Negro Digest - Freedom Archives
Negro Digest - Freedom Archives
Negro Digest - Freedom Archives
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A Call To Concerned Black Educators<br />
Last Summer, David W . Kent, Director of Admissions at Lincoln<br />
University (Pennsylvania) drafted a proposal for a conference on the<br />
black American's access to higher education .<br />
In October, a black coterie of college admissions personnel caucused<br />
at the national convention of a professional association to consider their<br />
feelings of frustration and indignation-feelings which were aroused by<br />
the fact that the black representation to this convention of 1800 was<br />
typically sparse and, further, that the convention did not address itself<br />
to THEIR primary concern-black youth .<br />
Sharing an ethnic, social and professional mutuality, 12 educators<br />
discussed common concerns, exchanged philosophical views, defined<br />
their role as black professionals in higher education and concluded<br />
that, first, the issue proposed by Mr . Kent should be dealt with on a<br />
national level ; second, any resolve to expand the opportunities for black<br />
children in higher education is meaningless without a consolidated attack<br />
on the fundamental educational problems of black children AT<br />
EVERY STEP OF THE EDUCATIONAL LADDER ; and, third, the<br />
need for dialogue among-and action initiated by-black educators is<br />
overwhelming.<br />
A national conference with seminar-workshops was conceived of as<br />
the most appropriate means by which to arouse the black professional<br />
to demonstrate his concern and simultaneously to put to use our vast<br />
resources of expertise. Black educators are uniquely equipped to state<br />
what must be done in order to raise the educational achievement of<br />
black children . We must sit down "family style," realign our priorities,<br />
and mobilize to remedy the educational ills atNicting our children .<br />
The wheels were set in motion last October . In Illinois . the Association<br />
of Afro-American Educators was chartered . A steering committee<br />
was formed to lay the groundwork for a national conference to<br />
be held early this summer .<br />
Chicago will be the place ; June 6-9 the dates . We need your help .<br />
if you wish to become involved in this effort, let us hear from you<br />
TODAY . Contact Mrs . Myrna C. Adams, coordinator, National Conference<br />
Steering Committee, Association of Afro-American Educators,<br />
72 E . 75th Street, Chicago, Ill ., 60619 .<br />
Other members of the Steering Committee for the National Conference<br />
of Afro-American Educators include : Clara B . Anthony ; Dr.<br />
Nancy L. Arnez ; Lerone Benuett Jr. ; Timuel D . Black ; Shelly Fletcher;<br />
Hoyt W. Fuller; Mildred Gladney ; Dr. Charles V . Hamilton ; Everett<br />
Hoagland ; Arnold P . Jones ; David W . Kent ; Hugh Vf . Lane ; Harold<br />
Pates ; Marvinia Randolph ; Dr. Donald H . Smith ; Anderson Thompson ;<br />
Donald Vanliew; Sylvester Williams ; Radford Wilson ; and Dr. Nathan<br />
Wright Jr. -MYRNA C . ADAMS<br />
NEGRO DIGEST March 1968 4q