The News Argus, September 2003
STUDENT
eatures
Ram TV is
hoping that
you will tune
in this year
for new pro
gramming.
Haki Madhuti shares literary talents with WSSU
By Crystal Bullock
Argus reporter
Poet, essayist and entreprenuer, Haki
Madhubuti, embodies a true spirit of
renaissance man as he moves through
the worlds of literature, business and
education. Madhubuti was the guest
speaker for a program was held by the
Department of English and Foreign
Languages on September 4 . Many stu
dents were given opportunites to
engage in conversation on issues of con
cern to African Americans.
Madhubuti highlighted the impor
tance of using reading and education to
escape to a hard-knock life. From this
experience he emersed himself in the
black arts world. Madhubuti has pub
lished several collections, some of
which he shared with the students.
These collections included: Book of Life,
Selected an New Poems, and Don't Cry,
Scream.
Among Madhubuti's writings to
emerge from his Third World Press are
Direction of Life.
Madhubuti's work charts the growth
of Blackness within the individual con-
ciousness. His work is especially char
acteristic of attempting to chart a way
out of whitness, allowing strength and
self-determination for Black Americans.
Madhubuti said he invested time in
writing political essays, hoping to open
the eyes of the public to the events and
attitudes of the world around them.
One of the most prominent African-
American authors, Madhubuti pub
lished over twenty-two books of essays
and poetry.
This extraordinary aspect of his car
reer relied upon the establishment of
the Third World Press.
Madhubuti said he was encouraged
by acclaimed poet Gwendolyn Brooks
to publish a collection of his poetry.
The result, Think Black, appeared in
1966 and was entirely self-published
and distributed.
After selling several hundred copies
of Think Black within a week,
Madhubuti realized that the dream of
independent publishing—free from
//
I'm not smart...I just apply myself.
- Shalonda Ingram
//
Photos by Erik Warren
Shalondra Ingram joins other band
members as they practiced for the
season.
Not the average 15-year-old
Ingram is beating odds in the classroom, on the field, in life
By Janeli J. Lewis
Argus News Editor
The average fifteen year old
female—she's in the 10th
grade; maybe she's running
for homecoming court; she could even
be on her high school track team...Or
just maybe, she's strolling the side
walks of a college campus!
Shalonda Ingram began fall classes
this semester with a cumulative GPA of
4.3 (3.98 without honors credits). She's
a freshmen majoring in biology, and
she's apart of the high-stepping WSSU
marching band.
She is a native of Winston-Salem and
a graduate of Parkland High school.
Ingram never saw the 5th or 8th grade
because she skipped both grades.
Ingram became a member of the
WSSU family, through the band.
While in high school, Ingram felt a
strong attraction to the WSSU band.
She attended WSSU's homecomings .
"I was always on WSSU's campus,"
she said. She said that she enjoyed
watching and listening to the universi
ty's marching band and she also was
apart of her high school's band.
Ingram has been beating the drums
for five years and years ago became
good friends with director of the band,
Emory Jones.
"I'm proud of her...she's a hard
worker," said Jones. He added, "She's
doing extremely well...I'm glad she's
here."
Yes, Ingram is here — at Winston-
Salem State University — and is
proud to be a Ram. This is after schol
arship offers to numerous prominent
schools including Georgetown
University and Georgia Tech.
Although Ingram was being heavily
recruited by many colleges and univer
sities, she admits that she (and her fam
ily) wanted her to stay closer to home.
"I wanted to go to an HBCU," she
said.
The fact that Ingram's mother, father,
grandma, god sister, and brother all
attended - or attend - WSSU, also
played a major role in her decision.
Most people who may see her roam
ing campus do not even know that she
is only 15, but those who do know,
have had a warm reaction to her.
"It's fun, they treat me like I'm nor
mal," she said.
Ingram's English teacher. Dr. Donald
Jenkins, was one of those do didn't
know.
"I didn't even know she was only 15;
I expect good things out of her
though."
Similar reactions were displayed
through her other professors expres
sions once they were made aware.
Chris Jennings, sophomore. Music
Education major, is the drum major for
the university marching band and
claims that no one suspects she is so
young, because she doesn't act in that
manner.
"She acts mature for her age...she's
always trying to do better," he said.
Jennings was introduced to Ingram
months before school began and said
his first impression was, "She's so
sweet."
Jennings spoke about how Ingram
fractured her arm in five places and,
"She still was in practice everyday...she
didn't miss a day," he said. Jennings
thinks that Ingram is an inspiration to
the band.
"The people on the band feed on
that...they look at it like she's small, she
has the bone disease, and she's still
doin' it!"
The bone disease or sickness that
Jennings is speaking of goes by the
name of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
"It's a brittle bone condition where
bones break very easily," Ingram said.
Ingram has not let the disease, which
causes her bones to break easily, to
keep her from doing what she wants to
do.
Tisha Samuels, another member of
the drumline, agrees with Jennings.
"That just goes to show how far your
mind can go...she's proof."
Ingram takes praise about her
perserverance and high grades in
stride.
"I'm not smart...I just apply myself."
established corporate interests-could be
attained.
The following year, Madhubuti and
two partners launched the Third World
Press in the basement of his Chicago
apartment. With four hundred dollars
and a mimeograph machine, an institu
tion was born in this humble setting.
Madhubuti now serves as the director
of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at
Chicago State University, which hosts
the Annual National Black Writers
Conference.
He and his wife, Safisha, are the
founders of the Institue of Positive
Education/New Concept School, a
Chicago-based grade school that pro
motes an afrocentric curriculum.
Fashion is
center-stage
in exhibition
at the gallery
By Stephanie Price
Argus reporter
Fashion has always been an impor
tant part of African American culture.
Since June 13, Diggs Gallery has
taken a look at fashion and the role it
has played throughout history with an
exhibition created by the Black Fashion
Museum, also known as BFM.
Master-minded in Washington D.C.,
the BFM created "A Stitch In Time, to
take a look at the role fashion through
out history. From a cape designed by a
former slave, Louvenia Price in the late
1800's, to the dress that Rosa Parks car
ried with her on her bus ride in 1955,
the exhibition covers a wide time span
not limited to clothing, but also includ
ing black designers and inventors like
Anne Lowe, Jeff Banks, and Naomi
Sims.
The exhibit features garments and
memorabilia that illustrates an impor
tant part of history. It includes 30 pho
tos along with 50 authentic artifacts
from 1800 to 2000. "A Stitch In Time"
begins -with the days of slavery with
servants' clothing and products that
were made on the plantations.
Female slaves worked diligently
sewing and doing other needlework.
The exhibit showcases Elizabeth
Keckley, the first black dressmaker to
sew for a president's wife.
"I enjoyed it overall,"said George
Moore, a junior applied science major.
"The one thing that stood out to me
was the older part of the history which
included information on Anne Lowe
and Elizabeth Keckley and her mark in
the fashion industry."
"To know that it was a black woman,
Elizabeth Keckley, that was the first
woman to really make dresses,
shocked me, "said junior mass commu
nications major, Lawan Smith.
The exhibit not only offers informa
tion, it also contains pictures taken
from various historical times and fash
ion displays throughout the gallery.
"I was surprised to see the actual
dresses in the exhibit. They had the
ones that the movie stars would actual
ly wear available," said Ashley
Parham, a junior mass communica
tions major.
The exhibit will continue in the Diggs
Gallery until September 19. The event
is free to the public. For more informa
tion call 336-750-2458.