Negro Digest - Freedom Archives
Negro Digest - Freedom Archives
Negro Digest - Freedom Archives
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ditional knowledge required for the<br />
segregated society, the black society,<br />
the little circle inside ofand<br />
ignored by-the large circle .<br />
We can blame ourselves . Nothing-to<br />
my knowledge-prevents<br />
predominantly <strong>Negro</strong> colleges from<br />
offering any course that is desired .<br />
I am fully aware that some Southern<br />
legislators or governors have<br />
applied pressure to some <strong>Negro</strong><br />
college presidents in an effort to<br />
curb demonstrations . I know also<br />
that some <strong>Negro</strong> college presidents<br />
have succumbed to such pressure<br />
or, timidly, have restricted student<br />
ctivity in anticipation of such<br />
pressure . Certainly, having taught<br />
in North Carolina for nine years,<br />
I know how legislators may try to<br />
restrict freedom of speech . Fearful<br />
of Communism, the legislature of<br />
North Carolina banned from appearance<br />
on campuses any acknowledged<br />
communist or anyone<br />
who had pleaded the fifth amendment<br />
. Educators in North Carolina<br />
understood, however, that this<br />
law was not aimed at the predominantly<br />
<strong>Negro</strong> colleges . The<br />
white legislators scarcely knew nor<br />
cared who spoke to the <strong>Negro</strong> students<br />
. The legislators and their<br />
constituents concerned themselves<br />
with the speakers who came to the<br />
campuses of the large state-supported<br />
universities .<br />
I do not know any instance in<br />
which a state official has opposed<br />
an attempt to introduce any racially-oriented<br />
course at a predominantly<br />
<strong>Negro</strong> college . Of course, I<br />
NEGRO DIGEST March 1968<br />
have no primary knowledge of<br />
what happens in education in Mississippi<br />
or Alabama, those bastions<br />
of Confederate racism . I do know<br />
teachers in those states, however,<br />
and have no reason to believe that<br />
courses have been denied .<br />
The fact is that <strong>Negro</strong> educators<br />
-and I must include myselfhave<br />
not conceived courses oriented<br />
to the <strong>Negro</strong> . Aside from the<br />
history of the <strong>Negro</strong> in America,<br />
a course in literature by <strong>Negro</strong><br />
American writers, and possibly a<br />
course or two in sociology including<br />
a discussion of the problems of<br />
minority groups, few educators<br />
have proposed courses studying<br />
the achievements of black men . I<br />
know no course in the history of<br />
art or music of <strong>Negro</strong>es, no history<br />
of education which includes a<br />
study of predominantly <strong>Negro</strong><br />
segregated public schools and colleges,<br />
no linguistics course which<br />
analyzes the so-called <strong>Negro</strong> dialect.<br />
There should be sociology<br />
courses analyzing the structure of<br />
the <strong>Negro</strong> community, business<br />
courses describing methods of organizing<br />
co-operative community<br />
businesses, more courses concentrated<br />
on practices in small businesses<br />
.<br />
These courses are desirable, can<br />
be established, and must be established,<br />
even at the predominantly<br />
<strong>Negro</strong> colleges as currently structured<br />
. The irony is that they may<br />
be established first and, condescendingly,<br />
at predominantly white<br />
institutions .<br />
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