Wednesday, November 1, 1961 University Daily Kansan
'Tired of Waiting'
Page 3
The Voice of KU's Militant Negroes
By Fred Zimmerman
I sat down with a Negro yesterday and asked him how it feels to be a black man in America.
His answers took me inside a world I had never seen—the world of rejection and bitterness where Negroes live.
This conclusion is buttressed by several interviews I have had with Negro students since their recent protest march against the University's housing policy.
AT THE END of the conversation I had one strong impression: Negroes are tired of waiting. They are sick of the social ghetto in which they live and they are determined to break out of it.
"WELL THAT IS A BIG LIE—or a fantastic misunderstanding. We are not satisfied. Until we are part of the main stream of American life, we will never be satisfied."
"Some of the white people are saying that if the Negroes were just left alone, they would be content," one of the marchers told me.
My longest conversation was with Moses Gunn, St. Louis, Mo., graduate student, who organized the march. Gunn told me a "new" Negro is emerging. This Negro is determined to end discrimination, and he is opposed to those who advocate patience and conciliation.
"The idea of 'moral suasion' is repugnant to us," Gunn said. "It should have been started earlier. Now it's too late for that sort of thing. We're tired of waiting around for what we know is rightfully ours."
Another of the marchers said:
"THE SOUTH IS CHANGING, and it is not because of any 'fact-finding committees' that get together and scratch their heads.
"The change is occurring because of the Freedom Rides, the economic boycotts, the sit-ins—Negroes are finding that this is the way to get things done."
During a conversation with Gunn, I asked him to try to describe the effect discrimination has on him. The tall, bearded drama student answered slowly.
"I ALWAYS FEEL this racial stigma," he began. "I can't get away from it.
"For instance, I'll be out with a couple of white friends and they'll say, 'Let's all go down to (a Lawrence restaurant) and get a beer.'
"When I hear that, I get quiet, real quiet. Because I've never been there. Maybe I could get in. I don't know. But there are just certain places I stay away from."
Gunn stood up and continued.
"BUT WE'RE NOT LOOKING for sympathy from white people. Don't think that. We're just sick of being reminded that we are Negroes.
"I accept the fact that I am a Negro—but I'm tired of feeling this prejudice, of being constantly reminded that I am supposed to be inferior."
After a pause, I asked the obvious question: Do you feel inferior around white people?
"It's hard to admit this," Gunn said. "But yes, I do." He smiled, and his deep voice quavered.
"I THINK ALL NEGROES must feel this way, to an extent. Everyday, in many different ways, whites tell us we are different. We start believing them, unfortunately.
"We're not envious of white people." Gunn continued. "We have no wish to 'become white,' or anything like that. We just want to be friends, to associate freely, to be treated as equals."
All the marchers I talked to emphasized that the march was more than a protest of the policy that allows the housing office to list landlords who discriminate.
"Of course, we're against the policy," one student said. "But we're against much more.
"Maybe the white students could get more accomplished. Maybe the Civil Rights Council is more effective. But this is our battle. We have to do something for ourselves."
"ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE, this march means we are going to fight for what is ours. We are going to stop sitting on the side-lines and watching a few white students take up for us.
"We feel that what we did was right. In fact, we probably would have been justified in doing a lot more.
"IT IS HARD TO MARCH quietly. Why should we have to be so unobtrusive about it? As I marched that day, I thought to myself: 'Why must we be so peaceful? Why don't we tear things apart?'
Gunn says he knows of no marcher who regrets his part in the demonstration.
"What we were doing was right-so completely right that stronger action would have been justified."
BUT THERE ARE INDICATIONS that the "peaceful, unobtrusive" march had its effect—and the Negroes know this.
"We've started," Gunn said. "And now we are going to fight like hell to get what we want. It is ours and we intend to have it."
Kansan Criticized
Editor:
I think it's about time the Daily Kansan set up some principles and at least make an attempt at following them. The front page stories on the UP and VOX platforms in Friday's Kansan is without a doubt biased and partisan journalism. A college newspaper must teach its editors responsibility to the public to report an accurate picture of events or I pity the future of communications. It was a fairly good job of covering UP's eight point platform, but the VOX story can only mislead readers. You owe it to the public as a University paper to fully publish the platform of VOX POPULI. You seemed to have left it out of the story even though the head claims to include it. isn't it enough that you favored UP in your make-up, your coverage, and your editorializing of news material? If you really want to help student government, give the students a portrayal of the opportunities and alternatives the two parties offer. At least present adequate news coverage. Hours and weeks have gone into setting up a platform worthy of VOX and years of experience in campus politics and government are behind that party and its platform. Tell your readers that! And before you criticize us further about unfulfilled platform planks, publish a comparison of the two parties and VOX will proudly stand on its record! We certainly have nothing to hide, we are still striving for achievement of everything we've set out to do. It certainly wasn't necessary to write a whole article on ten minutes of the meeting when a great platform for student government was developed as your reporter slept.
Pat Piggott Kansas City, Mo., senior
Gunn, Mullins Slammed
Editor:
I am both amazed and dismayed by the conservative attitude shown by some of the residents of the University of Kansas. I cite by way of example, two articles which appeared in the "University Daily Kansan" of Monday, October 30—the article reporting on the administration's stand (or lack thereof) on housing discrimination, and the editorial on the "Ban the bomb" marchers in Britain.
The view of a few members of the administration and of assistant editor William H. Mullins seems to be, "See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil." How can such people ever hope to solve problems by turning their backs on them Granted an individual often feels that his voice as an individual will not be heard, but both the editors of the KU paper and the members of the KU administration are fortunate enough to be in positions where their voices will be attended.
Chancellor Wescoe and others seems to be fearful of incurring the wrath of those bigots who discriminate against a man because of the color of his skin. It is obvious that an administration stand against housing discrimination will not "Solve" the situation per se. However, they are naive to think that such a stand. "Might do more harm than good." Contrary to the beliefs of Abraham Lincoln, the administration seems to think that it can please all of the people all of the time by refusing to take a decisive stand on discrimination. Administrative assistant Gunn tells us that, "Much improvement has been made in the racial situation since he was a student." My immediate reaction to this observation was, "So What!" There has been much improvement in the "Racial situation" since Uncle Tom's day, but I doubt that those who thought along the lines of Mr.
Gunn contributed much to the improvement.
As for the "Ban the bomb" marchers, Mr. Mullins seems to think that their "Futile" efforts are unworthy of our attention. Perhaps if he would bomb the ban marchers his conscience would not be troubled by their outcries. Mr. Mullins so astutely observes that the members of this group are fute if they "Think that they can influence Soviet policy by enlightened persuasion." How naive can one be? Does he really think that the sole purpose of this group is to influence Soviet policy? The Soviet Union is but one of the countries of the world possessing nuclear weapons. It is just possible that Bertrand Russell and his cohorts are attempting to influence the "Free World" as well as the Soviet Union. I presume Mr. Mullins would regard the efforts of the United States to achieve an atom-bomb-test moratorium as futile also.
In view of the opinions of Mr. Gunn, Mr. Mullins, and others, I get the impression that we should ignore our responsibilities to humanity and hide our heads in the sand like a nation of ostriches. Surely there must be some members of the faculty who are not too cowed to protest the spineless attitude of the administration on off-campus housing discrimination. As for the editors of the "Daily Kansas" — we must forgive (but not condone) them, for they know not what they do.
Radelyffe B. Roberts
Bryn Mawr, Pa.
graduate student
Short Ones
There can be no freedom or beauty about a Home life that depends on borrowing and debt. — Henrik Ibsen
S.U.A.
Ping Pong Tourney
Wednesday Big 8 Room
Nov. 1, 1961 Kansas Union
6:30 p.m.
Register in Union
Trophies and Refreshments