Campus/Area
University Daily Kansan / Thursday, February 1, 1990
3
Professor defends reporting joke
Frederickson, associate professor of journalism, left, discusses his speech with Grace Heider, retired professor of psychology.
By Mark McHugh
Kansan staff writer
Despite public scrutiny of a decision to publish a column that cost a public official his job, the author said that its publication was necessary.
Hours after publication, Johnson resigned.
Since then, Frederickson has received numerous reactions from the press and public about his handling of the situation.
Ted Frederickson, associate professor of journalism, wrote a column in the Kansas City Times on Dec. 9 relating a racist stake told to report against Dave Johnson, former director of the Kansas Bureau of investigation
He told an audience of about 120 yesterday at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread, that although he had a difficult time writing the piece, he thought he had done the right thing.
"It have come to learn that there is an unwritten code of silence that whites are expected to follow and that I apparently have broken," he said. "It is time to end this code of silence."
Frederickson said in an interview that responses from his colleagues at the School of Journalism had been overwhelmingly positive.
Some of his colleagues in the newspaper profession, however, did not concur.
One negative response, Frederickson said, was written by Ray Call, managing editor at the Emporia Gazette. In an editorial, Call wrote that Frederickson's work was unethical journalism.
"It's important for readers to know if public officials feel that it's okay to tell racist jokes," she said. "Our job is to help shape the whole of Kansas, not just a part of it."
Diane Silver, a reporter from the Wichita Eagle who was at the forum, said the issue was whether the readers understood the story.
She said she spoke to express her own beliefs not the beliefs of the paper she worked for.
Richard Musser, associate professor of journalism, said that although Frederickson did the right thing, he should have contacted Johnson to get his response before writing the column.
"It would have been nice just to call the guy," he said.
Frederickson agreed that he should have contacted Johnson to let
him know the column would be published.
At the forum, Frederickson handed out a script of the joke Johnson told
At the forum, Frederickson handed out a script of the joke Johnson told. Jan Roskam, professor of aerospace engineering, said that before he went to the speech and read the joke, he had mixed emotions about the situation. But the nature of the joke changed his mind, he said.
"I don't expect public officials to do that, and if they do, they don't deserve any consideration and should not be in public office," he said.
Harry Shaffer, professor of economics and Soviet and East European studies, said that although Johnson told a racist joke, he was not necessarily a racist. But he said
"I think as a reporter, he had to report it," Shaffer said.
Frederickson had the right to express his views.
Robert Shelton, associate professor of religious studies, said that Johnson should not have told the joke because of his responsibility as a public official.
Month to honor Black Americans' history
Visit by Malcolm X's widow will highlight KU observance of Black History Month
Kansan staff writer
By Mark McHugh
Kennean staff writer
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson wanted to set aside a week in which Black Americans would be honored for their contributions to U.S. history.
Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History Inc., chose the week of the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. It was first called Negro History Week.
In 1976, the association, now the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life, extended observance to the month of February to allow more time for programs, observations and celebrations.
"They promote all aspects of the history and culture in the Afro-American Society," said Marshall Jackson, interim director of the Office of Minority Affairs.
The office, along with other campus offices and student organizations, has planned events and performances on campus this month to observe the history of the U.S. Black community.
The activities will be kicked off at 8 tonight with a Negro Ensemble performance of "From the Mississippi Delta" at Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St.
Monday the film "Beyond the Dream II," which focuses on achievements and contemporary issues of the Black community, will
'For her to come and speak, that's relevant. Last year, usually the only white people at the events were from the Kansan or the Journal-World.'
Jesse Jackson
Topeka junior
Jackson said one of the highlights of the month would be a speech Feb. 16 by Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a controversial Black leader in the 1860s.
be shown at Downs Auditorium in Dyche Hall. A panel discussion will follow.
Events Tuesday and Feb. 20 will focus specifically on Black history in Kansas, Jackson said.
Richard B. Sheridan, professor emeritus of economics, will lecture Tuesday about the migration of Blacks to Kansas from 1854-1865.
Jesse Jackson, Topeka junior, said it was important to recognize not only the history of the Black American community but the history of all races.
Jesse Jackson said that past events usually drew predominantly Black crowds and that he would not be surprised if that happened this year.
"On the same hand, I think there should be an American Indian History month," he said.
"For her to come and speak, that's relevant," he said. "Last year, usually the only white people at the Kansas or the Journal-World."
He said, however, that Shabazz would lure a more diverse crowd because of a recent surge in racial awareness.
Groups: Black achievement needs yearlong recognition
By Curtis Knapp
Kansan staff writer
Although Big Eight universities are celebrating Black History Month in February, minority-related groups at the schools stress the need to recognize Black achievement all year long.
"It is our hope that we will have other programs throughout the semester," said Marshall Jackson, interim director of the Office of Minority Affairs at the University of Kansas.
Diana Caldwell, coordinator of multicultural student organizations at Kansas State University, said K-State celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day and would have minority-related activities throughout the semester.
Leonette White, staff member at the Black Culture Center at the University of Missouri, said there were events scheduled until Mar. 16, when she beid events beginning today and continuing until Feb 21.
“It’s our aim to keep this in people's minds for a long time and not just one month.” White said.
During Black History Month, K-
State will host a Broadway production of "Soldiers Play," host a speaker from Wichita, and send a group to Iowa State University on Feb. 22 for a Black Student Union conference.
Events scheduled at Missouri will include lectures by several speakers such as Kwama Toure, who was involved with the Black Panther movement in the 1960s, and Alden Morris from Northwestern University in Chicago, an author of some textbooks used at Missouri.
Other activities will include candielight vigils, jazz band performances, photo exhibits of the 1920s and 1960s, a musical salute to the underground railroad in slavery days and the play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf."
KU had 642 Black students enrolled in Fall 1989, KState had 550 and Missouri had 635, school spokesmen said.
Events at the universities will financed by various organizations.
Curtain will fall on local theater
By Chris Siron
Keppan staff writer
Mangan suan writer
One of downtown Lawrence's theaters may have shown its last movie.
Granada Theatre, 1020 Massachusetts St., closed Nov. 16 after a broken boiler made public operations impossible.
Its owners intended to reopen it when heat was restored.
He said United Artists had turned the theater over to the company's real estate division.
Recently, though, United Artists Theatres, the Granada's owner decided that replacing the boiler would be too expensive, said Jack Possigier, United Artists' Midwest advertising coordinator.
Possiger said that no final decision had been reached but that it was highly unlikely the theater would open again.
'The days of the big single-screen theaters are over.'
manager, the Granada Theatre
Elden Harwood, United Artists' Lawrence manager, he hoped that a way could be found to reopen the theater and that he regretted that it had closed.
Dave Millstein, an employee of Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St., said he had suspected the Granada would not reopen.
"It's a shame," he said.
Liberty Hall added a second screen on Dec. 1, Millstein said.
Dickinson Theatres opened a six-
seater theater at 2339 Iowa St. in
June.
Possiger said single-screen theaters had economic problems in today's market.
Theaters make long-term contracts with movie companies and are required to show a film for a specified length of time. If a single-screen theater runs an unsuccessful movie, it has no other movies to carry its losses, he said.
"The days of the big single-screen theaters are over," said Rance Blann, manager of the Granada.
Helin Peekna, Clarendon Hills, Ill., junior, said she regularly attended movies at the Granada and was unhappy to hear it would stay closed. She said she recently called the theater and discovered its telephone was disconnected.
Meanwhile, across the street from the Granada, the Varsity Theatre's projector still is running.
The Varsity, 1015 Massachusetts St., like the Granada, is a single-screen theater owned by United Artists. The movie "Flashback" is scheduled to open today.
Possiger said if the Varsity experienced problems like the Granada's, it probably would close.
Harwood said yesterday that the Varsity would not close immediately but that he could not predict how long it would stay open.
"It's holding its own," he said.