KU
kansan
Serving KU For 78 of its 102 Years
78th Year, No.13
Wednesday, October 4.1967
'America racist, sick'
Dick Gregory, comedian and civil rights spokesman for America's 22 million Negroes, last night issued a call for college students to promote brotherhood among all men-black and white.
He said that equality is guaranteed in both the U.S. Constitution
and the Declaration of Independence for all citizens, including Negroes.
"America is a sick, sick nation that has inherited its social ills from previous generations," he said. "It's up to you the young, educated generation to right the wrong."
Speaking to about 2,500 students in Hoch Auditorium Gregory viciously attacked the Johnson administration for failing to realize the problems of the Negro.
"Most of you are like the government," he said. "You do not understand the bitterness of such men as H. Rap Brown and Stokely Carmichael as I do."
"They are fighting the battle for rights and are sick of being trampled under by whities who are short on several ends. They know what it means to be abused and kicked around because of race."
He proclaimed America the number one racist nation in the world today. The effect of this transcends all races—not just white and Negro.
"Why can't we get it through our heads that no matter whether a man is black or white he is still
President Gregory?
an American." Gregory asserted.
"The worst part of it all is that we won't admit that the problem exists.
His rough, black skin contrasting with 14 shades of white around him, Dick Gregory picked at his peas and said, "Yeah, I'm running for President."
A short silence followed. Gregory didn't give the select group of students and faculty time to think of an appropriate reaction.
"Yeah, I'm gonna start by taking one of those 'fact-finding' tours—to those five countries (on the State Department list) you're not supposed to go to."
A stout history professor, who had told Gregory how "I grew up in the slums," lamely suggested the black comedian "ought to visit the ghettos, too."
"If racism were in any other country, we would be able to solve it. But when it's in our own back yard, we're helpless."
Gregory smiled—barely.
A student seated next to Gregory glanced at the button on the comedian's lanel-less coat.
The rest of the diners, including a Negro Kansas Civil Rights Commission member, kept their mouths politely shut.
"Write in Dick Gregory President for Peace '68," the button said.
The talk of the Presidential campaign was clearly over.
"Man, the last time I was in London, . . ."
Gregory continued.
He said the main Negro complaint today is that northern liberals are too "damn busy running down south trying to help those people when they wouldn't take a nigger home with them in Kansas City, New York, Chicago or St. Louis."
He said non-violence is not an obligation but a favor. Whenever a man is pushed to the limit, it's at his discretion to take that favor back.
"Then you have what happened in Detroit last summer and in Watts a year ago," Gregory said. "But these riots are the pains before death."
Demonstration will continue, he said, until the horrible cancer is removed from society.
"I'll keep throwing it in up America's face and I hope it bugs her as much as her civil wrongs have bugged me," Gregory said, alluding to the
See Gregory, page 5
City to request state 'relief' aid
This city will request state aid to alleviate a cost "burden" placed on it by non-taxed KU, Mayor Richard Raney said Tuesday night.
Speaking prior to a "town hall" meeting, Raney explained that city commissioners were already "drawing up the necessary papers" asking funds from state officials.
"We know that 111 of the 185 member cities of the National Association of City Managers who house state universities receive aid from their respective state governments." Raney said.
Many join forces
He also mentioned the possibility of joining forces with the five other Kansas towns which host state schools when the issue
is presented to Topeka "this year." They are Hays, Pittsburg, Wichita, Emporia and Manhattan.
Not up to KU
Replying to an earlier suggestion that KU "burdened" the local community, causing hostility between University and city administrators, Raney said such a suggestion was "completely irresponsible."
"I really don't feel that the problem of the expenses is the University's responsibility. Actually it's the state's. The issue concerns bringing the problem to the proper people."
However, the mayor expressed hope that the "heavy cost" of road maintenance could somehow be "placed on the shoulders of the 'users'."
Hepatitis cases reported; 'little chance of spreading'
Two KU students have been admitted to Watkins Hospital with mild cases of infectious hepatitis and one other has been admitted to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for observation.
By Tim Jones Kansan Staff Reporter
However, there is little danger to the rest of the campus.
Students who attended classes with the hospitalized students should not worry about carrying the disease, Raymond Schwegler, director of the Student Health Service, said.
The students, all members or Alpha Kappa Lambda, apparently contracted the disease in Mexico.
AKL's get shots
schwegler said all members of
The infected students live in an apartment; the AKL members were innoculated only because the three men had been to the fraternity for meals and parties.
the fraternity have been inoculated as a precaution, but there was little danger to most of the fraternity men.
"You can't catch the disease from breathing 'contaminated air,'" Schwegier said.
Urges checkup
But he urged anyone who felt he had the symptoms or has had close contact with the AKL house to come to Watkins for a check-up.
Symptoms of the disease include a flu-type feeling, nausea, a
Sec Hepatitis, page 5
Checks late; instructors send letter
Western Civilization instructors today objected that they were not told in advance that they would not be paid Monday.
In a letter to James E. Seaver, director of the western civilization department, the instructors said there "can be no excuse for this situation."
They asked, "Why weren't we told?"
Checks go to bank
The letter said "it is a standard procedure for many teaching assistants to have the paychecks sent directly to their personal bank accounts."
Therefore, many instructors were unaware they had not been paid, the letter continued.
"It is quite probable that the Chancellor's office can make a plausible explanation for the delay in processing the contracts," the letter said. "But when they had not been processed by the twenty-first (Sept. 21), the Chancellor's office knew that the Western Civ. Staff would not be paid on Oct. 2.
"Chancellor negligent"
"The Chancellor's office felt no obligation to notify us individually. They didn't even have the common decency to advise our department head. No consideration whatsoever was given to us. As a result, many individuals will undeservedly be on the bad-check list. Many are going to undergo considerable embarrassment.
It was signed by 18 members of the department.
Dick Gregory and his book, "Nigger," rest before going onstage.
Photo By Mike Harris
Prior to his appearance, Dick Gregory rests in a Hoch Auditorium dressing room. Gregory held a press conference at the Kansas Union before returning to Kansas City to meet an eastbound flight.