Page Two
THE CAMPUS ECHO
Wednesday, May 18, 1966
Two Types Of Instructors In Negro Colleges - Daye
Athletics are an integral part of college development.
College Is Not A Springboard
For Social Progress Says Lewis
By Willa W. Lewis
Editor’s Note—Mrs. Lewis is
a professor of Physical Educa
tion. She has done graduate
work at Bo^on University, the
Fniversity of North Carolina,
and the University of Minnesota.
College has many meanings,
which vary with the individual.
Some people may think of col
lege as a place to spend four
years, no matter what happens
to them later on, while others
may think of college as a means
of social progression; or still
others may see college as a
school offering specialized in
struction in some profession for
some occupation. But I see col
lege offering a new way of life.
Every student who goes to col
lege asks himself this ques
tion—What Is College?
College comprises an accumu
lation of what students already
know and college offers a
source of exploration of the un
known which is the soul of an
education. These goals on which
our American society were
built—knowledge, human digni
ty, and justice—are best at
tained through college training.
College may be aggressive
and provide for experiences
which help perfect the natural
powers of the mind, enabling
the student to become intelligi
ble, creative and independent.
Colleges following this proce
dure, attempt to humanize by
perfecting his reasoning and
giving dignity to the individual.
All colleges should stimulate
and promote the spirit of intel
lectual curiosity which will per
petuate progress—since large
student bodies and many build
ings do not make a college. A
college is measured by its quali
ty of scholars, teachers, crea-
tiyeness, and intellectual en
deavors.
A college cannot afford to be-
c o m e stagnant or compla
cent, but must possess unlimited
innovations which will open
many new horizons in the fu
ture. The progressive college
realizes its responsibilities to
produce leaders who are aware
of changes in opportunity, pro
gress, direction and achieve
ment. Many a youth has mas
tered the newest discoveries in
science and new mathematics
before entering college—thus
the twentieth century college
must constantly stay prepared
to offer newer and more effec
tive patterns for learning, be
yond the televisions, computers
and tapes.
A college must be familiar
with the important problems
and aspirations of its society.
The college should attempt to
offer an education guided by
values, derived from knowledge
of these needs and aspirations
which reflect this society, as
we live in a changing world.
The college society exists in a
world of different cultures and
economic systems, and can only
survive in changes by pos
sessing the ability and willing
ness to adapt to these changes.
Failure to do so, will diminish
their service to the college stu
dent. Most colleges attempt to
educate man as a whole unit and
to give him his chance, regard
less of his birth, his opportuni
ty, his right to live, work, to be
himself, the seeker and what
his manhood and vision can
make him become. Colleges are
moving more and more toward
the need for the wholeness of
man, and not an organizational
man (loss of identity, just
another person in the crowd).
College should at all times
show an effective and stable
sense of direction. The students,
faculty and everyone involved
should be aware of its purposes
and goals, so all will know
where it is going and why it is
going and why it is doing this
or the other.
Finally, the college should
develop healthy minds which
are critical, accurate in judg
ment, original, creative and in
telligent in the application of
knowledge; these minds should
be competent in all aspects of
human knowledge to become
those of the college graduates
who are competent to compete
in a materialistic society.
Lola Sadlo, San Fernando
Valley State College editor in
her paper on International As
pects said “We live in a time
when it is being realized more
and more that colleges serve as
means of international under
standing, understanding that
may be born to those of mutual
interests and training; and
learning from each other so that
there may be greater under
standing between us all.”
By Charles Daye
Editor’s Note—Charles Daye,
a Senior political science major,
is president of the Student
Government Association. Daye
worked in the State Department
last summer and has been ac
cepted by the Columbia Uni
versity Law School.
I perceive in America two
types of colleges. One type is
for learning how to make one’s
life productive, for developing
the talents of young men and
women to think critically and
for providing one with a founda
tion upon which he may build
a system of values, i.e. a creed
to live by. The second type
with which I am most concern
ed, is the so-called Negro col
lege. This type of institution is
a vestige of racial segregation,
which clings tenaciously with a
self-contained inertia to the
black bourgeoise notion of gens
de couleur. Negro colleges are
perpetuated by white southern
ers who have a vested interest
in maintaining racial segrega
tion in league with so-called
Negro elite who run Negro col
leges for personal aggrandize
ment and social prestige.
In these institutions are train
ed a great majority of the Negro
teachers and Negro citizens of
tomorrow’s world. I specifically
mention the teachers because
they are the ones who, more
than others, are going to be in
direct contact with the innocent
black faces of deprived young
sters in the small rural com
munities from which most of us
have temporarily emerged.
With this sketchy introduc
tory picture as a background, I
wish to proceed to analyze three
related phenomena of the Negro
college; (1) the administrators,
(2) the instructors, and (3) the
students.
Let me state here two things
to prevent any misinterpreta
tions of the remarks that will
follow. First, I sincerely be
lieve that our college does serve
a vital function, however poor
ly, of offering a type of educa
tion to many of us who other
wise have no chance at all of
improving ourselves. Second,
even though my remarks will
be highly critical, I do not wish
them to be construed as a cate
gorical condemnation of Negro
colleges. In fact, my discussion
will have only a cursory con
cern for other colleges, and will
The adoption of the
cap and gown is one of
the striking atavistic
features of modern
college life.
—Thorstein Veblen
pertain directly to North Caro
lina College.
Administrators at Negro
Colleges
Our administrators seem in
terested ipso facto, in main
taining the status quo. Each
change must be scrutinized, an
alyzed and “properly channel
ized” until those who seek pro
gress and change either grow
tired or simply give up. Use
less committees with fancy
names are established which
must “study” and re-study any
change. To our administrators,
education, i. e., the development
of critical thinking capacities,
is quite clearly secondary to
the development of Victorian
social codes. These social codes
are enforced through diligent
and zealous adoption of rules,
restrictions, etc. They are de
veloped by Negro administra
tors, who from their positions.
known only segregation and are
prejudiced against them at the
outset. Such a situation creates
an almost insurmountable bar
rier against objective thought.
Students at Negro Colleges
Most of us come from de
prived socio-economic b a c k-
grounds. We enter colleges that
have used our socio-economic!
backgrounds as excuses for re
straint upon restraint. Few of
us are really interested in a
good education. In fact, most of
us see college as a short-cut
to quick financial reward and
a life of ease. I fear that cer
tain disappointment awaits us.
I do not wish to engage in
the all too familiar harangue
about “get ready.” But I must
admit that, like it or not, wel
must compete in the outside
world according to standards
that were established before we
were seriously considered as be-
I
ir
Long lasting friendships are developed during college days.
Studying occupies a large part of college life.
see Negro students much like
pre-Civil War slave owners saw
Negroes. To them we are shift
less, irresponsible, morally de
praved and lacking nearly
every virtue that they regard as
important. Many Negro ad
ministrators remain in single
positions so long that they, in
themselves, almost become in
stitutions which are not to be
questioned and certainly not
remarked to me, “I will con
descend to answer your ques
tion.” This statement typifies
the attitude of many of our
administrators. Some of our ad
ministrators act as if they be
lieve students utterly are in
capable of playing any role at
all in the policy-making pro
cess. Others seem to feel that
theirs is the last word, the final
truth. Any questioning is re
garded as disrespectful, indeed.
Instructors at Negro Colleges
Negro colleges mainly are
staffed by two types of instruc
tors. One major group includes
Negroes, who comprise a ma
jority. Too many speak out be
hind closed doors of the class
room as progressives but are
never heard from in the public
forum. The other major group
includes the white instructors,
who, for various reasons, have
chosen or accepted tenure at,
an otherwise, Negro institution.
Some, I fear, have slight “mis
sionary complexes,” while oth
ers are simply looking for a
job and are perhaps too con
cerned about the racial compo
sition of the students.
Too many of the Negro in
structors are busy showing off
their knowledge to really teach
and few are interested in de
veloping critical thinkers. The
tragedy of the white instructors'
is that even the most dedicated,
must teach students who have
ing a part of American society.
Too few of us are concerned, or
even conversant, with momen
tous issues of our time. We read
too little and without a suffi
ciently broad spectrum. Our in
terests are woefully limited. Our
emphases are tragically mis
placed.
We leave our colleges armed
with an inscribed piece of pulp
which aside from being a status
symbol signifying nothing, is
virtually useless in a society that
is already hostile to us and uses
merit to continue to exclude us.
We leave college with our think
ing capacities undisturbed. We
leave college with our values
undeveloped. We leave college
with our discretion imtried. In
short, we leave our college feel
ing at last emancipated only to
face a life of slavery because
we are not being adequately
prepared. In Negro colleges our
every move is controlled. We
conform or we are “kicked out.”
Thus we have no opportunity to
develop our discretion, to form
our values, or to exercise our
judgment. Our discretion, judg
ment, values-all-are forced upon
us by college.
To explain the situation des
cribed above are many valid
reasons and many more “apolo-
gistic” excuses, all of which in
the final analysis prove mean
ingless. The cruel tragedy is,
however, that our colleges
which are the last institutions
capable of performing a truly
liberating function are in fact
setting^us up to become the vic-
tuns of a final onslaught of
misery as we innnocently, al
beit unprepared, step out for an
encounter with life.
A Prognosis
If its present direction and
emphasis continue, the Negro
(See Two Types, Page 4)