UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thursday, October 20, 1994
5A
New group aims to bring minorities into journalism
By Polina Sukonik Special to the Kansan
J. R. Chairborne, Coffeyville senior, is concerned about the lack of minorities in the field of journalism.
Clairborne, a journalism major, wants to change that. So last month he formed Amanzaa, A Spectrum of Students in Journalism, to actively recruit, retain and support students of color at KU's School of Journalism.
"There is a large underrepresentation of people of color in journalism," Clairborne said. "People have a big impression of the large amount of work involved in journalism and the media in general. Some want no part of it."
Clairborne said Amanzaa meant "unity" in Swahili. The organization is open to all minority students studying journalism.
Clairborne got his inspiration to start Amandaza after attending a conference, Unity '94, last summer in Atlanta. Unity '9 was the first gathering of the four minority journalism groups: the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian-American Journalist Association and the Native-American Journalist Association.
Clairborne said he returned from the conference enthusiastic about the issues that were discussed and ready to work on the concerns of journalists of color. In addition to recruiting students for journalism, Clairborne is concerned with media coverage of people of color in the United States.
"The problem with media coverage of people of color is a matter of personal relevance and a lack of sensitivity," he said. "I am not accusing anyone of racism and prejudice. It's just that if subjects don't pertain to those people who make decisions about what's on the front page, it may not seem important to them. Since people of color are underrepresented, important issues to them are not represented."
Areason to recruit
An example was media coverage on
Enrollment, by ethnic background,
in the School of Journalism for
undergraduates during the 1993-
94 school year was:
■ six Native Americans
■ five Asians
■ seven African-Americans
■ 11 Hispanics
■ 16 international students
■ 513 Caucasians.
Enrollment in the graduate
program:
■ one Native American
■ no Asians
■ no African-Americans
■ one Hispanic
■ eight international students
■ 43 Caucasians.
Source: University Relations
the FOX station coming back to Lawrence after a year-long hiatus. Headlines and articles told of the return of "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place" to Lawrence. These headlines forgot about another important audience — the people who watch "Martin" and "Living Single", Claiborne said.
"These shows were not mentioned, even though FOX gained much of their popularity from an African-American audience," Clairborne said.
Akilah Rounds, Wichita junior, also thinks that there is not enough being done to recruit more people of color in the school of journalism.
"Sometimes I feel as if I'm all alone," she said.
Rounds found company with Amanzaa and is now a vice president in the organization.
Even though it has only existed for a month, Amanzaa has already rolled up its sleeves and is busy working on its goals.
Three weeks ago, Amanzna members met with minority high school students visiting the University of
Native-American editor speaks about issues
Kansan staff report
Mark Trahant, executive news editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, will speak today to various groups in Lawrence about contemporary issues in Native-American journalism.
Trahant, who arrived in Lawrence yesterday, will speak at 7 p.m. at Haskell Indian Nations University's Navarre Conference Hall. He also will speak today to KU reporting classes.
His trip to Lawrence is being sponsored by the Haskell Humanities Department, KU's School of Journalism and Amanzaa, a group of student journalists of color.
Kansas. Amanzaa plans to visit area junior colleges and talk to undecided majors and students of color, Clairborne said.
Aside from recruiting students, Amanzaa also will offer educational services for journalism school students. Every third Sunday of the month, Amanzaa will have an education meeting, and different aspects of journalism will be discussed, such as resume building and networking.
India Webb, Atchison senior, and in charge of publicity for Amanzaa, said she felt it was not the responsibility of the school alone to recruit minorities but also the students'.
"We can give them a real perspective of a minority journalism-school student," Webb said. "We can show the prospective students the school of journalism through the minority point of view."
Amanzana meetings are at 8 p.m.
Sundays in 204 Staffer-Flint.
City commission considers board to oversee housing
Concerns need to be addressed, group says
By Carlos Tejada Kansan staff writer
A shortage of affordable housing for families and the elderly. Limited funds to build such housing. KU students who sign bad rental deals out of ignorance.
All of these problems and more plague the housing situation in the city of Lawrence, a housing study group told the Lawrence City Commission yesterday. The solution, they said, is to create an advisory board to oversee a trust fund made up of taxes, grants and contributions.
But the group discouraged mandatory inspection of rental units, a policy KU students had lobbied for in the past.
At a special study session held in city hall yesterday afternoon, members of the two-year-old Housing Study Group told commissioners housing conditions had a serious impact on the city's future.
"Housing works in tandem with economic development," said Shirley Martin-Smith, head of the group and former city commissioner. "We need them to work together."
The 58-page study identified problems such as a shortage of affordable housing for families and the elderly, a lack of understanding about renting and ownership, and a lack of awareness of programs to help homeowners and renters.
Martin-Smith said the group recommended the creation of a housing advisory council to oversee a trust fund that would support housing initiatives. The trust fund would be made up of donations
able-housing agency, to receive money. The council in charge of the fund would be appointed by the city commission.
Commissioners were receptive to the idea. John Nalbandian, city commissioner, said a housing advisory council would fill a niche.
Lawrence Householders
If the community is going to take responsibility for housing, we have to have a unit we can work with and hold accountable." Nalbandian said.
KU students make up the largest number of nonfamily households in Lawrence, according to a city housing study.
However, the study recommended voluntary inspections paid for by the landlords. In return, the city would award the landlord certification that they had passed inspection. The landlords then would be allowed to
The report rejected requests that landlords be inspected yearly and their violations be recorded, a request KU students have made for several years.
from corporations, state and federal grants, and taxes, she said.
"We are going to have to pay for it," Martin-Smith said. The trust fund would pay for subsidized housing and look for better ways for neighborhood organizations and the Lawrence Housing Authority, the city's afford-
Krista McGlobon\ KANSAN
advertise they had passed inspection.
The housing advisory council also would suggest students to rent first from landlords who advertised the certification, Martin-Smith said.
Sherman Reeves, KU student body president, said the voluntary inspections were a step in the right direction but not a final solution.
"The problem is, the bad landlords aren't going to do that," Reeves said. "So how do you get them to get inspected?"
Study officials must meet with Mike Wildgen, city manager, to draft an ordinance before the city commission can consider forming the council.
After the study session, the commission studied a request by the Lawrence Housing Authority to change its status from a federal government agency to a non-profit corporation. Barbara Huppe, executive director of the agency, said the agency then would be eligible for more public and private grants to meet its burgeoning affordable housing demand.
Commissioners questioned the agency's officials about how non-profit corporation status would fit in city government and whether the agency would compete with private businesses for grants.
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The agency's request will come before the commission by late November at the earliest.
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