1980_12 The Daily Collegian December 1980

              UHURU NA UMOj A
Racism and discrimination, real or imagined, are like the water* of a flood. They
are strong and powerful, and defenses must be built to keep them both from
destroying what ha* taken year* to build.
What would happen It a town neglected it* detente* against the water*, because
tor year* the rain* had been light and the threat wa* not notlceablel The tame
thing happen* when we become complacent and apathetic.
Do we see our*elve*t Are we watching hlttory repeat itself over and over agalnt
Sifting through past issues of Uhuru / read again and again the pleas for help
with the paper. I read editor after editor warning, 'Don't wait until you feel
threatened to take career your own.' Yet we do. Let'* *tep off of thi* treadmill I
Students, we are quick to tcream, 'Racism!' 'Discrimination!' which turely
exists In our society and on our campus. Vet we are at fault when we allow
situations to arite which have these overtones, because we have not maintained
We a* a people are not alone In this type ol phenomenon. Look at our campus
and community now. In the wake of recent event*, we hear crlet of, 'More pro¬
tection/' 'More security!' 'Escort* wanted!' Then come* next semester, next
year, and our defenses will drop again.
December 1. 7900 wa* the application deadline date for editor* of UHURU and
LA VOZ. No one applied for UHURU editor. The applicant for LA VOZ was
re/ected by the Media Council. Both position* have been reopened (see Ad page 6).
Jh* next step it ours—students, faculty and tuff.
To The Editor
PARENT SPEAKS ON EDUCATION
Commentary
LET'S CETTOCETHER
By Daniel Okoro
OnThursday evening, HlMSsksr 2©hS, In CSUF's eld cafeteria, two Individ*
•poke on the fight lor freedom of Black, in Namibia against thc white rule
•South Africa." The as'tawn nw> CTw Msilalib tram the Samth West AMc
People's Organization rSWAPO) and Mike Morgan, a deserter from the SourJ
African army and staff member of the Seulh African Military Refugee Aid
fund (SAMRAF). As I expected, the response of the Black students to this vital
I ashedla brother why he wast mmrnks se make H. The ai
To the Editor:
Word is out that public educaton Is
falling, that the schools aren't doing the
fob. that our kids aren't being taught to
read and write-much less think.
Too many, schools have become ridden
v with violence, teachers and students are
robbed, beaten or raped. There are high
schools In our cities where the smell of
barefv monosyllabic teenagers simply
shuffle along. There are others where
students, who have the spark, must fight
to learn or are frustrated by the bure¬
aucracy and rigidity of the system or are
stifled bv the apathy and anger of their
There are the teachers who care-but
can't do. those who give their all, and
some who iust don't give a damn. And
fast.'but certainly not least, there arm
t it.- it was only aaaaaam
hole week.  Well, let us say some ol us did not
. spend Friday and Saturday night desc
hear about? How marry of us take the tfme
lngti«ttrr*towalkrorrwr«wsp«perstaiKhpicm_       _    .
gsssswafpgfssjssJasBTfsejdls^^
ts going on? That is what is embarasalng. We have our priorities misplaced.
Prarlrr, I do not know what th* prohiem b.   There are hundreds of   Black
"*■"*■■■'  -*•*"••*"  —-«—■ '■ »-* ■—'? organization on campui
            There Ii an urgent need
The Pan African Union fPAU) Is an organixation on campus deigned to unite
*"        - -    *orid. Only Black Americai	
aunpus, eacn aejssj rftetr own tn*n g, never talking aooui
ampus, except for parties or other recreational activities.
ksstsfy she hilflrig of the Aasericaw hostage* In Iran, bet I can say this about the
 ,    . imttMmmm mag, „, )>t.H)M. Let's say, but God forbid, there l»
campus today. We sure would have a "hell of a time" trying to
aMranamanmrnwamamtm.
■ the peel secede the eilili artwuil of ■lacks by Whites In this country and
'    -eased tremendously. We hear of racial riot. In Miami, leaving
 I. We heaa-of Whites shooting Blacks for game.   We hear of
the rebirth of theKlan In the last decade. The Guyana Incident left hundreds of
Blacks dead. I can go on endlessly. These are no fairy tales, they are a. real a.
dayandnight. ""*
There is a saying that 'what is ours is ours, and what as mine is mine.' They
have kept what Is theirs , and what Is mine they are trying to turn into ours.
Europe Is secure, Americans have secured America. Don't you think African.
mmmtt mat* Africa before 11 la tee Utet Some Black, may feel very far removed
this, the central at Africa by any other group el people betides itT"Africa^
People' would be devastating for Africans as seel at Blacks all over the world.
If you do not understand, put yourself in a position of being kicked out by you,
Undtordandnoplacerogo. This means ye* de net have a heme or roof tor gMt*
tor. Then think of what It would be l»he i»^ to (save atry ola« on earm that m
TheCtll!!X!t7lr^
jur minds.   But remember this-It ■ «----*- -"- -"
Africans if given the chance. TWsj
those of us who go about sublimely
unconcerned, some who try to make
meaningful changes and others who
wish to think the responsibility Is
anyone's but their*. I've heard adults
blame students themselves. Yes, In¬
deed, something is wrong.
In mv mind a tot of that something
stems from this society's avoidance of
responsibility. Too many of us become
accustomed to 'big brother- taking the
weight - and it isn't even 1984. We seem
to want to ding to a belief that institu¬
tions like public school should be all
things to all people. We ask schools'to
function like momma and papa, to pro¬
vide everything and leave us off the
honk..
How else can we explain parents who
are shocked to foam their child can't
graduate because he or she can't mad.
Yes. It's shocking that any child would
(see PARENT page 8)
AWAY THE fcOV
UHURU NAUM
Jack & Jill
Making
Headway
by Frandne Oputa/Editor-irHChlef
A new organization for children and
their parents is making headway in
Fresno-Jack and Jill of America.lnc.
Jack and Jill was founded in 1936 on
the East Coast, but the Fresno chapter
s formed (as a provisional chapter)
—-^rof1979. T
make Jack ancT Jill's existence known to
the powers that be In Fresno, to let
Mayor Whitehurat know who we are, to
let the school board know who we are,
because our focus is youth.' say Jacqui
Revis president of the Fresno chapter.
Revis was appointed to the presidency
when Doris Bugg who, along with Dolly
Whitehead and Poppy Booker, was the
rnobvatmg force behind the Fresno
chapter, passed away in February of
this year.
Though the organization is not well
known in Fresno It is well known In .
other parts of the country, according
to Revis.
Jack and J ill is a very prestigious organ¬
ization... especially back on the East
Coast and in the South,* says Revis.
*We were on the White House's con¬
ference on families. Our (Far West-
Region) Regional director has sat on
several conferences dealing with fami¬
lies and youth.'
Jack and Jill gained its prestige by
being an organization with hard working
dedicated and well educated people.
According to Revis a straw poll was
taken at a recent convention and it Is
believed that upwards to 90 percent
of the Jack and Jill mothers hold one
college degree.
BEST OF FRIENDS ?
by Rhonda E. Karriem/Staff Writer
There was a time my best friend Clna   college life was Just llkehigh school - wel
and I weren't allowed to drink from the J   ' ""
same water fountain. Then, there was a
time, when this older man, who slightly
resembled Cina, made me get out of my
seat and stand in the back of the bus
while he sat next to Cina. I didn't under¬
stand, so I asked my momma why
people treated me and Cina differently
whenever we went somewhere together.
My momma said it was because Cina
was white and I was Black. To me, it
seemed kinda dumb. But it didn't really
»ther me. Until Clna and I were about
to enter the 9th grade and had to be
seperated. I begged momma to let me go
to the same school with Cina, but she
said I couldn't because a law called *J Im
Crow- forbade me to. I didn't like the
law and I thought this 'Jim Crow-
person wasn't very nice, because he
wouldn't let me be with my best friend.
So, Cina and I mad* a vow that no
matter what, she and I would always be
together after school and we wouldn't
let anything come between us. Weil, my
school was very nice. There were a lot of
kids there that resembled me. In fact,
even my teacher was just like us. Our
teacher, Ms. Jackson, gave us some
books to read—e\_    _.,
almost worn out. As for —
to a school with a tot of kids
bled her. Just • little bit, including her
teacher. But her books were brand new
and they even had pictures in them: It
didn't bother me though-
Finally, after four very long years,
Cina and I, even though we went to
mm itfi-wtii iriss-rtfi Mi
Several years went by, and I didn't
hear from Cina anymore. Well, I gradu-1
ated with honors from Cramblin Untver-'
sity and now I practice Law in New York.
After getting established, I decided to go
back to my home town, Montgomery,
Alabama,*and visit my dear momma.
On the way, I stopped at a small cafe |
that I didn't recall being there when I
was a little girl to get something to eat
But the owner, a very heavy set whits
woman, refused to let me in. As I looked!
closely at her again, I realized that it ■
my dear old friend Cina
'Cina. . . .How are you?' were the
words that rambled off my tongue. In¬
stead erf greeting me, the woman hurried
me out the door and pointed to a sign
reading, 'NO COLORED ALLOWED*.
So, I got in my new Thunderbird and
drove off wtthout any hesitations.
I rushed in to my momma's house,
leaving a swinging screen door behind
me. and hugged momma.  Later
night, I told my momma, as I a	
used to do, what happened to me. My
momma, wise as she always was, told
me/ The vow was not to let anything
come between you (Cina and I) but after
so many years, Qna must have forgotten
about you, and that's why she let her
cafe doors come between you.*
to my 'best friend; th* one I used to
know. Momma said when you're young,
you don't see any color, but when youl
get older, you do. I guess Cina grew up.
One of the aims of the organization,
according to the Fresno chapter's
provisional constitution, Is:
To create a medium of contact for
children which will stimulate growth
and develpment, and to provide for
them and their parents or guardians
constructive educational, recreational,
social, cultural and religious programs.*
Jack & Jill does this by arranging
activities suitable for each segment of
the organization. The idea Is family
participation,' stresses Revis.
In order to be a member of Jack and
Jill a mother has to have children
ranging In age from 2-19' says Revis.
The children are grouped according
to their ages. There are five age group¬
ings: 2-5 years,-64 years, 9-12 years,
13-15years, and 16-19years. The organi¬
zation has activities tailored for each
age group as well as activities for the
entire family.
One of the activities that illustrates
this   Is   the  youth   conference.   This
■   held each year.    The
crjnference gives young people the
opportunity to meet others from
different areas with similar Interest.
The conference also helps young
people develop leadership skills,
as the teen groups has its own officers.
Revis, who was a member of Jack and
Jill as a child (Her mother is a char¬
ter member of Texas chapter.) reflects,
most enjoyable things I participated in
as a teen member of Jack and Jill.*
The Fresno chapter has tentatively
scheduled a family outing for early
next year. The plan Is to 'Amtrack*
to San Francisco and fellowship with
the chapter there. This outing will
include the fathers (Jacks) and the
mothers (Jills) and 'all the children
from 2-19,* explained Revis.
It Is understandable why Revis com¬
mented, 'Jack and Jilt Is also an expen¬
sive organization to belong to.*
Dues for mothers In the Fresno chap-
(see HEADWAY pages
"Nothing Ventured-Nothing Gained->'*
Just try it and see what you a ttained.^ *
SPECIAL PRICE TO STUDENTS
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