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Black power advocates define objectives
By IRWIN BERLIN
"We want everything that
America wants — but more."
This was the main definition
of black power given by Minister
Franklin Florence at last
Friday's lecture in Howell
Hall.
The lecture was entitled
"Black Power: Theology and
Politics of a People." The
speakers were Dr. Harvey Guthrie,
professor of .Old Testajnent
at the Episcopal Theological
Seminary in Cambridge,
Mass.; and Florence, who was
the first president of FIGHT
in Rochester.
Florence ably substituted
for intended speaker, Dr.
Charles Hamilton, who was in
Chicago attending a sit-in demonstration.
An interested audience listened
as the two authorities
expounded on black pow?r.
and the problem that faces the
white community because of
it.
With the death of Martin
Luther King last month. Floretee
told of a reassessment of
position by the black community.
King v/as assassinated by
a white racist, again proving
that violence is as American as
cherry pie. 185 cities burned
after King's déath, Amierica
noticing for the first time the
black community's use of violence.
I rebutted this by pointing
to the riots of the past two summers,
but Florence said that
v/hites have been more violent
in the past than blacks ever
dared to be.
Florence warned that 1968
could well be the turning
point of true violence.
The black community is
ready to do whatever is necessary
to be free, shedding their
own blood to secure human
rights among "all downtrodden
peoples."
Blacks are fed up with integration,
seeing that the white
institutions did not want this.
The blacks tried all the "ins,"
but never did get in.
Franklin Florence
Florence says that the possibility
of a bloody revolution
certainly exists, but that this
fate rests in the hands of
white America.
Dr. Guthrie, as the theological
consultant, would ascribe
no significance to Florence's
comments. He posed three academic
assumptions made by
white America in the past, all
which can be summed up in
one word: reconciliation.
The role of th|e religious
community has been to introduce
Jesus as the healer who
could "lay over the frustrations
of life." Now the same
community is faced with a disruptive
issue which supercedes
the former situation.
Using examples from the
Pible, Guthrie indicated that
God has always seemed to be
on one side or another, (the
Isrealites leafing Egypt, and
later the Zealot cult).
Tradition, meaning justice
and freedom, takes precedence
historically, over reconciliation.
Today the hierarchy "bf
churches must engage in activities
that are not compromising.
According to Guthrie, those
who are white, Christian, and
western, have wrongly assumed
that they were the makers
of history. We are becoming
aware that the vast world is
not white, Christian, or western,
but sometimes quite different.
Black Power is a concrete
reminder that cannot be escaped.
It is not possible to resort
to sentimentalities for
solutions, Guthrie says, nor
can we become despondent
and seek solace in a bottle or
in drugs.
Guthrie said that while the
religious community ,__has always
tried to attack seriousness
to the Biblical awareness
of history, the black community
(including Martin L. King),
has taken the message too seriously.
The imagery, today and in
Egypt of Biblical times, is very
much the same. Our new im-*
age is like that in The Robber
Barons, somewhat maudlin,
but nevertheless correct.
Guthrie is too abstract here
for my liking; however, I accept
his statement that we can
work our way realistically
out of this image. Guthrie
warns that this cannot be believed
cheaply. One cannot
look at the United States in
1968 and reach an idealist answer.
The lectures were fascinat-
Dr. Harvey Guthrie
ing, if not somehow frightening
in their common sense
evaluation of black power.
Florence was often funny, but
the humor was bitter and he
got his message across.
Both speakers referred to
the New Testament passage of
"Neither Jew nor Greek . . .
all are one in Jesus." Florence
said that black power has finally
brought out the hypocrisy
of the white community.
"White folks preach one thing
and practice another."
He related some experiences
he has had with religious leaders,
who instead of having a
"respect for the humanity of
man," were compromising racists.
"We have nothing personally
against nigras. You have
your Church; we have ours."
To evaluate the lecture is
difficult. It raised provoking
questions, some of which were
posed in the question-answer
period that followed. For me
the question of "why violegpe"
has not been satisfactorily
answered.
During the riots that took
place in Rochester following
King's assassination, as well as
during last summer's riots.
Florence wtas one of the leaders
asking the people to exercise
control. But the blacks
who are for unrestrained violence
far outnumber those, who
desire control.
The white community that
sympathizes with the black
community and want to do
something constructive, were
advised by Florence to stay in
their own neighborhoods.
There is a distinct need to
"un-brainwash" their white
neighbors. To me, this seems
the only course that is really
open to America.
Professors seen as expendable
By LARRY S. FRIEDMAN
An open letter to the Administration
of Alfred University
concerning faculty and student
participation in demonstrations:
I am writing this open letter
in the hope that Alfred Univesity
will not become lanother
"Columbia." While the right
to dissent cannot be denied, I
do believe that the course of
events wftiidh Wave transpired
during the present academic
year and which has culminated!
in the demonstration this past
weekend will eventually destroy
the educational system at
this University.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
In praise of 'sandbox politics'
To the Editor:
The Political Affairs Club
has been asked by several
members of the Alfred community
to write a rebuttal to
Prof. Hils' letter of last week
referring to Alfred's sandbox
politics.
Calendar of Events
Tuesday
Tennis: Rochester, home,
1:30 p.m. F & V.
Forum: 11 a.m. CC, Alfred
Debate Club, "Resolved 1 : Violence
is a Legitimate Meamis to
Achieve Civil Rights for the
Black Men."
Wednesday
Track: U. of Rochester.
OWENS Féast, Howell Hall,
6:30 p.m.
Sophomore Declaration of
Majors: 7 p.m., 34 Myers Hall
Thursday
Lacrosse: Cortland, Away,
3:30 p.m.
GoM; [Brockport, Away, 1
p.m.
Student Dissent Symposium;
Parents' Lounge, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Fraternity Spring Weekend
Some contend that he was
referring to the mock convention
held on the 26th and 27th
of April. Basing tMs leltter on
the assumption tjhat this is
what the good professar was
speaking of, I wonder if he
has managed to clean all of the
sand from his fingernails.
I would like to congratulate
Prof. Hils and the S.D.S for
the role they played in making
the Convention as realistic
as possible. Their actions
at the various Convention functions
were similar to those
taken by radical groups at the
real conventions in 1964 and
What they will be doing at Chicago
and Miami this summer.
Prof. Hils has charged that
your coverage was incomplete.
The Fialt seemed to concentrate
its efforts on a Convention involving
over 500 people rather
than such activities as a
Teach-in composed of almost
200. I sympathize with Prof.
Hils here, butt we must keep
in mind that the FIAT LUX
has only eight pages and is
forced to delimit its coverage
on some issues in order to report
on what is of primary interest
to its readers.
The Convention's Executive
Committee was also a trifle
incensed over certain inaccuracies
in your coverage. We decided
against complaining
abdut them, however, as there
is no use crying over Spilt milk
and it might also seem a frivolous
attempt for free publicity
for our organization.
In conclusion, we belive that
the S.D.S. has been calling for
positive political involvement
since its inception in Alfred.
Two weeks ago the students
nominated a man who they felt
could run this country capably.
They worked out a political
platform which can be applied
to the modern American scene.
In short, they took positve
political action to influence
their fellow students, their
community, and their nation.
There was no violence; there
was little negativism; but there
was a" reaffirmation of American
democracy on ithe part of
all of those who became involved
in the Mock Republican
Convention.
Respectfully yours,
Jerry Kolisch
Vice-President
The Political Affairs Club
of Alfred
I further believe that a repetition
of last weekend's incident
should not be tolerated
by this Administration. Such
a total lack of respect for parents
as well as for the entire
ROTC contingent is entirely inexcusable.
Interfering with the planned
events of the weekend accomplished
'absolutely nothing except
a total alienation of a substantial
portion, if not all, of
those involved in the Parent's
Day programi.
This event as well as others
hlave prompted me to write
this letter in the hope that if
enough concerned individuals
express their distaste for the
methods employed by these
demonstrators, the Administration
will perhaps review its
policy on demonstrations and
the penalities involved.
Faculty involvement
Concerning faculty participation
in these demonstrations,
I assert my belief that the first
obligation of any professor is
to teach; NOT to indoctrinate,
NOT to incite, NOT to demonstrate,
and positively NOT to
cancel class in favor of some
demonstration.
The teaching experience
does not end with a 50 minute
period, but rather continues
outside of the immediate classroom.
A professor's influence
is as Strongly felt Over a cup
of coffee as it is felt in the
actual lecture hall.
Every faculty member has
the right to his or her own opinions
and the right to dissent
Should not be prohibited, but
when Such opinions intentionally
interfere with the students
primary goal in college,
I must take a stand.
It must be remembered that
the reason we are in college,
is to learn, not to be indoctrinated
and not to be told when
we can attend class.
I fully realize that I will inevitably
be rebutted with the
statement that dissent is also
an integral part of the educational
process; since it exposes
areas of discontent in our society.
This is in part true, but
there is a time and a place
for everything.
While some students may
prefer to demonstrate rather
than attend class, I believe
that I am speaking for the majority
who wish to learn in the
classroom, father than be coerced
into attending a demonstration
for an out-of-class pa-'
per, or be denied the classroom
situation by a professor
who plaices a demonstration
above his students.
Desire to learn
To such professors, I implore
you to realize that the
majority of students 'dies&re
to learn and not to demonstrate.
Every claSs you cancel
deprives us students of one
more period in a course which
we have elected to take and
which we have paid for.
In addition, every time you
involve academia with a demonstration,
either by wearing
your academic gown or by any
other manner, remember that
you are degrading the very
source of your intellectual distinction.
The Administration must realize
that such professors, regardless
of their teaching ability,
are denying us our rights
as students.
If we are told that clalsses
will not be held so that a professor
may demonstrate, something
is tragically wrong with .
Alfred's structure.
If teachers are allowed to
incite students to show their
total disrespect for parents,
then again something is tragically
wrong. "A
If protest cannot be held af
a time when others will not
be affected, then the majority
must suffer in favor of a minority.
Expendable professors
However, I feel that the Administration
can and will do
better. I believe that any professor
who blatantly places his
views above our interests; wlho
intentionally denies the majority
its rights should have his
or her contract seriously reviewed.
It may seem unnecessarily
(Continued on Page 7)
FIAT LUX Alfred, N.Y
May 14, 1968 5