Octobf. im...THE PEW...P«fl« 3
Students march for
Black College Day
A dilemma resolved
Dr. Julius F. Nimmons Jr.
Chairman,
Division of Social Science
Sydney J. Harris, a News
American Syndicate columnist,
wrote an article that appeared
recently in a local newspaper.
The arUcle was entitled “Beware
the liar who believes his lie”.
This article provided a
framework for me to resolve a
dilemma that confronted me for
years. Having solved my pro
blem, perhaps some observtions
will assist others with a similar
concern.
For me honesty, integrity,
sincerity and truth are virtues
that each of us should cherish and
possess. When someone com
municates with me, I tend not to
ascribe any other motives to their
comments or remarks than they
themselves suggest. For exam
ple, if someone indicates that
what they are about to reveal to
me is in confidence, then, I ac
cept the statements in that vein
and they remain with me as con
fidential facts - never to be
repeated. And yet, too often, I
have come to know that the very
same remarks made to me in
“confidence” were stated openly
by others freely. This to me posed
a tremendous dilemma - either I
was naive or the person simply
lied to me.
What I have learned from the
article I read is that the most
dangerous liars in the world are
not the poeple who lie to other
people, but the people who lie to
themselves. Apparently, these
people who tell lies do not tell
them without first believing the
lies themselves. Because of this,
Harris suggests, that the liar con
veys an air of total sincerity.
The author asked the question:
what is a "lie”? His response was
that when considered objectively,
a lie is a mistatement of fact. If
the speaker believes it to be true,
IS he uttering a “lie” or simply a
misstatement?
Most of us, generally, out of
naivete or kindness may decline
to call it a lie ~ but what if the ut-
terer has closed his mind, and
refuses to re-examine the fact? Is
not the willingness to believe a lie
as much a spiritu^and inteUec-
tual sin 'as consciously
perpetrating a falsehood?
It is this situation that I was
confronted with, too frequently,
in an atmosphere and at levels
where, I believed, it should not
exist. The ease with which in
dividuals I once held in the
highest esteem spilled out
misstatements created this
dilemma for me. You see, truth
for me is the highest virtue.
And when truth becomes mixed
with sincerity (another virtue)
resulting in misstatements of
fact, then, that compounds my
dilemma. The more sincere you
are, the more damage you can
do, and the more wrong-minded
followers you are able to attract.
Although, I believe, as the author
of the article, it is because truly
evil leaders of mankind have not
been the hypocrites and
manipi^tors of public opinion,
but the impassionied zealots who
are absolutely convinced that
what they are saying is the gospel
truth.
This is why, and how, they ex
ercise such hypnotic influence
upon their followers. Many of
Hitler’s lieutenants may have
been (and were) cynical about
his rantings, but he himself never
doubted for a moment that his
paranoid delusions reflected
reality in the outside world.
What we call “charismatic” in
fluence is generated by absolute
sincerity, combined with
singleness of purpose; and far
more evil has been wrought by
such fanatics than by any
number of cunning hypocrites.
All of us lie to Ofurselves, about
one' thing or another, far more
than we lie to others. And it is
when we are inextricably bound
to these lies that we do the most
harm to ourselves and all around
us. Sincerity which thinks it is the
same possessor of truth is a
deadlier sin than hypocrisy,
which knows better.
By Miranda Inntos
“We don’t need no music ’cause
all we want to do is read and
write and study hard, and stay in
our black schools....”
These were the words shouted
as hundreds of black college
students and their supporters
marched through the streets of
downtown Raleigh in celebration
of National Black College Day
last Monday (Sept. 30). En route
to Raleigh’s Capitol building, the
spirited marchm also sang the
popular Negro spiritual “We
sh^ overcome” and belted out,
“Ronald Reagan, he’s no good!
Send him back to Hollywood!”
Upon arrival to the Capitol, the
crowd did not lose its vigor. They
quickly assembled and awaited
messages from the Honorable
Walter Fauntroy, Congressman
(Washington, D.C.), Dr. Abdul
Alim Muhammad, a surgeon and
member of the Nation of Islam
(representing Louis Farrakhan),
and student leaders from many of
the eleven black colleges in North
Carolina.
Mr. Fauntroy stressed the need
for black college students to excel
in academics. He also brought
greetings from the house that he
represents, the Committee to
FiW South Africa, and the na-
ti(Mial banking and finance com
mittee of which he is co-
chairman. The congressman add
ed that our black brothers and
sisters in South Africa work for
about one hundred and fifty
dollars per month and many of
the businesses that blacks
patronize in the U.S. have in
vestments in these companies
that ‘continue to enslave our peo
ple.’
Dr. Muhammad on the other
hand, addressed the on-going
campaign concerning economic
freedom and what it involved. He
said, “Do you know what you are
doing when you declare economic
freedom? Economic freedom is
war.” He further stated the need
for blacks to support their
leaders and be willing to fight for
freedom whatever the cost.
Closing remarks were given by
Mr. Fauntroy and Dianna Ross’
popular song Reach out And
Touch was sung as filled persons
left the grounds pondering some
of what was said and looking for
ward to continuing the fight for
academic excellence, and
economic freedom.
Applications sought
for senior, postdoctoral
research associateships
By Regina M. Ford
The National Research Council
announces the 198S Resident,
Cooperative, and Postdoctoral
Research Associateship Pro
grams for research in the
sciences and engineering to be
conducted in behalf of 25 federal
agencies or research institutions,
whose laboratories are located
throughout the United States.
The programs provide Ph.D.
scientists and engineers of
unusual promise and ability with
opportunities to perform
research on problems largely of
their own choosing yet compati
ble with the research interests of
the suniwrting laboratory.
Initiated in 1954, the
Associateship Programs have
contributed to the career
development of over 40(N) scien
tists ranging from recent Ph.D.
recipients to distinguished senior
scientists.
Approximately 350 new full
time Associateships will be
awarded on a competitive basis
in 1986 for research in:
chemistry, earth and at
mospheric sciences; engineering
arid appHM sciericesV biological,
health and behavioral sciences;
mathematics; space and
planetary sciences; and physics.
Most of the programs are ^n to
both U.S. and non-U.S. nationals,
and to both recent Ph.D. degree
recipients and senior in
vestigators.
Awards are designed for one or
two years; senior an>licants who
have held the doctorate at least
five years may request shorter
tenure. Stipends for the 1906 {Mto-
gram year will begin at 126,350 a
year for recent Ph.D.s and be ap
propriately higher for senior
Associates.
A stipend supplement approx
imately $5,000 may be available
to regular (not senior) awardees
holding recognized doctoral
degrees in those disciplines
wherein the number of degrees
conferred by US graduate schools
is significantly below the current
demand. In the 1965 program
year, these areas have been
engineering, computer science,
and space-related biomedical
science.
Reimbursement is provided for
allowable relocation costs and for
limited professional travel dur
ing tenure. The host laboratory
provides the Associate with pro
grammatic assistance including
facilities, support services,
necessary equipment, and travel
necessary for the conduct of the
approved research program.
Aplications to the National
Research Council must be
postmarked no later than
January 15, 1966 (April 15 and
August 15, 1966). Initial awards
will be announced in March and
April (July and November for the
two later competitions) followed
by awards to alternates later.
Information on specific
research opportunities and
federal laboratories, as well as
application materials, may be ob
tained from the Associateship
Programs, Office of Scientific
and Engineering Personnel, JH
606-DI, National Research Coun
cil, 2101 Constitution Avenue,
N.W., Washington, D C. 20418,
(2(J2)'334^2f7M.