University Daily Kansan
Monday, February 13, 1978
9
2 blacks say U.S. racism forcefully subtle
By VERNON SMITH
Staff Writer
A university professor and a Methodist minister agreed in speeches last week that racism was alive and well in American society today.
Molefi Kete Asante, professor and chairman of the department of communication of State University of New York at Buffalo, and Emanuel Cleaver, board chairman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a Methodist Episcopal apostle recently as part of the Slack History Second program at the University of Kansas.
"Since it will not go away, and since we have gone anywhere in this society you have gone somewhere that seems to be no solution," Asante said. "I argue that we have to establish a form of government."
Asante said Thursday that the race problem had united blacks in America but that in any nonhomogeneous industrial race would always be a big problem.
Asante said that a policy of Pan Africanism, which would unify Africa, also could be extended to blacks in the United States and around the world and was an appropriate policy to follow to bring about the liberation of blacks worldwide.
He criticized the position taken by extreme Marxists, who argued that the seed of a revolutionary movement must begin with the complete unification of the world's working classes. He also said they had to overcome political configuration of American society.
Any ideology for change must be derived from social and historical contexts and not from a particular ideology.
Asante, an author and consultant in the field of speech communications, described South Africa as the most politically explosive area of Africa.
He said that the Vorster government of South Africa represented the epitomy of colonization and that the present round of neothetics was 10 years too late.
In his discussion of another aspect of
government, he said nationalism could be manifested in the art and culture of a country. In the United States, he said, culture had become base and decadent.
"What has developed in the American context is art for the sake of art," he said. "The work is not about art."
"That kind of art shows the decadence of the society. Art, to be instructive for people, has to be strong, vigorous, and it has to do something functional for society. It should express our victory over the obstacles that confront us in everyday life."
Clever agreed that racism remained as a fundamental issue of concern for
"The truth of the matter is that we are still in a crisis of race in this country," Cleaver said. "I experience greater racial disparities among African-Americans as race are more separated now than ever."
Cleaver said it was a tragedy that only one month was set aside to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of black people in American society.
"There is a way that we have been raped of our history," he said. "Whites have not paid very much attention to it, even though the history of the United States is the history of black folks who have in many instances be the beats of burden for this nation."
At the heart of the race problem in America, Cleaver said, is the attitude some people have that they need to feel superior to others. But the real issue that blacks are inherently inferior, he said.
Cleaver said he thought that one reason there had not been a truly integrated society, particularly in the school systems, was that many whites thought integration in the classroom would lead to integration in the bedroom.
He said there were companies and colleges waiting for the Supreme Court's decision so that they could discontinue or reduce their commitment to minority groups.
He said that if the Supreme Court should decide in favor of Alan Bakke in his reverse discrimination suit, there would be a visible increase in the level of discrimination.
the responsibility of trying to bring about change. He said that blacks and whites should not sit passively as if everything was correct, but instead they would change would not come any other way.
The greatest problem that needs to be
Frame an object and make it special. Our workshop provides complete matting, moulding, and dry mount in various finishes. We discover of prints and photographs. Take a creative step and discover your own craftsmanship. Custom framing available
HOURS Monday-Friday 11:00-8:00 Saturday 11:00-6:00
710 Massachusetts 842-7191
"But where is the contact out of desire? If
this kind of contact does not take place, then we are going to have another generation coming up who will be completely ignorant about black people."
Cleaver challenged his audience to accept
can go home and say they know some black people because they live in the same dorm room.
"Race contact, as I see it today, is contact of necessity," he said. "White students
dealt with is that of racial contact, Cleaver said.
FreeUniversity
FREE UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT
Wed., Thurs. & Fri.
Feb.15, 16, 17
Booth 2, Kansas Union
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sponsored by SU 864-3477
---
ATTENTION: All Blue Cross and Blue Shield Student Health Insurance Policy Holders and Other Interested Persons—
DATE: TUESDAY, FEB. 14
There will be an open forum concerning the student Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance policy for your comments and to answer your questions.
PLACE: INTERNATIONAL ROOM
Special attention will be directed toward future eligibility for BC/BS student health insurance.
TIME: 7:30
Sponsored by the Student Health Services Advisory Board
PLEASE ATTEND
Paid for by Student Activity Fee
---
Greenhouse fresh flowers— We grow most of them ourselves.
A list of graduate students willing to serve on the new Student Senate has been distributed to all graduate student organizations. Names from this list must be added to those which appear on the printed ballot to fill all 24 graduate student senator seats on the new Student Senate. (If you cannot obtain a copy call the GSC office for this information: Phones: 864-4914.
This announcement paid for by funds from the Student Senate activity fee fund allocated to the Graduate Student Council.
Valentine's
Day
Simply because you care
Call your order in now!
841-0800
DAILY DELIVERIES
2. Your participation in elections for graduate student senators helps to strengthen our efforts to obtain a greater share of your activity fees for graduate student organizations, activities, and concerns on campus.
1. Your participation in elections for members of the Graduate Student Council Executive Committee (Gradex) is indicative of your support for this group's involvement in issues affecting graduate students at the University of Kansas.
Two good reasons why you should vote in the student elections February 15 & 16: