Friday, February 27, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 7
Tensions a thing of the past
University, Lawrence ties not rosy in 1960s
By Laura Roddy
lroddy@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Civil rights activism is no stranger to the University of Kansas.
Although the University no longer is the hotbed of activity it was during the civil rights movement, African-American History Month presented an opportunity to reflect on the changes the campus has seen.
Steve Jansen, director of the Watkins Community Museum, 1047 Massachusetts St., said Lawrence's attitude toward the University had changed since the era of the civil rights movement.
"KU is what we love now — it's all rah rah basketball and football." Jansen said.
But during the civil rights movement, Jansen said, Lawrence residents did not have the same feelings toward the University. He called it the "town vs. gown" concept
"Blacks were perceived as much more of an 'active violent threat' than hippies were," he said.
In the late 1960s, the focus on campus shifted from civil rights for equality to Black
Power and war protests, said William Tuttle, professor of history and American studies.
He said the Black Power movement started with students at Lawrence High School who came to the University and eventually led to the formation of the Black Student Union.
In the early 1960s, protests on campus mirrored the situation elsewhere in the nation.
"It was happening at institutions where students were beginning to ask questions," Tuttle said.
On one occasion, according to the March 9 and 10, 1965, editions of the University Daily Kansan, student demonstrators from the Civil Rights Council staged a protest in Strong Hall calling for an end to housing discrimination.
An estimated 110 protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace and were suspended from the University. A day later, Chancellor W. Clark Wescoe voided the suspensions.
Tuttle said the students involved were angry that the chancellor had treated them like children and had called their parents.
Students also were involved in civil rights activism in 1948 when a chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality was established in Lawrence, Tuttle said. Undergraduate students, graduate students and World War II veterans advocated nonviolent civil disobedience and the integration of movie theaters and restaurants.
Scott Hollis, Wichita junior, and Tray Charhon, Dallas freshman, take a break between classes to study next to the Jayhawk in front of Strong Hall. The two were taking advantage of the nice weather this week. Photo by Holly Groshong/KANSAN
Children teach education students a lesson
By Emily C. Farsyth
eorsyth@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Second and third graders from Kennedy Elementary School taught University of Kansas education students a few lessons yesterday.
Cherry Crum's elementary students visited the Education in a Multicultural Society class, taught by Cornel Pewewardy, assistant professor.
The purpose of the exchange was to commemorate African-American History Month while preparing professional educators.
The children wore Kenta cloths, which were historically worn by African storytellers. They began with a role-playing exercise, in which they read short biographies of famous people, such as Maya Angelou, Thurgood Marshall and Langston Hughes.
"I am Harriet Tubman," said Shona Carnahan, third grader.
was born a slave. I thought I was going to be sold, so I escaped to freedom. I helped 300 people escape slavery on the Underground Railroad."
Carnahan said she enjoyed participating in the presentation. "I thought it was going to be embarrassing, but it was fun," she said.
The children also sang a song about the Underground Railroad and shared their interpretations of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, "I Have a Dream." Some of the students' dreams were to go to college, to become a police officer, and to help battered women at a shelter.
"The thing that really impressed me was that many students' American dream was to be a teacher." said Kelly Watchia, Wichita junior. "They must be getting a very good education from their teacher right now if so many of them want to modeler."
Crum advised the KU students to start collecting literature that
"When kids see themselves as part of the curriculum, it brings up their selfesteem and makes learning a lot of fun."
Cherry Crum
Kennedy Elementary School Teacher
incorporated many cultural viewpoints.
"When kids see themselves as part of the curriculum, it brings up their self-esteem and makes learning a lot of fun," she said.
Crum said her students benefited from visiting a college classroom and meeting students who would soon be teachers.
"To come to the University and share what they've learned is a good experience," Crum said. "It showed them what they can do someday."
Pewwardy said his students also benefited from listening to the elementary students' presentations, especially since the presentations dealt with difficult topics.
"Teaching is about healing," Peewardy said. "Sometimes, it's about looking at history, about the wounds of past injustices. This is a reminder to those future teachers that they're going to be teaching some of the people who still live with misery, unresolved grief because of past injustices."
Peweardry said this endeavor was a start, but a major conversion was necessary to incorporate multicultural ideas into classrooms on all levels.
"Reading, writing, arithmetic, humanities and literature should be pluralized and infused with multicultural content," Peewewardy said.
"To me, it has to be a revolutionary movement to really transform education," he said.
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