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Show new/ A2 MONDAY • JANUARY 22 • 2007 Help's around the corner Spencer Shell News Writer ad Clark/NerXNews Jim Crow exhibit shows racism in everyday items ably the only sociologist in America who quotes Assitant News Editor H. Ross Perot, but one of Everyday objects that the challenges I would spread hate and cast mi- like to confer to you norities in roles of infe- is to clean the river." "Attitudes are shaped riority have not yet been by the objects we create," completely eradicated said Pilgrim whose speech from American society; focused mainly on the slide they have simply changed form according to Dr. Da- show display of artifacts vid Pilgrim who conveyed from the Jim Crow Muthis message in a speech seum, most of which were delivered on Fri., Jan. 12. collected and donated by Pilgrim, professor of Pilgrim himself who began sociology at Ferris State collecting racist objects as University located in Big an undergraduate student at Jarvis Christian ColRapids, Mich, and the lege in Hawkins, Texas. creator and curator of The Among the over 4,000 JimCrowMuseumofRacist Memorabilia at Ferris relics Pilgrim has collectState, was invited to speak ed over the years are such at Center Stage in honor of items as ashtrays, restauUVSC's Thirteenth rant menus, children's Annual Dr. Martin Luther books and figurines which King, Jr. Commemoration. Pilgrim characterized as expressions Pilgrim began his "material of racist propaganda." speech with a famous quote "Years ago, I had the from H. Ross Perot, "The realization that you could activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The take an object of intoleractivist is the man who ance and use it to teach cleans up the river," after tolerance," Pilgrim said. which he said, "I am prob- He then went on further to itemize and explain some Jared Magill of the accommodations African-Americans had to make in their daily lives during the era of segregation and Jim Crow laws. For instance, according to Pilgrim, under Jim Crow laws African-Americans were not allowed to purchase Coca-Cola; they had to buy Pepsi. AfricanAmericans had to know their physical dimensions because they were not allowed to try on clothes before they purchased them. And many African-Americans who drove nice cars kept chauffeur's hats with them, which they would don in the presence of police to prevent being harassed or accused of car theft. Pilgrim stated that the intended purpose of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia was to compel people to talk about race and race-related issues in places where ideas are challenged, such as college campuses. "An object doesn't have to be racist to be in the Jim Crow Museum-It just has to provoke conversations about race," Pilgrim said. "One of the things that Martin Luther King said about racism is that you have to treat it like a boil, you have to lance it and let all the ugly puss run out." The term "Jim Crow" refers to the character from a popular minstrel song that came to personify a government-sanctioned racial caste system which bestowed minorities with inferior status under the law. Pilgrim pointed out the existence of modern Jim Crow type characterizations of African-Americans and most other minorities including poor Whites that are popular today. Some of his examples included rapper Flavor Flav, pimp and ho parties, ghetto parties and certain video game characters, among others. Pilgrim did concede that he thinks Flavor Flav is funny, but he explained by saying, "It is possible that something can be funny and offensive; those are not mutually exclusive disciplines. These things are especially pernicious because they are funny." "Whoever said sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me was never called a fag or a nigger. Words do hurt," Pilgrim said. "I don't want to live in a country where they can't sell racist objects," Pilgrim said. "I want to live in a country where we are too intelligent to make the choice to sell racist objects." In his closing words, Pilgrim encouraged members to make something that celebrates the brotherhood of all people. Much of the material Pilgrim discussed can also be read in an essay written by Pilgrim titled, "The Garbage Man: Why I Collect Racist Junk," which can be found at www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/collect/ Free help for one's problems is in room 107 of the Sorensen Center; that's where the Office of the Ombudsman can be found. A few questions might immediately come to ones mind upon reading this- what exactly is an ombudsman, and how are they able to help? An ombudsman is defined as, "one who investigates reported complaints (as from students or consumers), reports findings, and helps to achieve equitable settlements." At UVSC there are ombudsmen to investigate student related non-legal complaints and injustices. According to the Office of the Ombudsman, "The practice of the ombudsman is to assist members of the UVSC community in finding solutions to their difficulties on, and off campus...the Ombudsman's office represents neither the student nor the College. Rather, the Office serves as an advocate for fairness, a place for the UVSC community to turn to for prompt, impartial and confidential assistance." The ombudsmen listen, mediate and provide information concerning grade disputes, financial aid, grading policies and procedures, academic probation/dismissal, housing contracts, landlord disputes and conflicts with professors, classes and departments. All conversations with the ombudsmen are confidential, and no records are kept concerning complaints. Ombudsmen don't participate in legal matters of any sort. To contact the current student ombudsman, call Brooke Webster at 8638665 or visit SC 107. the college lime/ Editor-in-Chief Jessica Ellsworth Executive Editor John Ditzler News Editor Ashley Robertson Opinions Editor Justin Ritter Life Editor Luke Hickman Sports Editor Ben Webster Web Manager AdamTorkildson Spedal Section Editor Ryan Meeks Designers Sarah Hale Armen Sargsyan Matt Williams Marcus Jones Photo Editor Jamie Teerlink Copy Editor Amy Wilson Ad Manager Whitney Woodward UVSC BOOKSTORE Your College. Your needs. Your Store. ovrriL ONLY $20.00 Office Manager LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE Robbin Anthony Adviser Brent Sumner CONTACT US: Student Media 800 W. University Parkway Orem,UT, 84057 TEL: (801) 863-8688 FAX: (801) 863-8601 E-MAIL: anthonro@uv5cedu The College Times is a student operated Dcwspjpcr that is published once a week during Fall and Spring semesters. Views expressed do noi necessarily reflect ihe views of The College Times or UVSC. 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