973
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
VOL XXXVI, NO. 3
RIVERSIDE MINISTER SPEAKS
AT SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE
Bennett College observed
its traditional Service of Re
membrance for David Dallas
Jones on January 28, 1973 in
the Annie Merner Pfeiffer
Chapel. The tribute is paid
annually to the man who be
came the first president of
Bennett College for Wom/en
in 1926.
The contemporary address
was delivered by Dr. Robert
L. Polk, Minister of Urban
Affairs at The Riverside
Church in New York City.
This courch gained national
prominence by being the site
of James Forman’s announce
ment of the “Black Manifes
to.” The controversial docu
ment called for a $500 million
reparation from American
churches and synagogues for
the injustices suffered by
blacks under slavery and
capitalism.
Dr. Polk who formerly
served as college chaplain
and Dean of Student Affairs
of Dillard University, paral
leled the biblical success of
David over the giant Goliath
which symbolizes man’s at
tempt to overcome his prob
lems.
“Every man, every woman,
every person faces some kind
of Goliath. But you’ve got to
conquer that problem before
it conquers you,” he stated.
Dr. Polk cited three ele
ments which are essential to
combatting problems faced
by all men.
“The formula for courage
is to remember that the giant
is always vulnerable and that
you must he willing to admit
that to yourself.”
He further stated that each
man must have confidence in
his own judgment. “When a
man faces a serious problem
in his life he is well advised
to seek counsel,” he contend
ed, “but he should fully un
derstand that they are not
going to solve his problems
for him-”
He said that this derives
from having confidence in
one’s self, his parent’s teach
ing, and from one’s Christian
faith.
The Chicago native added
that the final element neces
sary to combat the problem
is to face it, as he said, “No
battle is ever won until it is
begim.”
He urged the College stu
dent to “use your education,
your strengths, and your un
derstanding of who you are
tc take that first step to rout
out a number of the social
problems” facing contempor
ary society.
A special musical tribute
was rendered by Cellist Ar-
melia Thomas, a member of
the Music Faculty. She play
ed Cedric Sharpe’s “The An-
gelus” and was accompanied
by Dr. Charlotte Alston.
1973 — AN IMPORTANT YEAR
1973 is both symbolic
and practical in the develop
ment of Bennett College. It
symbolizes a success story,
for the College has indeed
survived the hostilities of the
region and the times and re
mains a fuUy accredited in
stitution. It will be practical,
as the College seeks to broad
en its scope. It is as Dr. Isaac
Miller says: “Colleges will
not live in the future on the
basis of their past, but on
the basis of contributions
they make to relevant social
concerns and needs.”
The aims of the year are
very dependent upon the
three-year capital fund drive
which will be kicked off in
May, 1973. $1.5 million will
be used toward tbe Endow
ment Fund to expand tbe fi
nancial aid program and
faculty benefits.
The other $1.5 million will
be used for campus expansion
and renovation. This includes
the construction of a new
health center and landscap
ing. Already the Student
Union has been painted and
refurbishment proceedings
taken.
Major financial commit
ments have been nmade by
the following: Burlington In
dustries Foundation, $50,000;
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foun
dation, $100,000; the Woman’s
Home Missionary Society,
$25,000; the Board of Educa
tion of the United Methodist
Church, $25,000; and R. J.
Reynolds Industries, Inc.,
$25,000.
Three Alumnae
Named To
Trustee Board
M’rs. Hortense R. Wells ’41,
Mrs. Lydia Jetton Rogers ’38,
and Mrs. Emma Coston Smith
’48 were named to the Trustee
Board during the last fall
meeting.
Mrs. Wells presently serves
as director of the Norfolk,
Virginia Model City Educa
tional Program. She complet
ed her graduate work at the
University of Pennsylvania
and did further study at seven
major universities. She is a
member of numerous profes
sional organizations.
Mrs. Rogers is a retired in
structor of Home Economics
and Textile Science at How
ard University where she
taught for 31 years. She did
her graduate work at the
University of Wisconsin and
studied on the doctoral level
at New York University.
Mrs. Smith is Supervisor
and Placement Coordinator
in the Foster Care Division
of the Bucks County Depart
ment of Child Welfare in
' Philadelphia. For the past
four years she has been pres
ident of the Delaware Valley
Alumnae Association and
presently serves as chairman
of the National Alumnae As
sociation Centennial Commit
tee.
YOBU DISCUSSES THE PLIGHT
OF BLACK COLLEGES
Exam Schedule
On January 31, 1973,
Di’. Chauncey Winston,
dean of instruction, an
nounced a change in the
final examinations sched
ule for students other than
seniors. The final exami
nations will be held on
April 25-28, inclusive, and
April 30-May 1, inclusive,
instead of April 30-May 4.
The dates for final exam
inations for seniors will
not be changed. Those
dates are still April 25-28,
inclusive.
On January 13 and 14, rep
resentatives from 14 majn
Black Colleges and the Youth
Organization for Black Unity
(YOBU) came together on
the campus of North Caro
lina A&T State University.
The students discussed their
role in relationship to the
plight that presently threat
ens the existence of Black
Colleges across the country.
An assessment of the pres
ent problems that face Black
colleges established that the
major problem is a lack of
funding necessary to aid in
the development of services,
facilities, and faculty that are
required by modern relevant
education. Also, there was a
great deal of discussion
around the repression and
scare tactics that the stu
dents at Southern University,
Grambling and Arkansas A.
M. & N. are receiving be
cause of their attempts to
improve, alter and further
develop the character of their
campuses.
Having attended similar
meetings in the past, the stu
dents recognized the need for
a qualitative change in the
approach to dealing with
Black Institutions. It was de
cided that there was a need
for a well planned, well co
ordinated national effort, that
would involve all segments
of the Black community in .
the struggle to save Black
schools.
One of the initial steps will
be to call together represen
tatives from the 120 Black
Schools across the counti'y in
an initial workshop-planning
session to; (1) Define what
we perceive as a quality edu
cation for Black peoples; and
(2) Seriously discuss, out
line and agree upon a nation
al ^rategy that will deal ef
fectively with the plight of
Black Colleges.
One student said, “Black
Colleges and Universities are
being merged into Junior
Partnerships with white in
stitutions, they are forced to
become white oriented insti
tutions in an effort to receive
greater funding. We as Black
students must fight to main
tain Black Educational In
stitutions.”
The date that was set for
the national workshop-plan
ning session is March 16-18,
19T3. The schools that were
fnvolved in the pre-planning
session are: Arkansas A. M.
Clark College, Spelman
College, South Carolina State,
Southern University, Wash
ington Technical Institute,
Virginia State, Lincoln Uni
versity, North Carolina A&T
State University, Jackson
State College, Central State
University, Mississippi Indus
trial College, Bowie State,
Bennett College and the Youth
Organization for Black Unity.
One representative was se
lected from each of the four
teen schools represented to
form a national steering com
mittee 'to coordinate the pre
liminary aspects leading up
to the national conferences at
which time additional mem
bers will be added.
Following the conference,
the participants held a press
conference where they issued
the following statement voic
ing their concern over the
present crisis and the grow
ing repression of Black stu
dents at Southern University
and other Black Colleges:
Since the reopening of the
two Southern University cam
puses on January 3, 1973, the
situation has been one of
repression, intimidation, and
harrassment. Louisiana state
and college officials in co
operation with the white
news media have moved to
keep present day activities
from being publicized.
The students on the Baton
Rouge campus after having
signed a loyalty oath to the
school are required to pre
sent two identification cards,
ones issued since the Novem
ber 16th murders, before
(Continued on Page 4)
A centennial year gift of $450 was given to Bennett College by Greensboro’s North
western Bank. Dr. Isaac H. Miller accepted the gift from Northwestern representatives Jack
D. Horner, eVecutive vice president; and Thomas S. Strickland, marketing officer.