Guest Editorials
Racial prejudice historic
By MARY LIND Summer Kansan Reporter
Lives there a man who, if born in another time or another place, would not have suffered all his life for his beliefs or differences? It so, he is already a minority group.
During the period of the Roman Empire, Christians were thrown to the lions for their beliefs. In medieval times the peasant classes were persecuted, and later in our own colonial times innocent people were burned at the stake because children called them witches. Africans were kidnapped and sold in the United States as slaves.
History abounds with such atrocities. It would seem that mankind would learn from past mistakes and failures, but today even another problem complicates such issues. At whom and by whom is racial prejudice aimed?
Is it the whites who are prejudiced against the Negroes? Such has been the case for many years.
But then there are the black militant groups to consider. At whom is their prejudice aimed, if not whites?
As a rule most people are indifferent to such matters. Whether a store owner is Negro or white is of little consequence as long as the goods are of high quality and sales are frequent. Little thought is given to what race the neighbors are as long as their lawn is cut and they buy daughter Susie's Girl Scout cookies.
Said one Negro girl, "I'm black and I'm proud, but not necessarily because I'm black." Although this girl has undoubtedly encountered racial prejudice, she hasn't let it throw her.
Is the racial prejudice problem really as bad as it is said to be, or
has it been blown out of proportion by radical antagonists in search of a cause? Have the news media, by paying so much attention to racial demonstrations, inadvertently strengthened the case for racial differences? Has the civil rights issue become nothing but one mammoth publicity stunt created to aid those in high places?
The answers to these questions will bring the answer to what extent racial prejudice exists in the U.S. today.
Prejudice is nothing new to man, it has plagued him through the ages and will undoubtedly continue to do so. It is the amount of existing prejudice that has changed from decade to decade and it is the decreasing of this amount that is the starting point of the answer to the problems of racial differences.
Black history or American studies?
By TERRY ALGREN
Summer Kansan Reporter
One of the main concerns of educators today is the incorporation of "block history" into social studies curricula. What most of the black studies advocates fail to see, however, is that this incorporation would lead to the need for the study of other groups—the Indians, Jewish, Italians, etc.
All of these groups have played
roles in American history, therefore, by the extension of the black studies theory-all different groups should be studies as to their specific color, nationality, ideas and other determining factors.
What is needed, however, is not black studies or Jewish studies or Pelish studies or Mexican or Indian studies. I believe in American studies—the sum of history of the United States, regardless of
who it was who made the history.
All persons of the United States should be proud enough of their nation to accept its history. They should work to make future history go "forward together." And if sectional, racial or national interests still conspire to make their history a separate part of American history, they should become distinct parts of social studies—as are world history. Far East history and other histories.
THE SUMMER SESSION
KANSAN
The Summer Session Kansan, student newspaper at the University of Kansas, is represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 Street, New York, N.Y., 10022. Mail subscription rates: $0 a semester or $10 a year. Publisher has second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kansas, every Tuesday and Friday for the two editions. The Summer Session Accommodations, goods, and employment advertised in the Summer Session Kansan are offered to students without regard to color, creed, or national origin.
The opinions expressed in the editorial columns are those of the editorial staff of the newspaper. Guest editorial views are not necessarily the same as those of any opinions expressed in the Summer Session Kansan are not necessarily the opinion of the University of Kansas Administration or the Kansas State Board of Regents.
As American history is a composite, small groups who feel they are unfairly represented should work together to make a worthwhile contribution to their nation's history.
Executive Staff
Don Westerhaus
James W. Murray
James Seymour
Gary Rodney
Rodney Osborne
Mel Adams
Helen
Managing Editor
Adviser
Photography
Business Manager
Adviser
Office Manager
REPRESENTED FOR NATIONAL ADVERTISING BY National Educational Advertising Services A DIVISION OF READER'S DIGEST SALES & SERVICES, INC. 360 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017
DON PRI LEVINE — ANAWC CO MASSY FILM
PETER O'TOOLE KATHARINE HEPBURN
Blacks start action; negligent in follow-up
By CRISPIN BURNHAM Summer Kansan Reporter
In October of 1968, a group of Negro students staged a walk-out at Lawrence High School. They demanded that there be (1) a black queen, (2) a black cheerleader, (3) a black Student Union and (4) a course in black history.
Some time later, the entire student body was asked to vote on a measure that would give minority groups a chance to have a cheerleader. A small majority voted, however, and the measure barely passed. The shocking thing about this affair is that only two black students voted. After demanding that the cheerleaders elections be changed, the blacks didn't even have a majority of their group vote on the subject.
It is ironic that next year's cheerleading squad at Lawrence High won't have any blacks on it.
There are rumors that the Negro students would demand that one be added. I feel that if the black people want their demands to be met they should work together—not by walking out or by riots—but by peaceful means.
Only then shall man be equal—no matter what race, creed, or color. And especially color. A man is a man whether he is white, red, black, yellow—or even green.
"Dead Run"
Open at 7:00 Start at Dusk
KU SUMMER THEATRE REP. '69
presents
Plays by American playwrights representative of the past four decades 1930,1940,1950,1960.
THE MALE ANIMAL
by
James Thurber and Elliott Nugent
The 1940's comedy which sounds like today, with protest, public controversy—all in a midwestern university town.
July 15, 19, 25 Experimental Theatre
AH, WILDERNESS
by Eugene O'Neill
O'Neill's great comedy of the 1930's about the "generation gap" at the turn of the century. July 14,18,22 In-the-Round" Main Stage
THE GRASS HARP
Truman Capote
The comedy-fantasy of the 1950's about the people of spirit against the dogma of society in which they live.
July 11, 16, 21, 23
"In-the-Round" Main Stage
ONE-ACT PLAYS
1960 Comedies from Broadway
OFF & OFF-OFF
July 12,17,24,26
Experimental Theatre
All performances 8:20 p.m. ● Tele. orders accepted; amount due on receipt of tickets ● Box Office UN 4-3982 (24 hour answering service) ● Hours 10-12 a.m., 1-5 p.m. ● 10-12 Saturdays if a performance that evening ● 7-9 p.m. performance nights
No Reserved Seats
Single admission tickets for individual shows $1.50 Season coupon books $4.00 each Coupon holders must exchange for tickets for each production prior to date specified on each coupon.
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MURPHY HALL