1972_10 The Daily Collegian October 1972

              U H U R U
Sustained growth ^
Black Studies fills gap
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
California State University, Fresno
Vol. 78 No. 11 Oct. 2, 1972
muntty. an understanding of the
professional     and     educational
he  Black  population;
We are seeking to build a rich
lucatlonal program with the aim
academic excellence and rele-
mce to the community needs.
is geared toprovide
itudents  with  the best possible
The
Th* goal* of our program ar*:
1) To enhance the self concept
of Black Americans while provld-
Afrlcan heritage and culture.
Z) To provide Americana,
white and Black, wliha-refreshing view" of the major contributions of Black people loth*world
and describe the historical and
contemporary role* of Black
Am*rlcana.
3) To tie a vehicle for Initiating
changes In the educational Institution and provide supporting
service* for Blsck students.
4) To combat racism and provide support for Ihe Affirmative
PROGRESS
The five-year-old program ha^
sustained growth each year.. Tbe
faculty has grown from Initially
two  members  to presently five
'   part-Urn*
:ourse offer-
thirty-one this fan.
Th* student enrollment has
risen from a modest 17 to 70S
this fall.
PROBLEMS
Th* program has encountered
resistance throughout Its entire
life. Four times the program has
been almost completely wiped out
by the firing and not rehiring ot
faculty members and through
shortages of facilities.
Growth has been restricted by
failure to provld* sufficient f*c-
tatlng the closing of som*cour«*«
with minimum student requirements, by failure to allocate sufficient faculty In spring for fall
scheduled classes, by Insufficient
classrooms and orflOM and support (tiff (student assistants and
clerical), and by Insufficient
funds for purchase of films,
and     Instructional
-Lester Rlgglns
Black Caucus charges white media racism
Alt.rn.il..  P«l».  mmwelee
The total media picture today
revealed that there are only 223
Many journalists    have  com
'chanc***   on   th* bail* ot
reveals that In broadcasting there
minority memhere In the profes
mented  on  thla situation.    Ben
•White   media   in general and
la a tight control by whites over
sional newspaper force, out of a
Bagdlklan ,   of   the  Washington
Thla 1* not lb* cas* wllhyounf
broadcasting lrj particular were
all ihe media's operations with a
total of 40.000 people.  As forthe
Post, whose entire black staff Is
blacka because of 'cultural un
guilty of acute racism In hiring
limited  number of blacks being
leading    magailne of opinion,
now suing that paper, states that
knowns".  Other editors have said
and  promotion  patterns.* So
filtered Into staff Jobs.
•there are no black editors, al-
he   had   himself failed to hire
that there 1* ■ lack of black *x-
charged the Congressional Black
black   reporters.    'With an un-
(Contlnued or page D)
Caucus    after    Its   hearings   in
March. 1972, on *The Mass Media
and the Black Community.*
Black witnesses from all over
the   country  lodged  charges  of
racist hiring patterns and of ra
cist coverage In the white press.
Ings emerged recommendations
for the establishment of a nationwide organl utlon of black * media
watchdog committees* and a national task force to assist them.
The watchdog committees would
monitor the airwaves to document
unfairness In order to challenge
station licenses. Th* caucus
urged all blacka to "sound off
loud and clear" whenever th*y
deemed themselves misrepresented by the media, and It demanded the Immediate promotion
of blacks into dlclilon- making
position.
According to William Greaves,
former executive producer of
Public Broadcasting System's
••"•program, 'Black Journal*, th*
black communities of America
had no Important public platforma
of expression. In particular, the
television screens of America
were notoriously lacking in black
faces and black thinking."
The media, over the last several years, has become a powerful
e control of prelim and
•Th* m
ct prej
udice and discrimination through
their news reports and commentaries, ti.rough the content of
their entertainment and public
service program* and In th*lr