PAGE TWO
THE BENNETT BANNER
Friday, April 28, 1989
Self-pride is more than a label
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Ever since I heard that the Reverend Jesse Jackson is trying to have the
black American label changed to African-American, I have been trying to decide
if it should be changed. Right now I have not taken any particular stand on the
issue, because in analyzing both sides of the argument, I have come upon some
valid points which should be considered carefully before deciding.
On the pro side, it seems to me that changing the label to African-American
will help our society to get away from identifying people, particularly minorities
such as ourselves, by our skin color. Black Americans are the only race of
people who have the color of their skin as their label of identification. And more
often than not, the term “black” in the black American label is not even capi
talized. Also, even though minority groups, such as ourselves, tend to call every
one else who is not a minority, “whites”, they more commonly refer to themselves
as “Caucasians.”
Also, the change of label could be considered another movement towards
self-pride, which is essentially how we became labled as black Americans. In the
1970s, a Black Power movement took place, and black became beautiful. To show
our pride, we began displaying the black pride colors, red, black, and green, and
calling ourselves “black Americans.” Now, Rev. Jackson and others feel that it is
time for another change. A change to a name that reflects the pride of our African
heritage and not the color of our skin. A change to show that we have not for
gotten our roots.
On the con side of the argument, changing our name once again might re
flect a sense of confusion on our part as to our identity. In the 1960s we were
“coloreds”; in the 1970b we became “blacks”; and now in the 1980s and 90s,
we re African-Americans. It does seem if we change our identity every 10 years
or so, it could make others wonder if we really do know who and what we
are and want to be.
There is also another point which was recently brought to my attention.
Would a “white” person born in an African country, who then later became a
U.S. citizen, also be considered an African-American? If so, then the term
“black” would inevitably appear once again at the beginning of the Afncan-
American label to distinguish us from a “white” African. Then, we vvould be
right back where we are now, using skin color as the mam basis of identity.
So, is it better to change our label from black American to African-American?
The African-American label represents our pride in our heritage without refer
ence to our skin color. Yet the label black American uses skin color as its founda
tion. It answers the two main questions of our identity who we are. black
and what we are: black — in one word. So is it really all that important to get
away from skin color identifications? If it is, is it possible? It seems to me that
no matter what we are called, the term “black will always appear before our
name, since it is the easiest way for non-minorities to identify and distinguish
us from themselves.
So, in the end, where do I stand on this issue? I still do not have a particul^
stand. However, I do feel that our society needs to eliminate identity by skin
color. But whether or not a label change will eliminate that habit, I don t know.
However, I do know that whatever I am labeled, although my feet are firmly
“planted” on American soil, my heart is firmly “rooted” in my African heri
tage. (Yvette N. Freeman)
First Lady’s graduation visit ignites debate
Welcome, Mrs. Bush
Opinion
by Cherryl Floyd
Is there some law in the
constitutions of black colleges
that says that anyone who
comes to speak must be
black? I think not.
I heard the announcement
that Barbara Bush will be the
commencement speaker, and
every ounce of my black
consciousness rebelled to ask,
“Why Barbara Bush?” That,
though, was only an initial
reaction which lasted for al
most two whole minutes.
Aside from the very obvi
ous reason that Mrs. Bush
will bring limitless and very
welcome national attention to
this great institution, there
are a few other good reasons
that we should consider.
First of all, Barbara Bush
is a supporter of women’s
colleges which is what Ben
nett is—at least that has been
the consensus during self-
study. No matter what ethnic
background she claims heri
tage to, she is “for” Bennett
College and should be neither
overlooked nor turned away
because of the color of her
skin. Sound familiar?
To those of my Bennett
sisters whose complaints rest
on the fact that this very
prominent guest is white and
to those who have already
presumed that the first fact
is evidence of prejudice, I
submit that she is already
your enemy and that there
is even a reason for her to
speak to you. When has a
person in combat (and since
I hear rumors of a petition,
someone is fighting some
thing, if not someone else)
ever been fortunate enough
to hear the words spoken by
an enemy to the enemy’s
supporters? W^hen else could
a person get into his enemy’s
mind? Hardly ever!
Have we, the “Talented
Tenth,” become so narrow
minded in our black conscious
ness that we choose to limit
ourselves rather than expand
in every possible direction
simply because the method of
expansion in a particular
direction depends on a person
with a different skin color?
If so, I hope this is no indica
tion of what our generation
of this pool of talented black
people—black women—is to
become.
The minds of black people
have already had limits
placed on them by other shal
low people (yes, I do mean
from other races) who deter
mine what we cannot become,
do, see, feel, touch or smell.
We don’t need to place the
same limits on our own minds.
It makes us just as shallow.
Barbara Bush is not the
first white person that you,
fellow Belles, have had to deal
with, and she certainly will
not be the last. You deal with
whites everyday when/if you
go to classes, in the stores
that you love to shop in and
probably on the job, if you
are a working Belle.
I’d like to remind everyone
that Bennett College is our
home, and a place we should
be proud of. I have grown to
love our school, president,
faculty, staff, administration
and my Bennett sisters. Why
wouldn’t I want to share
these wonderfully uniaue
things with anybody in the
world? Whites need the same
exposure to black culture as
some blacks do.
These grounds were good
enough for Bob Jordan to
walk last semester, and the
classrooms were good enough
for Diana Embler to leam in.
Why not Barbara Bush?
nne U^a
nnct
Editor-in-chief Yvette N. Freeman
Assistant editor Shavaughn Neal
Reporters Cherryl Floyd, Joycelynne Hodges, Lorraine Patton,
Betsy Peoples, Taundra S. Woodard
Advisers Mr. Michael Gaspeny, Dr. Martha Gleaton
Opinions expressed in essays, 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.
Speaker is disappointing
opinion
by Joycelynne Hodges
What’s all this fuss about
the 1989 commencement
speaker being the wife of
President George Bush, First
Lady Barbara Bush?
Everyone seems to think
that it is such an honor. For
whom, the graduating
seniors ? I don’t think so. Mrs.
Bush may be a prominent
figure in America, but where
does she stand in black
America? Mrs. Bush speaking
to the Belles is like the wife
of South African Prime Mi
nister Botha speaking to the
seniors of North Carolina
A&T State University.
When the senior class was
asked whom we wanted for a
commencement speaker, we
all gave our choices. Then a
list was read on who had been
invited as a speaker. This list
included names like Camille
Cosby, Coretta Scott King
and Oprah Winfrey, to name
a few. Yes, Mrs. Bush’s name
was also on the list, but it
was also stated that it was
very unlikely that she would
accept.
I think that at that point
Mrs. Bush had already ac
cepted. What ever happened
to democracy and the right
to vote? I understand that
some of the other choices did
not accept, but there could
have been others. Yolanda
King, daughter of the Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., said
that A&T was the first black
school to ever invite her to
speak. Amazing, isn’t it?
What I took as a slap in
the face was the fact that all
we have ever heard about for
the past two years is that
we are striving to become
successful black women, “phe
nomenal black women.” If this
is the motto of Bennett Col
lege, how can the First Lady
tell me how to become this
type of woman?
While it is true that the
baccalaureate speaker is Dr.
Willie Barrow, CEO of Opera
tion P.U.S.H., it is a disap
pointment that the commence
ment speaker is Mrs. George
Bush.
And what about all of the
work being done on the cam
pus? Why is it that Bennett
never takes pride in itself
until a diplomatic figure
comes to the school ? The
same thing happened during
the inauguration week. Who
are the new fences for, us or
Mrs. Bush? Have you noticed
all of the extra security of-
fiers? We have always
needed them.
While it is true that Mrs.
Bush will cause great pub
licity and attention to Ben
nett, how long do you suppose
this will last? During the
commencement, all attention
is going to be on Mrs. Bush,
but after talking to some
members of the senior class,
it is safe to say that their
attention will not be focused
on her, but on the high num
ber of security here on cam
pus and what they do as she
speaks.
What those in charge fail
to realize is that the class of
1989 is not naive and we know
that we were swindled. There
has always been an emphasis
on listening to the student
body and their concerns, but
in this case the senior class
concerns have been ignored.
Pfeiffer cats are rentembereil; BEEP praises Belles
To the editor;
On October 25, 1988, Pfeiffer
Hall suffered the loss of five new
born kittens. These newborn kit
tens belonged to Molly. Who is
Molly, you are probably wonder
ing? Molly is Pfeiffer Hall’s
adopted cat who is black and
white and walks around Bennett’s
campus very proudly, very grace
fully and very queenly. Now she
walks in sorrow, in grief and in
mourning. Why?
Someone has chosen to take the
responsibility to call the Humane
Society, a decision that was wrong.
As a result, her kittens have been
taken away forever. Pfeiffer Hall
cared for Molly even before find
ing out that she was pregnant.
Molly trusted us like she trusted
no others because she knew that
we loved her and that we would
let no harm come to her or her
then-unborn babies.
After the kittens were born,
they were treated like angels.
They were precious not only to
Molly but to each young lady who
contributed to her well-being.
It absolutely breaks our hearts
to know that someone could be
so cruel, so jealous (which is
what we believe w'as the case)
to do such an awful thing out of
spite.
We go around talking about
sisterhood. Well, I’m sorry no
sister of mine would do such a
thing no matter how much re
sentment she felt towards me. It’s
going to take a lot more from a
lot of people to prove this sister
hood we talk and sing about.
The ladies of Pfeiffer Hall all
seem to agree that we have been
betrayed by our own, and it’s
really sad. A lot was learned from
this one small incident. We all
need to examine ourselves and
see just what sisterhood means.
I would also suggest looking up
the definition of friendship be
cause that’s where it all starts.
If you find that you can’t be
a friend, then you might as well
forget about being a sister. It
just won’t happen. It might help
if you keep this little thought
instilled in your mind: Do unto
others as you would have them
do unto you! You can’t go wrong
with anyone or anything as long
as you follow this thought. If
this does not work for you, then
what you need to remember is
that what goes around comes
around. What you sow, you will
most definitely reap (and you
always reap much more than you
sow). So please for your own
sake, be carcful!
Aye’sha Brock
and the ladies of Pfeiffer Hall
Dear Dr. Scott;
Comments received so far from
members of the Black Executive
Exchange Program confirm my
observations: Bennett College’s
program was a memorable exper
ience!
The Bennett Belles were warm,
inquiring, active listeners, recep
tive and reciprocal. We all learned
from each other. The program as
arranged by Jean Humphries and
Julia Covington apeared well plan
ned. The outcome was successful.
I commend you for the leader
ship you provide to faculty, ad
ministrators and students. I thank
you for your loyal support of
BEEP. I wish you continued suc
cess.
Renee Du Jean
Director
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