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Show Black students ask for progress by Jo Ann Jacobsen Staff Writer A black face is flashing on an imaginary screen in front of you. ... What do you see a Ute football player, an ASUU studentbody officer, a scholar, a potential doctor, a sensitive poet, an artist, a dancer, a fellow fel-low classmate or a Negro? A black face is focused on a realistic screen of a collegiate society. What do you see-a person who has been forced to play the games of democracy, demo-cracy, of high education, of the "American Way of Life" by your rules? A black face is confronting YOU administrators, professors, students at the University of Utah'. Now. In our grandeur state, Utah, ther is no "racial prejudice"; the white citizens just refuse to admit that the problem exists. But, today, we advocators of this pseudo Christianity must open our eyes. The black face represents much more on the screen of life than just a face of a Negro. Last spring quarter, Dr. Emmanual Jackson, University of Chicago, was a guest speaker at the University. He challenged students to escape the onus of history that their fathers have made, to instigate progressive advancement, to "not grow up to be a white race." Unfortunately, only the blacks took Dr. Jackson's advice literally, and under his direction organized and unified in order to survive on our campus. At the end of the 1969 school year, the Balck Student Union was established. In co-ordination with SOUL, the 30-35 members assembled to identify iden-tify their needs, their wants, and their position as black students at this institution. SOUL-Black Student Stu-dent Union members immediately elected the following fol-lowing officers: President Otie Adams Vice President Walt Hawkins Executive Secretary....Nathan Cicero Ross Jr. Inter-relations Officer Fred Graves Coordinator Leroy Lyons Program Director Greg Soukls Confrontation Officer Jim Brown Chairman Emeritus....Dr. Emmanual Jackson The demands of the black students were then assimulated and extensive confrontation with Uni versity administration put their program into effective ef-fective progression. According to Dr. Thomas King, Provost, the requests of the black students were justified. "They don't want to tear down the establishment, they just want to he educated." Dr. King insisited that the main desire of the members or SOUL-HSU is to bo educated not exploited. Virginia Probes, Dean of Students, indicated that the movement of the black students should stand as an example for other minority groups on campus to follow. It is now up to us to respond to the requests: 1. A black studies program An opportunity for the black and white students to become oriented with the history and heritage of the black people in entirety without the influence of a prejudiced white master. 2. A black counselor A counselor who will and can identify with the needs of the blacks, and who will, in turn, express their concerns to the administration. admin-istration. 3. One wing of a dorm designated only for black students The chance to live In an atmosphere where their culture is not condoned living quarters where they can practice their habits without opposition. op-position. 4. Financial aid to assist In graduation The continuation of scholarships for the black athletics after the eligibility period; financial aid outside of books and tution money for art supplies, social activities. 5. More black girls The advantage of participating partici-pating in collegiate activities, while removed from the taboo interaction with white girls. 6. Recognition of the black group The identification identifi-cation of individual achievement; the acknowledgement acknowledge-ment of human worth. Summer . 19(19 is now the time. . . . It is time for us American citizens to "stop counterfeiting Christianity and bringing descent on democracy." (Melvin Tolson) It is now time for us inhabitants of Utah to stop looking for the advancement of colored people through white means. It is now time for us .students of mankind to look at the black face unci see a human lx'ing. Wo cannot afford to "grow up to lie a white race." |
