University Daily Kansan
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Confusion Masks Audience As Racial Sex Myth Debated
Agreement ended an English-style debate, "Resolved: The Sexual Myth is the Basis of Racial Prejudice," sponsored by the Civil Rights Council last night.
Bert Rinkel, Scott City senior, and member of the affiliated, said he thought the subject of the debate was one of the central issues of today. He said the white man has feared the sexual prowess of the Negro since the time white man has come in contact with the Negro.
"THE NEGRO SLAVES became a basis for an economy because slavery created the southern aristocracy." Ledesich said. "Then the southern white man lost everything after the Civil War. The white man held the Negro indirectly responsible for the depression that followed the Civil War. Then the white man had to contend with the equal competition the Negro could give him."
Although the affirmative and negative sides did not agree on the particulars of the issue, both sides said they considered the topic a poor one to debate.
AT THE END of the debate most of the audience was sitting on the negative side. Several said they did not have any particular reason for supporting the negative and some expressed their confusion about the proceedings of the debate.
Dick Ledesch, Shawnee Mission sophomore and member of the negative said the basis for racial prejudice dates from the time Negroes were brought to the United States to be used as slaves.
Thursday, Dec. 17, 1964
Ledeshis said since that time the white man has not been able to accept the Negro as an equal human being. This was because the Negro was a threat to the white man's economic status.
"The white man can't accept the Negro because his skin is a different color and people are afraid of differences," Ledesich said. "The white man did not base his fear on
AFTER LEDESICH finished talking, several students seated on the affirmative side moved over to the negative side.
George Epps, Lake Charles graduate student and member of the affirmative, said he acknowledged the economic factors. Epps also said after the Negro was brought to America there was some cross-breeding among the white slave owners and the Negro women but the children that resulted were treated as inferiores to the children of white unions. There was no comparison between the education of the two groups of children.
the sexuality of the Negro. His prejudice is founded on ignorance, not the sexual myth."
"The slaves were subservient, had different customs, and thus attracted he white man," Epps said.
ANDREW HORNIG. English graduate student and member of the negative side, said if the core of prejudice were isolated then the group debating would be assenting
Douglas County State Bank VI 3-7474 9th and Kentucky
to prejudice. Hornig said the way he interpreted the resolution it meant there was only one root of the prejudice, and it came from fancy rather than fact.
"Using this resolution to cover all our reasons for ignorance is nauseating." Horning said.
Horning replied to this and he said some may be afraid of the sex myth but prejudice can be colored by other things.
Epps, in his summary, said that during the time of Negro slavery the economy of the south was flourishing. He said he did not believe the white man was afraid of the Negro threatening the whites man's economy.
"THE SEX MYTH is the foremost reason for racial discrimination today. If everyone here will look into his heart he will see that sex fears govern his prejudices." Epsss said
Members of the negative and affirmative, at the end of the debate, said there had been compromises on each side.
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