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Show Black Togetherness promotes unity an Students United, the Black Athletes Association, and fraternities Alpha Si Alpha and Omega Si Phi (Q's) That is one of the main reasons for starting Chronicle Feature Writer In the early 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream a dream to make people aware of one another, a dream to end ignorance and racial prejudice, a dream to get people to come BTO. "We're trying to be more socially active," she commented. together. More than 30 years have., passed since King's epic speech helped awaken a nation, and much has been done to help all Americans, regardless of race, color or creed, become more united. For University of Utah students Erica Baird and Lisa Campbell, a dream of their own is just beginning. Baird and Campbell have taken upon themselves the initiative of to 'Come Together.' The group is called the Black Togetherness Organization and, according to Baird and Campbell, their purpose will be to help unite the other black organizations on campus as well as educate students and faculty in general. together socially; We have to take one step at a time. "We're just trying to bring all of us together," she continued. "It's okay to have different groups, as long as everyone is trying to come together. I feel that there are too few black students on campus for us to walk by each other or not help each other because we're in ' different black organizations on campus, the two students feel different organizations." CHRONOEPHOTOScatSm Black Together Organization officers Lisa Campbell (second from left) and Erica Baird (middle) stop and chat with students in front of the Park Building. The group hopes to educate and unite with the theme 'Come Together.' orientation. One of the biggest activities BTO has on tap is a Miss that there isn't enough unity Eboness Pageant, which will take place in late February amongst them, and one of their primary goals is to get these different groups interacting with during Black History Month. The pageant, which each other. j "We're trying to get everyone together," Baird, a transfer student who lived in Peoria, 111., they-hop- to e hold in Kingsbury Hall, is open to all black college students attending school in the state of dance will Utah. A and attended Southern Illinois University prior to coming to the U, said. "There are so few blacks on campus that we don't need to be sporadic." Baird said she feels like there fcife k'v"" ' group to attend Sunday's several having "If we can't work together politically, let's at least get BTO's first meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 4, at 3 p.m. in room 323 of the Union Building The purposes of the meeting range from getting to know leaders of the other black organizations to planning upcoming activities and letting students know more about BTO's intentions. Baird and Campbell, along with adviser Fred Graves, encourage all students interested in becoming involved with the - starting a new organization on campus for black students, with the vision of getting more people Taxi campus isn't enough unity or interaction between groups such as African-Americ- BY BRAD FULLMER Despite odd semi-form- al . . follow. Baird said she hopes Sunday's meeting will be a time for the predominately white society. each other better, to edify and to uplift. She hopes the other groups realize BTO's effort to unite. "We're going to be throwing out ideas because we're so new, so we need a lot of positive input," she said. "We want to make it clear that we will support any organization. We're not trying to tear anyone down, we're trying to build them up; We need to find, out, what students want us to do so we can help them." Campbell also talked about involving all students, no matter what race, in BTO, and also of built-i- n down breaking stereotypes and prejudices that Campbell, who is white herself, grew up in Southern California and found some major differences in people's attitudes in Utah toward blacks. "Ignorance breeds ignorance," Campbell said. "Society doesn't take the time to learn about other exist sometimes in racial difficulties in South Africa as a source of inspiration for starting BTO. "That really motivated us," noted Campbell. With less than 200. blacks, even of people, though including student-athletegroups those people are a part of their enrolled at the U, the two know society. Some people feel like that there are going to be plenty goals just because an individual isn't a of challenges before their ' 'big enough part of society,' he are accomplished." 1 or she isn't as important. That "It doesn't matter how small and racism promotes ignorance you are if you're united," Baird and it's time for it to stop." said. "It's going to be "One theory behind our group challenging, but we want people is to educate," continued Baird. to come out and get involved "Once you educate, then you can .because anybody can make a s, ; -- . members of all the black organizations to get to know ' Baird and Campbell both talked about the new movie Sarafina, starring Whoopi Goldberg, that deals with the a difference." integrate." -- ; . cabs, dentures, children and rats, true taste of Taiwan and Polynesian features. They are called "aborigines" and are in general considered lazy, less BY GRANT SPERRY Chronicle Feature Writer intelligent, but good for manual labor. Does this sound familiar, or Reminiscent of kung fu flicks from the '70s, taxi drivers in .Taiwan still wear the biggest - sideburns that they can muster. ' undulate the sides of along They jaws that chew beetlenut as the what? . Although they are far more integrated than cabbies weave erratically through crowded chaotic streets. Almost legendary, cabbies are - thugs in an almost oppressively lawful country where you can still feel safe from attack and robbery. Rumors abound that the ; Spitting the red beetlenut juice onto the pavement, some of these men an almost gender-exclusioccupation in a country where almost all of the women work, but where sexism is in many ways very intact are working long hours so as to get rich enough to find themselves a wife in mainland China. It goes on. I taught English in Taiwan this summer to crazed and beautiful Chinese kids going ve through puberty. Although I heartily enjoyed being called an expatriot, working in a country where you can't speak or read the language was often hellish at best. Some missionaries told my sister that the Taiwanese are some of the most godless and . 5BS68505V gsy. accident prone drivers will occasionally back over an injured pedestrian before quickly leaving the scene to avoid a lawsuit. people human nature itself. ? Living in a city that had only a :'. small handful of foreigners, I was .often considered gangsters or - non-whi- te are in the U.S., seeing racism mixed with classism all over again made me wonder about t. 1? is .s ii . i, JA J j.A vvvz-vvv constantly stared at. Children, some of whom had probably never seen a white person face to face before, stared and pointed at w my strangeness; They would call i i&$&&&'$&3?Bgyi, ; jrypTT out "lao ei" (white person) or "megwa-en- " . . . VSSOOOCr r, . s8t vifcw" . .... 4? . K8aa. .SRCIr , .iSS SSI, Ry , l t ias. .j CHROMCLE ARTDoveTWwtz idolatrous people in the world. I had some born-agai- n missionaries tell me the same thing. As far as I'm concerned, such a thing should rather be praised. The Taiwanese people should just be left alone in this respect. The last thing that they need is Christianity destroying their lives and minds. They need less indoctrination, not more. Confucianism has them by the throat as it praises a work ethic even more extreme than Protestantism could muster, an unquestioning acceptance of their politicians, and a smuggle guns. If the people of Taiwan need anything, it is non-funk- y attitude towards life in general. Christianity would only make them better Capitalists, more dedicated consumers. None of this forgoes the fact that barbershop whorehouses are prevalent, that women are expected to be sweet and virginal, that an underworld of gangsters with mediocre tattoos sell the methamphetamine "ice" and drivers education. I was amazed to find that they . . (American). They had myths about a big' white monster with a big nose taking children away. My hair :';ttii!iS-:S-iSf!!i:.::!S- are absolutely intrigued with whiteness, even as it horrifies them. Many women carry umbrellas to keep their skin as - pale as they can. This also has a lot to do with class, as I came to find. The islanders who preceeded the Chinese domination of the once beautiful island have darker skin and eyes made a few children cry, I had a student tell me that I looked like a monster. I told her I would take but most just stared. ! 4. her away if she didn't behave herself. Due to the inherent prejudice in American films, many of which the Taiwanese watch with subtitles, African peoples were considered thieves, sex fiends, and lazy. I had to explain away many things to students, even though they think Michael Jackson is fantastic. Seeing this, it is no surprise how American kids pick up the same bullshit. Plagiarizing from a letter I wrote to a friend, one of the see "Taiwan" on page fifteen ' " |