Page Two
THE CAMPUS ECHO
Friday, February 28, 1969
Camp*^5^Echo
Member
ASSOCIATED COLLEGIA! E PRESS press
Esther Silver EDITOR
Talulla Reid BUSINESS MANAGER
William Haley, Otis Jordan ADVERTISING MANAGERS
Granger Martin CIRCULATION MANAGER
Winford Hooker NEWS MANAGER
Robert Bell SPORTS EDITOR
Rhonda Perry, Barbara Dorsey, Evelyn Willis TYPISTS
Evelyn Willis, Larry Johnson PROOFREADERS
REPORTERS
Barbara Wright, Granger Martin,Ronald Miller, Celia Sessoms,
Otelis Kearney, Otelia Artis, Edgar Grier, Pat Troxler, Roseline
McKinney, Michael Garrett, Alma Maxwell, Francis Majette.
Julius Small PHOTOGRAPHER
Jean Norris ADVISOR
Gap Exists Between Us Eagles
Much talk has been done on communication gaps between
“oldstei^” and “youngsters” and on the over “35’ers” and the
under “35’ers”, but little attention has been paid to the more subtle
gap—^the communication gap that exists between us Eagles. At
first glance, we would readily think that this is a ridiculous sup
position, but we as a student body have segmented ourselves into
too many factions. We have become so wrapped up in our individ
ual and group “things” that we can no longer communicate with
each other. We are caught in a dilemma of which we are responsi
ble.
We have reached a point where we are waging warfare with
each other. The apathetic resist the activists; the withdrawn oppose
the self-gratifiers and the political strategists combat the deeply
committed.
In resisting the activists the apathetic say, “Why confont the
administration with a list of impossible demands for change?”
Where the activists reply, “Stand up and tell it like it is;” the
apathetic view it as nothing but “noise.”
The activists view the apathetic as stupid, blind, cowardly, and
afraid to criticize and oppose the “Elstablishment.” The activists
and apathetic segregate themselves from each other on the supposi
tion that they have nothing in common. The apathetic have no ob
jective; the objective of the activists is to destroy the wall of
resistence that society seems to have thrown up against all of
their efforts.
The withdrawn in opposing the self-gratifiers say there is no
meaning in the beads, the afros, and the dashikis. They see them
as nothing more than mere means of attracting attention and ways
of telling the world, “I too am a part of you.”
The self-gratifyers think that the withdrawn are simply not
“with it” and that they are not in on the “happ>enings.” In their
own defense, the withdrawn say, “We cannot cope with it, so why
try? The world is changing so rapidly that “all” is outmoded be-
iore you realize what is happening.”
The political strategists, another faction, are not new on cam
pus; it’s just that they are not always seen. They have been termed
“bears” by the deeply committed because they hibernate all win
ter and come to the fore a few months before spring elections.
Their only objective is to get elected and to do nothing once
elected. They spend their time behind closed doors masterminding
their way to the ballot and to the vote.
The deeply committed are criticized and opposed by all, more
specifically by the activists and the political strategists, because
of their love for NCC. The deeply committed are concerned about
the welfare of the school and sing the alma mater with fervor.
Truth and service are their watch words. They seek change for a
better NCC. They want the best possible representation in the stu
dent government, professors, and administrators. Though the deeply
committed are concerned for the college, they too segregate them
selves, thus aiding in the continuation of the war.
Who will win the war? Will it be a continuous evil, hampering
the existence of us Eagles? Perhaps the only way out for us now is
to meet at the “conference table” and communicate with each other,
lest we destroy ourselves.
Brewer Views Wliite Killing Words
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ARTICLE DISGUSTS STUDENT
By JOHN BREWER
Chairman of Black Action Party
The physiognomy (or the sys
tem of defining white character
istics as desirable), must be re
versed by blacks, particularly
black students, in order to unite,
combine ideologies, and move
toward the concept of a black
university. That is to say, that
blacks must first realize that a
white man’s education can only
teach white values, logic, tradi-
ton, and racist outlooks that
are necessary for the perpetua
tion of white essence; and the
total subjugation of black peo
ple.
In addition, this monster of
connotations is the systematic
arrangement of words that de
pict white as the symbolic
goodness while black is
weighted with negative conno
tations. Therefore, no matter
how much a student relies on
the Negro logic (that he will
get his education first and then
help his people). This logic is
nothing but a twentieth cen
tury farce. How can a man
work to obtain the goal of help
ing to save his mother when
he is being taught to hate him
self and his mother?
In short, to obtain level “A”
one must have a consistent in
put before he can expect to con
fect any ideas of help through
change. For instance, if your
dogmatic father, Martin Luther
King did not appeal to the mass
es of black people that were
victims of race hate, discrimi
nation and many other kinds of
negative experiences, where
would the non-violence move
ment have been? Non-existent,
would you not say? Southern
Negroes would still be eating
with Jim-Crow signs hanging
over their heads, would still be
sitting on the back of the bus,
(See Brewer Views, Page 6)
Dear Editor,
I’m disgusted. I’m disgusted
after reading your December 20
issue of the Campus Echo. I feel
compelled to write this letter
for the simple reason that I’ve
been disturbed since then. I’m
not in any way upset over the
paper. I think it’s very good
and a great improvement over
previous years’ editions. But I’m
upset over the article written
by Alvin Rush, “NCC Viewed
As Negro UNC.”
Since America upholds and
encourages freedom of the press
and since the Campus Echo is a
very effective news media, let
me present my views and I’d ap
preciate it very much if you’d
print them.
What in the world was Mr.
Rush thinking about when he
wrote that article. I think it’s
in the poorest of taste with
very little, if any, insight. I see
no deep and relevant meaning
in his ideas and goodness. What
a comparison! It’s not my inten
tion, Editor, to dispute Mr.
Rush’s theories (if they can be
called that). Each is entitled to
his own opinions. But I can’t
agree with them.
I don’t feel that the adminis
tration treats us in any special
way. As far as dress codes are
concerned, the majority of the
students dress as they please. I
don’t feel that the administra
tion thinks we don’t know how
to dress, let alone dress appro
priately for the white people.
And no one is trying to please
the white man because we all
dress independently and appro
priately to suit our own likes
and dislikes. We are not three-
year-olds and I don’t feel that
the administration treats us as
such.
Mr. Rush’s reasons are ir
rational and without any valid
facts. And let me just comment
on his example. Chidley Hall
has no house mother. Miss
Baines is the capable and quali
fied dormitory director who is
only doing her job. She checks
rooms for sanitary reasons only.
Repeatedly, if a responsible
grown man walks this campus
declaring himself God’s gift to
women, decked in an array of
colors and shining like brass
tacks and then every evening re
turn to a dirty room, then he
should be punished. But Mr.
Rush has strongly misused the
word ‘punish.’ He uses it as a
three-year-old and he shouldn’t
have. The punishment is no more
than a fine, and I feel the ad
ministration is in every respect
justified.
Editor, let me give you a lit
tle background information
about myself. I’m a junior Busi
ness Education major from Ben
son, North Carolina. I survive
today four generations from
slavery, a fact I’m proud of and
a fact I boast of. I chose North
Carolina College only because
my high school guidance coun
selor recommended it. I came
here for an education and I’m
wondering if I’ll ever leave with
one. But one thing I have
learned. North Carolina College
has come o’^ of the dark to be
a front runner among North
Carolina colleges and universi
ties. I think and I truly believe
that she has achieved this stat
us through her own efforts and
the efforts of her able admini
strators. I can’t see a man in
Dr. Whiting’s position telling
us that we are a Negro UNC.
NCC has achieved her status in
her own right. It’s probably true
that we may soon assume a new
name. It’s probably true that we
may be a division of the Uni
versity of North Carolina, but
NCC is an institution with her
own heritage and her own goals.
We have distinguished scholars,
and faculty members here and
abroad to prove it.
When the African slave was
tom from his homeland and
brought to the new world, he
was quickly denuded of his na
tive culture. Tribal organiza
tions, language, family structure,
religion—all were systematically
extirpated. In rebuilding his
shattered life he was compelled
to appropriate materials from a
new culture. But his masters
permitted him access to Western
culture on a very restricted
basis. Christianity had its u^s,
but slaves were forbidden by
law to learn to read or write.
The process of assimilation was
deliberately obstructed by the
whites.
The situation has not altered
in any fundamental respect un
der the American caste system.
The Negro must still structure
his life in terms of a culture to
which he is denied full access.
The administration isn’t tell
ing us that we have to learn the
white man’s culture. We’re here
to be educated. We must move
up and out of ignorance and
poverty. Ignorance and poverty
are very much a part of our
heritage, most of us. We’re not
being asked to accept any other
but to improve upon our own.
We can’t change our heritage;
we’re proud of it. I feel that
what the white man does with
his culture is his business. He
can accept it or reject it. But we
have one and it can’t be com
pared. It just can’t.
Mr. Rush’s article is open for
discussion. There may be many
feelings on it. I have just given
mine.
Yours truly,
Robert C. Bell, Jr.
THE ABUSED BLACK WOMEN
OR HOW BLACK IS BLACK
By SHIRLEY STAPLES
Tuskegee Institute
O you black man . . .
You speak of paradoxes
Brown-eyed women
‘No Images’
Au Naturel
And how beautiful
We black women are . . .
Yet you forget one thing
“Treat us black women with
“Respect.”
You . . . black man
We stood by you on the black
rivers of the Amazon
We watched them beat you
Our pride, our joy
And it added another circle
Under our weary eyes.
We were with you on the
Plantations in the fields,
And we cried out as you
Helplessly watched “that man”
rape us.
Oh, you black man
We have stood by you
Through all these years
All these years “We black
women” it was us . . .
Who rubbed, caressed, made well
Your scars . . . Oh yes we ten
derly massaged you with our
dish-pan hands . . .
And what did you give us in
return?
We saw the blue-eyed, blond-
tressed, best dressed white
woman desire your love.
We saw it in her eyes.
yWe cried ourselves to sleep at
night wondering in whose bed
you kept warm with your big
black beautiful body.
You tell us to throw away our
western values and our white
concept of beauty.
You tell us black is beautiful.
O you black man!
We knew this four hundred
years ago.
It is you who must change . . .
Not us!
You tell us to get an afro but
we see you with the Ultra-
Sheened, Miss Clairoled, Curl-
freed women with their Ultra-
Nadinoled, Artra bleached
skin . . . and we try like hell
to please you.
You who have made us sing
blues . . .
You who have cast us aside and
like a flower in darkness we
wither and fade away.
Oh, black man all we ask is
that you prove to us that you
Really believe that “black is
beautiful.”
For how long must we be con
tent with waiting on the
sidelines?
lines?
You tell us you love us . . .
Those lies, those lies!
You give us babies and babies
And you try to console us with
the man’s Pill!
You beat us, mistreat us, shun
us, and worst of all you pimp
us.
Oh you use us, our talents our
bodies
And then you abuse us in public.
We try to adopt the white con
cept of beauty
Because face it, you make it
your own
But dig . . .
The green mascara on my eyes
Cannot cover the misery and
despair
Of the tears I shed for you
When you make me worry
about how
We’re going to pay the rent.
The Rachel colored blush can
not
Camouflage my wide nose
That has smelled the sicken
ing
Stench of dead rats and cock
roaches
And no food to cook.
The pinkish whitish lipstick
Cannot hide the lines of my
thick lips
Lips that long to know the
fufl touch
Of a much-needed, much-
deserved love.
I use Miss Clairol to hide the
pre-matured gray
Of my hair that has grown
gray
From the lack of your hands
playing in it
(I saw you play in Miss Jane’s
the other day).
Oh you black man . . . you 'tell
us that
This sudden pride you think you
have
Goes deep . . . But how deep is
deep
When you are afraid you might
sink in the depths
But I beg you again to tell me
How black is black?
FLASH BULLETIN: To rail-
sitters, canteen-goofers, pool-
shooters, and library-sleepers:
THERE IS MORE TO COLLEGE
THAN MEETS THE UNTRAIN
ED EYE!