1969_10 The Daily Collegian October 1969

              Hire Marvin X oj
—Ness says n<
»
A.C.S.C.P. asked to 'mobilize
By Gerald P. Merrell
Colleglsn Edttor-ln-Chlef
Fresno StstsCoUege President
Frederic W. Negg celled off a
news conference scheduled tor
this moraine ** ***■•*•• he waa to
announce hla decision of ths hiring of aa avowed Black Muslim
to teach ethnic studies
Dr. Neee, altar meetine for
almost two hours with 10 representatives of the college's
blsck snd Chicano faculty and
student body, said hs would not
hold the scheduled newg conference and msy not hold one st sll
today.
However, there was speculation thst tbs president would announce hig decision Ins prepared
statement through the community
relations office.
An estimated 200 persons
waited outside the small conference room while the president
was meeting with ths representatives.
Dr. Ness has been considering
the recommendation by the Social
Science Department that Marvin
E. Jackmon be hired as an lnatructor for ethnic studies for
several days.
Thg college president objected
to ths largo crowd that packed
the Thomas Administration
Bulldinc where the meetine with
the representstlves was being
held
Nona of your business
One black student said to Dr.
Nsss, "All we're asking ls where
you will hold the press conference.'
The pregtdent replied: "I sm
not st sll surs It's say of your
business."
There Is wide speculation that
Marvin X will not be hired.
Typical move
An unidentified black person,
who is reportedly s member of
the Black Panther Party, aald,
"This ls a typical move by Negg
to enslgve the true voices of the
people. If Marvin X ls not allowed
to teach, this will just be s be-
ginninc. If this is allowed to happen, soon all radical croups sad
membera of the New Lett will be
supprsgged in tbe same way. Tbe
people must rise Uke a mighty
storm and overthrow their op-
pressors. . ."
another Hvslugtsel, Dr.
Dale Bush, president of tbe statewide Association of California
Stats College Predoeeere and as-
sociats professor of economics at
Fresno SUte, said members of
<h* F.S.C. .faculty may units
around Marvin X sad etbale
studies.
• Bush slso said atate-wide
faculty support ls bsltkf I
A.C.S.CP.
The local A.C.S.C.P. met yes-
dsy and  unanimously paaaed
|» resolution asking ths state-wids
organization to mobilize its resources in support of Marvin X
' ethnic studio's etFresooStete
ollege.
"The resourcee ars prepared
fight this oo a legal, awae-
»ry. and moral basis If nacao-
We srs very concerned
bout thla and I know aome of the
■culty here will react If Marvin
>• not hired."
n<"    Bush  sal
Jackmon, also known as Marvin
X. was recommended for the
teachtag paat by Packard Key as
chairman ot ethnic studies. His
recommendation waa then sent to
and approved by Dr. Dale Bonner, dean of Social Sciences under which ethnic studies tall.
Marvin X this fall began teaching courses ln blsck theater,
creetive writing and propaganda
as It affectg the black man. A
college administration spokesman said It is not unusual for
someone to begin teaching on
csmpus before he has been officially approved by the chancellor
because of the heavy smount of
paper work Involved in hiring Instructors tor all 18 campuses of
the California Ststs college system.
Political maneuvers
Dr. Noes' declelon-when It
comes-will culminate two weeks
of political maneuvering which
has included the offices of ethnic
studies snd social sciences, Dr.
Noes, snd State Collece Chancellor Glenn Dumke.
Althouch the chancellor's of
ties will not admit It, It ls known
thst Dumke ordered Dr. Ness two
weeks ago not to Mrs Marvin X.
Earlier today ths chsncsllor's
office refused to com mem oo the
case. A spokesman for Dumks
would not even admit that the
chancellor and Dr. Nsss hsd
discussed the Issue.
However, last week, following
tbe two-day meetine of the trueteeo, Dr. Negg, Keyos, and Dr.
Burtner met with officials from
Dumko's office tn Loo Angeles
la s reported attempt to resolve
the Issue betore it became public.
College administration forces
will ssy only that the order not
to hire Marvin X was reiterated.
An sdminlstratlon source said
yesterdsy thst ths conflict began
when Dr. Burtner failed to comply with "the ordinary procedure
for hiring sn instructor."
No evaluation
Ths administration maintains
that on August 22 and September
18 Dr. Noes' office asked Dr.
Burtner for a complete recommendation to hire Marvin X or
not accompanied with the complete bsckground snd evaluation
of ths prospective Instructor. As
oi ajldmgrntae yestsrdsy, s
spokesman for Dr. Noes' office
said   ths   sval
ground Information ettll had not
been supplied
Dr. Negg reportedly aom a
memorandum yeetorday onto line
Dr. Burtner to oappty the Information or the preeldent would
make s dectglon concerning Marvin X on the limited information
he had.
The chancellor's office came
into the picture when Dr. Noes
reportedly contacted Dumke to
get a "legal reeding on what lbe
ramifications would be If we
hired him (Marvin X)."
Y eg ter day afternoon an"egti-
mated 200 black and Chicano students marched into the Thomas
Administration Bulldinc (Dr.
Ness' office is there) to demon-
strata support tor Marvin X.
It was s peaceful and orderly
demonstration. The atudenta left
when tt wss learned Dr. Neee
had already left csmpus.
Unfit to teach
The chsncsllor's office and
Ness contend Marvin X's background make him unfit to teach
at Freeno State.
The 25-year-old Edison High
School graduate ig a former gtu-
dent In creetive writing at San
Francisco Stste Col logs and
studied under New York ptay-
wiicht LeRoi Jones.
Msrvin X has directed his own
and other productions for the
Blsck Arts West Theatre ln San
Francisco.
Under indictment
The chancellor's office and Dr.
Ness contend Msrvin X's background makes him unfit to tesch
at Fresno Ststs. He Is not under
indictment for draft evasion (s
heerlng on the charge is scheduled for October 10 ln San Fran-
cieco). And it alao believed that
some persons tool be should not
be allowed la teach becauae of hig
religious beliefs snd aome of the
things he has written snd said.
Msrvin X has produced two
plays, "Flowers for the Trash-
man" and "Corns Next Summer"
which deals with s black man
seeking Identity and learning thst
btack Is beautiful.
He has also written s book of
poems entitled "Fly toOurLoft*,
snd "Btack Msn Listens" snd
"Son of Man* which are books of
Collegian
LXXV/14
THURSDAY, OCTOftft 2, 1969
(Editor's note: As of noon today, two hours later than normal praaa
time, Dr. Neee etlll refused to comment ea tee hiring of Marvin X.)
9 U.S.
In 1967 Marvin X went to Can-
ads where he rcnoa.
citizenship. Hs ta
hsve said, "Black people are aot
citizens in the U.S.. they're just
subjects. So I don't kaow If poo
really   can. soy I  denounced  a
citizenship I didn't have."
When he rotarned to the United
Statea he was indleted tor draft
Bronzon at convocation
Students blamed for campus
By Beverly Kennedy
Collegian Managing Editor
recently In the McConneU report
and    sapanded upon    greatly at
« know if aoma fscoHy
•tabors win support a class
Tbe blame for campus problems was laid where many people
hove been arguing It haa belonged - g pas rely ta the lap of
the Freano State College student
Ombedemen Paul Murray dU-
poneed with the panel of yesterday and declared teat It waa "aot
too reinvent* snd tt ens sm rated on
listening te what tbe otedgiifs hod
to say.
At Bbs outset et yeetorday'g
session, students snd faculty alike
teak tbe opportunity te rap tbe
a-ml-latfBiloa aad other of the
faculty ao oeveral Issues, a central teeee under firei
After listening to faculty
rap other faculty aad administrators aad their political belief., past student body preeldent
Brace Bronzon eaid he was disgusted wtth later-faculty dissent
•1 am tack end tired of s faculty wbo bate   each other."
Ha   smphgglnl teat tela hate
pervaded committee meetirtgg
laat year to tea extent tbat ta
aome of tee meetings some tec-
look at ooes other.
Despite .tbls split in the tec-
aity,   Bn
are most   at fault
Rstoring te a aituatioo on campus laat yaar when Em financial aids ofllee was criticised
for - releasing certain student
information to the police without
the students' permission, Bron-
zan said be "worked Uke bell
to find people wbo woald give op
oome of their precious time to
sit oo a committee (teat planned
to     Investigate tbe    release.)"
A   report oo tbe l
never came   about, added Bron-
zaa, because the stndeats  never
at tbe time, a majority of taa
student   body   waa ap la i
tba probtome aa tela
The problema aren't bare.
They've got la bo solved ta tea
com mltteea where tbep exist.
This college baa evolved
Into a mul ____ion dollar boreoa-
cracy co-trotted by ao one. Bet
not without tee stadgiila. Sa yoa
(otudonto) meet take oae Initiative,
If you're teat intarseted (la
■)• I