Community Leader, students comment on racial problems

Community Leader, students comment on racial problems

Racial Climate, Black Student Union, Larry Dowdy, Huk Bethea, Dave Flamer, Charles A. Melton

Student and community leaders comment on the racial climate in West Chester. The interviewees include Black History Week Chairman Larry Dowdy, BSU President Huk Bethea, Men's Resident Government President Dave Flamer, and Community Center Director Charles A. Melton

Nancy J. Holt

Quad Angles Vol. 39 No. 16

West Chester University Quad

1971-02-16

West Chester University, West Chester University Special Collections, Francis Harvey Green Library, Black Students Lives Project, Angela Schaefer, Angela Grabosky

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http://blackstudentslives.org/archives/items/show/172

TIFF Newspaper Scan

English

Student Newspaper Article

Community leader, students comment on racial problems By NANCY J. HOLT Ed. Note: This is the first of two articles probing into the racial problems on the West Chester campus and how they relate to the community of West Chester and vice versa. Three members of the black college community and one member of the black community of the town of West Chester are in agreement that there is racial discrimination at the college and something has to be done about it. Larry Doudy, Chairman of Black History Week, and Huk Bethea, Chairman of Black Student Union, in a QUAD ANGLES interview, agreed that the problem is caused by the whites. "I think the problem lies within the white people," Doudy said, "and they are causing one (problem) to themselves because they cannot accept us as black students." Communication Bethea commented that the problem lies in communication between the blacks and whites. He said that this communication exists because "the white folks don't want to accept a person for what he really is." Bethea went on to say that there are two types of blacks: those who accept the white man as a person, and those who say if the white man treats him as a dog, he will do the same. When asked to which category he belonged, Bethea replied: "I can't really say. I was brought up in a black society. Everyone is prejudiced in one way or another. I'm prejudiced in oneway." Dave Flamer, President of Men's Resident Government, said, in another interview that discimination does exist on campus. "It's in their minds. It's, how do you say it, hereditary." He added: "When there's a minority of blacks and a majority of whites, you're going to have racial undertones." Doudy and Bethea agreed that black studies need to be integrated into the overall curricula, since they both feel that the problem between blacks and whites on this campus is coming to a head. "We are reaching a peak," Doudy said, "There are alot of little things black students have been working at for years. We want to see a definite positive sign this semester because it will reach a peak of tension and the cork will pop. He continued: "I am against gradual change because I have been promised gradual change and haven't gotten it. They (college community) move or be moved." When asked how he would move the college community, Doudy stated that he was not at liberty to say. Asked if he meant violence, Doudy said, "No comment. Whatever they force us to do," Asked if he considered himself a radical: "In my own right, I am a radical," Bethea replied, "I don't think of myself as a radical, but people do." Workable Solution Flamer feels the college communitycommunity shouldn't worry about the problem reaching a peak. "We shouldn't concern ourselves with what will happen." He said, "Why not get a workable solution before it happens." The three student leaders feel that course integration is an answer, but it is not the sole answer* Flamer states, "We have to deal with being human beings first." Bethea feels that a change of attitude not only on the part of the students but preferably with all whites involved is necessary. When asked about white students who might resent the integration of black studies in the curricula, Doudy answered, "If they resent integration, this is white backlash ... what if I don't accept a white course, I get penalized. I don't care what the white man does. If he doesn't like it, then let him jump on his band wagon and change it."Hecontinued: "The humanistic thing to do is to unweave the trend of racism. This (course integration) is not the main thing to resolve. We're not saying all black history. The problem here is that the change lies on the white man. He has to start looking at the black man as he truly is. ... I've been saying the same thing to Sykes and Rossey BflßMlMcAdoo Dave Flamer, President of Men's Resident Government . ."We can't turn our faces away." | I Bill McAdoo Larry Doudy. . . "In my own right I am a radical." about course changes for two years and they're not moving fast enough." Correct Racial Injustice With a black minority at West Chester and the problem of course integration, Doudy said he chose to come to West Chester because he can do more here to correct racial injustice. "I see it as a challenge," Doudy said. Flamer said he came here because West Chester was the ultimate of the state colleges and at the time he didn't know the ratio of blacks to whites here. When questioned about a break between the college community and the town of West Chester, Doudy replied, "I see a barrier between the black community of the town and college because there never were any good relations. No one wants to look over the fence," he added. Flamer feels that communication has broken down between the city and the college because there are no social programs shared by the college and the town. "I think we definitely have to knock down the suspicion that they (townspeople) don't belong at the college. We have to open up the college ... We can't turn our faces away." Tutorial Programs In order to try to better community relations, Doudy said that the black community on campus is working on setting lip tutorial programs in the town and the gospel choir will be performing in West Chester on three occasions.Chas. A. Melton, director of the Community Center, 501 E. Miner St., says that the black people in the community of West Chester don't feel kindly toward the college because for one reason the black community feels that the administration is apprehensive about hiring black faculty. "I don't believe in percentages but it should be a more equitable spread. There are only about five on the college faculty now ... but I'm saying that it's still just tokenism. He added that the hiring of blacks is usually done just to comply with state and local laws as well as to satisfy the black community. Reflection of Attitude Melton said that he feels the problem lies with the administration. "I think the faculty and staff more or less reflect the attitude of the administration. If the administration showed more concern, it would be reflected by the faculty and staff." In reference to his last verbal communication with the administration, Melton replied that he has not communicated with Dr. Rossey since last spring. He specifically went to Dr. Rossey \ with Dr. W.T.M. Johnson from Lincoln University, to express his ! views about the firing of Dr. Michael Kay, though at the time he had not yet met Kay. "I really feel that there is a great connection between the firing of Dr. Kay and the repression of blacks at West Chester," Melton commented.Asked why he has not made an effort to communicate with Dr. Rossey since last spring, Melton replied, "Perhaps it is my fault, but he is so bigoted in his stand against Kay that he wouldn't see the forest for the trees." Cannot Condone Violence When questioned about the violence at the Chambers Brothers concert last October 31, Melton ' said that he cannot condone the violence caused by a group of blacks from the West Chester community, but he can understand. . Even if the rule enforced at the time was a valid one, he said the blacks involved probably thought that it was a gimmick to keep them out. Melton said that the college can better community relations by cooperating with different agencies; for example, the Community Center, in a tutorial exchange program which would help blacks and whites to know and understand one another better. Chas A. Melton, Community Center Director . . . "if the Administration showed more concern. . ."

Microfilm

BSU President Huk Bethea, Men's Resident Government (non-black org) President Dave Flamer, and Community Center Director Charles A. Melton interviewed about racial problems on campus.