•7;A
w
DRUM
//
^^£>o/oy
DEC 2 4 1974
UNIV. OF MASS. ARCHIVES
BLACK LITERARY EXPERIENCE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
CONTENTS page
BLACK CULTURAL CENTER STATEMENT FROM MILLS HOUSE
EDITORIAL
Robin Chandler
BLACK STUDIES AT U-MASS (STUDENT OPINIONS) Sandy Mitch em
POEM of ACADEMIC RELEVANCE Stokes W. Hall Jr.
BLACK STUDIES INTERVIEW WITH PROF. BERNARD BELL Carlton Brown
BLACK STUDIES INTERVIEW WITH PROF. LAWRENCE JOHNSON Philip Pettijohn
QUESTIONS of RELEVANCE Carol Seales
AMHERST OCCUPATION: STATEMENT of POSITION
Five-College Black Student Community
AFRO SONNETS
All the beautiful people 10
A TOUCH of COSBY
Jimmy Wilkinson 22
BROADSIDE BULLETINS 23
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries
http://www.archive.org/details/drum12univ
THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT OF POSITION BY THE BLACK STUDENT COMMUNITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS CONCERNING THE PRESENT OCCUPATION OF MILLS HOUSE.
"Culture is an organized integrated pattern of
behavior followed by a society of people.
Further from the life experience of a people they
develop a set of rules and procedures to meet
their needs.
These rules and procedures are supported by a
system of ideas and values that together they
form an organized integrated pattern of behavior
and this we can call a culture."
Also, culture is: Morals , art , law, manners .folkways ,
and all things that men learn and share as a group.
WE, THE FOLLOWING BLACK STUDENTS FEEL THAT THERE IS
NO BLACK CULTURE UNLESS WE LIVE IT.
LIFE IS CULTURE.
CULTURE IS LIFE.
WE CANNOT VISIT THAT CULTURE AND BE A PART OF IT.
WE MUST LIVE IT!
WE MUST SURVIVE WITHIN THAT CULTURE EVERY MINUTE
OF THE DAY, EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY, IN ORDER TO
PROLONG THAT CULTURE AND ENRICH IT.
( it's about the secret blood rite that's been goin' down )
rejoice... my fine BLACK roots
For the fruit of spiritual amnesty
harvested , f o-eva
f orever . . .Wantu Wazuri
Wantu Wazuri, "the beautiful people"
and Wantu Wazuri
the landless
and Wantu Wazuri
the dustless NOWHERE to re Turn . . . towards one another
which tells me Wantu Wazuri
our minds are land Wantu Wazuri
our voices , one, is money
we ARE the nation
of future antiquity which tells me, "there are thieves among us" -
and we know it
Black angels since Black angels gone. .
And the power clutch of revolution bein shifted by the beautiful people. Black angels' spirits fly-by-night
and on another stage bojangles . .f or real.. square business while off to the side
behind a purple curtain, shirley temple buys her a villa that bojangles folks tapped upon eons ago "tryin to make tht thing real'
to make it grow green and productive.
we built this whole damn world,
and you know it so go hustle your liberal curls where the walls meet the ceiling, dimples
where folks dig white on rice THIS HAPPENS.
And elsewhere Wantu Wazuri continue to continue to continue to continue
(to be continued)
elsewhere Wantu Wazuri
revolve
evolve
dissolve
resolve
involve
and solve ourselves
our tension, when it's really your problem
and you know i t .
Always finding some expression for what
WE ALL
SCREAM
[inside] because everything you HAVE
is ours and you will never adequately feel precious ecstasy
a basic sovereignty ever-growing no longer scattered as sand is in wind from 9 to 5
sand? y'all even gut the sand breezin to your funky rhythm
Blackness is a faith we LIVE
LIVEl Hear? Not a Sunday deal with gawd... your fantasy
your problem but meditated on silently. .forever
in, yeah,
in Wantu Wazuri style
rejoice... my fine black roots
For the fruit of spiritual amnesty
harvested
forever,
if we struggle.
-RC-
BLACK STUDIES :ITS NECESSITY, OPERABILITY AND SUCCESS AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL
The following is the first in a series of student opinions concerning the establishment of a Black Studies Department within the structure of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
QUESTION: The necessity of whites in Black Studies? Is it profitable to blacks? Is it an educational advantage for black and white students to be ed- ucated in the same manners and methods?
Many who argue the merits of in- tegration and assimilation feel that there is no difference in the abilities of black and white students and their capacity to be educated. Others argue that ethno-cultural education must be approached by different methods. It seems that it is not the students alone who must be educated. The in- structors (all instructors) of the Arts, of Culture. .History .Politics , Literature and Education itself Must be considered when laying the groundwork for an ever- expansive Black Studies Department. Their educational background, their cap- acities for growth and also their nat- ural human limitations must be realized if we are thinking of the new direction being taken by education. Methods used must be convincing, in-depth, and infor- mative. The instructor of a course must never sacrifice the criteria of his course material to please,f latter , or persuade the bigoted liberal types he may be instructing.
And then, what could possibly
convince a white person that he should have an education in Black Studies when we know that there are still our younger brothers and sisters who des- perately need education and mental discipline FIRST 1 But thera are many "rationales" for integrated education from a white standpoint. After all, they must keep a watchful eye on all the black man does. Any attempts he makes towards achieving the promises made to him by the ancestors of feu- dal Americans could be a threat to their equality or standards. Most students feel that they must spend their four years at the university
becoming involved in arbitrary causes. CAUSES THEY ABANDON WITH THEIR CAPS AND GOWNS AT GRADUATION. They believe they have now earned the robes of the middle-class majority. Many feel that if they run the gambit of radical col- lege protest groups and support pseudo black militants that they have paid their fair share to the liberal concerns of America.
If white students are able to at- tend black studies courses with black students , will they be able to accept the ideals and form the same hypothesis which black students will extract from the course?
What should be considered is the nature in which Black Studies courses must be taught in order to reach and re- inforce the ideals of the black student. Whites will rarely comprehend or appre- ciate the methods which should be used. In their own defensive ways they feel threatened .
. . .Another question
Would white Instructors be able to teach a course in Black Studies with sig- nificant relevance to students black or white? One answer is probably not, as in the case of the white American educator. He is already a walking example of the ass-backward beliefs of his own race. Being white he is the creator and perpet- uator of his own institutionalized prob- lems in rascism. Could he reach a black student? Could he inspire a black student? With
what, we ask? With what? This university should make it a point to try and understand that a Black Studies Department at this school would be an at- tempt at a long overdue committment at arriving at a justifiable beginning to- wards a solution to THEIR problem.
sandy mitchem *****
where you at ??
Black Power no longer the phrase of the hour...
Revolution is a super black man with a super afro administered
to by a super hair spray and being so anti white he refuses
to take a bath being natural and having no need for deodorants...
and Freedom is a murky word with dynamic implications and strong
tendencies and is spoken from the barrel of a comb...
white proff White prof fessor, white proffessor, white proffessor teach me the golden rules teach me to be relevant make me a credit to my race
can you ? will you? help me with your Brooks Brother's suit, your razor cut, your black and white wingtips,and your diamond jack socks but you know you're as clean as the board of health and sharp as a mosquitoes peter- ain't you a bitch... White prof fessor, white prof fessor , white proffessor
white educator of the masses groove me, move me, sooth me, teach me to melt into the pot
can you? can you? teach me Malcolm, teach me Che, teach me Mao, teach me revolution teach me real, teach me real, teach me what is real and not ideal. . .
instead you
teach me german, teach me french, teach me russian, teach me george, teach me woodrow, teach me teddy, teach me A's, teach me B's, teach me C's, cause D's don't transfer... teach me to turn to the last page of the exam. .
what's my grade? what's yours?
the Appeal I me,
am of
the ripe taste
fruit pick and
of a of kingdoms
lost fig tree... Black Queen
Stokes W. Hall Jr. ( Ola )
PROFESSOR BERNARD BELL
( AN INTERVIEW BY CARLTON BROWN )
Professor Bernard Bell is the acting director of the University of Massachusetts Black Studies Department. Professor Bell was born and received part of his early education in Washington, D.C. He has also resided in and at- tended public schools in Maryland, New Jersey, Chicago, and New York. Most of his secondary school education was received in Manhattan and the Bronx. He grad- uated from DeWitt Clinton High School in New York, the same predominantly white school that James Baldwin attended.
Professor Bell received his undergraduate degree from Howard University where he also did graduate work and taught for a year and a half. It was at Howard that Bell first became acquainted with Mike Thelwell(the present di- rector of the University Black Studies Program) . He also became acquainted with Stokely Carmichael and Sterling Brown while at Howard. From Howard Univ- ersity,Professor Bell returned to Washington, D.C. and taught in the public school system there for four years.
It was due to the persuasions of Sterling Brown that Bernard Bell came to the University of Massachusetts. Sterling Brown had impressed him with the work and conversation about Sidney Kaplan of the University English Department and a member of the University Black Studies Committee. Professor Bell came here first as a teaching assistant and will receive his doctorate in June of this year. He is a revisionist scholar in Black Literature with a specializa- tion in black fiction writing. He has been called upon to lecture around the country on the subject of Black Literature.
On the subject of Black Studies Bell sees the objectives of the department as a two-pronged effort. One aspect or orientation of the department would be service-oriented; that is, it would be to create a group of community-oriented black people here who would eventually function within "the community" itself. These people, upon the academic completion of their education, would return to the black community to become public school teachers , functioning in, and organ- izing institutions such as Harlem Preparatory School in addition to street academies .
The second orientation would be a scholarly or academic pursuit. This as- pect of Black Studies would concern itself with the development of the neces- sary revisionist scholarship in all areas of the social sciences. This cadre would be more involved with academic endeavors relating to Black people. More specifically this would entail research and the publishing of materials deal- ing with Black poeples , their characteristics , culture and perspectives. Prof- essor Bell insists , though, that the personnel in this cadre would not be isolated from the Black community because of their pursuits, but only different from i. those in the community. These educators must still acquaint themselves with and function within black schooling systems , street academies and high schools in order to give them the necessary academic legitimacy that they may make sound judgments in relating to the black experience. Bell believes strongly in the development of community-oriented scholars. They would not be an elitist group or an isolated one merely by virtue of their collective black committment.
In response to the recent proposal issued to the College of Arts and Sciences concerning the Black Studies proposal, Bell was strong in his rejection of this new move. The response to the proposal stated to the community that what was really needed and sought by the content of our proposal was a school or college and not a department. Professor Bell believes that we should be specific and insist on a department, the one which was proposed, and not "accept
7.
AN INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR LAWRENCE JOHNSON OF THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION CONCERNING BLACK STUDIES AT U-MASS by
Philip Pettijohn
Professor Lawrence Johnson of the School of Business Administration believes that a Black Studies Depart- ment is possible and should be imple- mented at the University of Mass. as soon as possible. According to Prof. Johnson the only hang-up about the indoctrination of a Black Studies would be a possible lack of qualified faculty to run the department, or if the faculty would also have the ade- quate credentials to educate the par- ticipating students. But Professor Johnson reminds us that a substantial portion of the present faculty at U-Mass are graduate students and whose "credentials", in the same respect, can be questioned.
Professor Johnson theorizes that the main objective of a Black Studies Department shoud be to destroy that lethal myth about black people, the myth of the inferiority complex of black poeple in their relations with the white elements . This is one of the major drawbacks in the attempt to- wards Black Unity says Professor John- son and even to the present time there is not one black man who is not affected by this inferiority complex, whether it be directly or indirectly.
Moreover, he stresses the importance of courses in economics and Black Cap*" i ' italism (call it what you want) , being included in the Black Studies Depart- ment. Blacks are going to have to deal with money and how to obtain, manage, and channel it. Most of the "Mans'" power lies in the capital he controls. Thus, if black people are going to master some or even all of this power they should be prepared to manage it in the mos t (ef f ective)way .
Professor Johnson concluded the interview by stressing the fact that Black students on campus should become more politically aware , They must start dealing with the "Man" , start gaming and sheming with the "Man" and even-
tually learn how this political machine operates .
Professor Johnson assures the Black students that he will totally support any rational action on the part of Blacks at U-Mass.
(interview with Bernard Bell con't. from page 3)
less than what is there in the proposal." It would be premature to undertake the establishment of a larger unit until the department is sound and functioning properly. He says that we are not play- ing games. "We are serious about devel- oping a community consciousness among Black students and a disciplined group of Black scholars" to create a black mood here. He feels that we should start our department and staff it with the best black scholars and continue to build un- til we have "the best Afro-American Studies unit on the east coast." Profes- sor Bell goes on to say that it is impli- cit in the idea of five-college coopera- tion and it is imperative that depart- ments be established on all campuses si- multaneously .
Bell explained his feelings concern- ing the committment of the other colleges in comparison with the University's black contingent. He believes that if the others were as seriously committed they would have "more vigorously investigated cap- able faculty and the establishment of meaningful black courses in their respec- tive institutions," Bell was impressed, however, with the new spirit of unity de- monstrated by the five-college black oc- cupation of Amherst College. He feels we are now "seeing a common need and a common goal and cooperating in achieving these." Professor Bell believes that the student-faculty Black Studies Committee is the only valid means by which individ- uals may determine their own future, goals , education and life direction.
In conclusion, he stated: "We are all one people, all one destiny" insofar as we need to control our own communities , ourselves and our collective life.
II
Questions of Relevance
An important question for all black students on the University of Massachusetts campus and on other campuses across the nation is - what are the criteria for relevance? This word is thrown around by every- one and usually refers to courses or areas of study related to our black experience. I wonder if the scope of the connotation is too narrow .
Unfortunately, too many of the brothers and sisters are walking around with Reader's Digest mentali- ties . We absorb whatever we hear either on authority or through emotional willingness. We don't think I We've never been trained to think. I don't even think we're supposed to think.
At a time when every black mind on campus needs to be cultivated for present and future use, we need to take this up with ourselves. We need to begin to focus on directions and goals in keeping with our realities. One of these immediate realities is Black Studies.
Hopefully (and necessarily) every black student realizes the leg- itimacy and the urgent necessity of a well-defined and functional Black Studies program. Hopefully, every black student who takes the courses offered is making an effort to do everything possible to catch up on his lost twelve years of school. This is an idealistic hope, but we're getting it together.
The main point, however, is that black students must decide, from their own particular frame of reference, what courses of intellectual pursuit are relevant to them and meet their
individual needs and the future needs of the black community.
It is obvious to me that brother Donaldson knows the American political system - the white establishment system. Leroi Jones knows his white classical and contemporary literature among other things. Attend one of Ivanhoe Donaldson's classes or read even the shortest poems by brother Jones and you'll see what I mean.
Black Studies does not exist or func- tion in a vacuum. Neither does the Black community. Black communities, in solving their problems and directing their desti- nies, have to, by the nature of the make- up of this country, deal with the man. And you cannot deal with the man if you don't know his tricks.
There are no set guidelines for deciding what is relevant and what should be studied. Each student must carefully decide which area he intends to concentrate in and then decide exactly what necessary knowledge he needs to accumulate. He has to decide what background is necessary in order for him to deal with the complex issues and problems of the black experience; whether in literature, education, or politics. Before we write off Government 100 as irrelevant, we need to see if it offers anything we can use. You can't fight the enemy unless you know who he is , where he is and what he's doing. We know who he is and where he is. Now all that's necessary is a more than cursory knowledge of what he's about and direction in order to fight back.
carol seales
*****
9.
STATEMENT
At 1:00 A.M. Wednesday morning, Black students from the Five College area moved to occupy several buildings on the Amherst College campus. The specific goal of this action was to close the college down. The outstand- ing feature of this action was that it represented an ideological and phy- sical committment to the concept of a Five College Community (Black) . Black students from each college in the area(Smith, Amherst ,U-Mass , and Mt. Holyoke) as a coordinated unit, planned and implemented this action.
We, the Black Student Community , recognize that the Colleges are not, and have never been, seriously committed to satisfying our needs and the needs of the broader Black Community. Previous efforts to implement programs that speak to needs have led to meaningless dialogues between individual campus groups and their respective administrative structures. Innumerable meetings , countless proposals and "advisory" committees have continually frustrated our efforts to determine the reality of our presence. That reality demands the acceptance of our right to determine our own programs , policies , and directions.
Our collective presence at Amherst was a statement of committment to the Concept of Community, for indeed Amherst is the white college community in microcosm. The Black Student Community is addressing itself to the in- ability of the white college community to define the nature of the Black reality and its refusal to recognize the validity of self-determination on the part of the Five College Black Community.
Self-determination and self-definition are the crucial issues in this and subsequent actions. We will not compromise our position on these issues.
10,
afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets afrosonnets
MY JUDGMENT & I
"Heaven, that bright and lovely place"
It's jive heart is left between my judgment &
Many a time people say to me God damn it, when they know that the world or anything within it was not damned by God, but by man. Man alone damned his own existence
We have the inalienable right to live Live for what? A dog lives.
Dirt lives tool
Hell's a manifest destiny , ready to control
everyone's soul
Like night preys on day, weakened any way,
it eats up enlightenment
Here's an envelope that bears in bold print "Pray For Peace". Shit, that's what's wrong with people today. They're praying for peace and nothing's getting done. Instead of praying for peace, they should get their asses out in the streets working for it. The "All-Knowing" gave us a road to take. Why, I don't know. If we don't get off our knees and start trying to help ourselves , the "all-knowing" is not going to lift a damned finger for us .
war : congress : government : shit : the night before Christmas : ass inine views of the future:? Money is a worldly treasure But so isn't life
-Mother Fucker
11,
GROUPS We sit in these cold
circles listening to
windows and what they
always say. There is nothing
any of us can say
that would not cause an echo
across these empty circles .
-Peggy Janey-
12.
Throughout the ebb and flow of the revolution It is crucially important that we recognize Unity in Diversity.,
that we recognize the Commonness in the plight against oppressive organs which
we share with our darker BROTHERS ! EVERYWHERE . . The following is a thought from Ricardo SAnchez,
one of many of our Chicano BROTHERS . .
* * *
date written: TIMELESS
"To La Causa. . ."
corky gonzales ,
cesar chavez,
reies tijerina,
jose angel gi^tierrez,
emiliano zapata, Cuauhtemoc and moctezuma
la causa is old, ^ pre-dates the gachupin — that european on horseback — leaping out my lore . • .
words at captive times
locked in mines and cotton fields,
singing out spirit-alma canticles
hued by bronze
with the lash of toledo steel
and moorish ulullation. . .
la causa is brown-flecked California to texas, lands drenched in mestizo sweat and blood,
la causa is Indian featured with a bit of castilian,moor, and sephardic Semite along with pungent blackness that roamed spain eons ago —
la causa
is the human-ness of brown people
articulating
el ritmo de la humanidad ....
Ricardo Sanchez
la causa is supple brown hands
harvesting
Aztlan lands
and hurting chicano children
die of malnutrition
and deprivation
13.
The Lemans
Black
He sits there
Silent and Meditating. Then...
Silent and meditating no more
He jumps up with rage.
Tired of kissing your ass I Tired of carrying your load'. Tired '. Just plain tired I
You've incured his wrath much too long, And now he asks for freedom along with some of your power
He shall have it I
Why?
Because ... He is the Lemans
He shall rise and bring forth a new life
for hi people A life of blackness, brilliance and brightness.
Why?
Because ... He is the Lemans,
*sister Benetta Pearson
YOU
When I sleep You are there I hug you I kiss you I love you
When I wake You are gone There is no more you There is only you.
*J.E. Ward
14.
POEM TO MY BROTHERS (U MASS) (from a sister for sisters to dig on)
Brothers like to rap
yeah I my brothers dig rappini
& though most of it is:
"yeahji dig hearin myself rappin my shit"
my brothers put down a whole-lotta
shit worth hearin:
like when the brother
gets into his thang about
me bein queen. . .liis backbone
( if his backbone breaks he breaks)
& when the brother crys
"i'm diin & i need my folk
to live"
it's worth hearin & i gotta listen
right-on, sisters I
my brothers dig that jawbone calastestics
& we all know they steady
checkin us out
& tellin us bout ourselves
but check again sisters
when our thang is tight they're diggin that too & even then
amongst all their lippin & mouthin my brothers gotta lot to say & it's worth sayin & worth hearin
. . . .listen. . . .
sister Jean Parrish 2/12/70
15,
To Know . . .
I Know. And to know is more than to say that I know. Because to know
and really know is to be able to
know how to express what you know
without showing that you know so that
you are not the only one to know. I
know that it is nothing to know and not
have others know too. But when you
do know [and I do Know], you'll Know
not to say what you Know, because
to Know just to speak of what you
Know is not to Know, it is to speak
of what you think you Know. And when
you think you Know you tend to think more
of showing and less of Knowing so you don't
Know
as much of Knowing as you would
have had you thought to Know more. To know
is to Know ... Do you Know?
I Know .
by
"waiter "grass" wintchell"
16,
BLACK THOUGHTS
What is liberty to a slave?
All he knows of is to be free in a grave. Slaves are men, Black
Which only equality lack.
america you took away our culture.
So as we become prey, and you the vulture.
What is this Non VIOLENCE that is preached?
You do not know yourself what to teach You go from country to country setting a goal
But you, yourself do not even know the role.
What does the Fourth of July mean to me?
When I don't even know what it is to be free.
Men have died for what you call liberty
But BLACKS still don't have equality Jefferson, hancock,patrick henry who are they supposed to be
NAT TURNER, DU BOIS, MALCOLM X,are the men for me.
white heroes are what we have been taught BLACK HEROES are what we want.
by
glenn walker
18,
THE PROMISED LAND
" I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land," said Rev. Martin Luther King.
William Greer, author of Black Rage, wrote " For the average Negro so much time has passed and so little has changed."
From Senator Fred Harris ,
" Despite greater acceptance of Negroes into our major institutions, both public and private, it is still no easy thing to be a black person in America."
Many black people who enter these major institutions soon forget the predicament black people face. They honestly believe they have reached the promised land; but remember Rev. King said;
" We as a people will get to the promised land."
Don't forget the thousands of brothers and sisters who are still out there struggling to get there with you.
" We are climbing a mountain, a very steep mountain." Some of us are stronger and more apt to overcome all obstacles. Don't continue up and leave the weaker ones behind. Turn around and give a helping hand to your own brothers and sisters, and this way we will all get to the promised land, as one people, destined to live together, love together, fight together and die together.
brother Cal. B. Whitworth
It's raining?
Yeah, it's raining;
Of course it's raining.
Raining , raining .
The sun shines .
Still it rains.
Clear white rain.
On me.
On us .
Clear white rain
STOP.
your
time has
come
Ingrid
<
19,
ODD ONE DEM IS
lord luv a duck. I'm dotty. And dottier now.
Why's they brought me here?
To kill me?
To condition me?
Dem teach me of George Washington
To be separate from my unlucky brothers and
sisters out there Odd one dem is, odd as they come Best watch myself.
But I no fool as dem think
Mek me jus play along wid dem fi di time
being. Bloody nice arrangement , a meal and a good bed
fi once Snug it is
Does a man's soul good, it does, to have warm meat and a desant place fi sleep.
Dem think dat if dem fatten me up on
food I might slip mi guard
And dem can dispatch me some dark night Odd one dem is, Odd as they come Best watch myself.
*brother Cal. B. Whitworth
Black is ;
Black is a thought that
has been explored,
Black is an experience.
Black is a combination
of beautiful things.
Black is a wish.
Black is you and me,
Black is what we go through.
Black is hunger and poverty,
power and dissent,
Black is a question.
Black is the past, the present
and the future.
Black is life.
Black is kinks and hair grease,
cornbread and chittluns.
Black is nice.
Black is segregation, integration
and bussing.
Black is dicussion.
Black is meeting and jiving
and doin your thing.
Black is what's happenin' .
Black is partying and smokin'
and poppin' pills.
Black is death .
Black is love and hate, happiness
and sorrow.
Black is . . .
*sister B.J. Grotames
21.
BLACK PEOPLE
Black facial features are in harmony with themselves,
hard and soft at once. Emotion plays honestly upon Black faces...
but when necessary, the curtain descends, and the stage is dark and mysteriously empty. Black thought strikes at the heart. It adresses the emotion.
It rejects irrelevant restrictions of White logic. Black people are English-innovators .
Even with proper grammar they speak Jazz. Black people speak in everday poetry...
Full and heavy, not thin, sharp and chintzy.
Black voices are velvet and brocade.
Black people make words fluid, like liquid gold.
I prefer the logic, the language and the voices
of Black people.
I like to look at Black people.
Black people are beautiful.
*Peggy Janey
A TOUCH OF COSBY
22.
"Fat Albert", "Wierd Harold" , Noah, and his brother Russel are all charac- ters which Bill Cosby has immortalized in one way or another. But what about the other side of him;the side that the audience does not see? What are his ideas concerning Black Studies, the Panthers, and politics in this country.
In a taped interview on Saturday, February 14th Bill Cosby, who is pessi- mistic and does not believe that all oppressed people will ever get together to form real power , discussed these and other issues openly. As the interview ■ progressed Bill's natural and casual manner served to relax the atmosphere which opened up the exchange. When he was asked about his thoughts on the need for black dormitories and Black Studies programs he mentioned that at this time dorms are not the answers in themselves because there must be some integration before America can care about a black as well as a white. He continued by saying, "This may, however, be effective in putting pressure on some people to realize that black people should be treated equally. You are taking a chance, though, by segre- gating yourselves with no strength for infiltration." He sees , however , the Black Studies program as being worth- while,but feels there should be more white people in them to combat white America's basic ignorance.
The subject changed to the Black Panther Party and he stated that he agrees with their basic "10 Point Program". "However," he adds, "what's happening to them is a result of let- ting the 'enemy' know what you plan to do. If you are going to talk about shooting a cop, go ahead and do it, or the end result will be that they break into your home at 4 o'clock in the morning and gun you down'."
Bill cosby,like any other black man, has had his share of confrontations with the "man" and considers the most decisive factor in winning , to be POWER. Says he, "You find out how to play the game;play it and beat the enemy at it'." When asked if that was his own personal philosophy , he dis- agreed and went on to say, "There are people you dig and believe in;work
with them. That's my philosophy and it's proven to work."
After approximately five years in the public's eye as an acknowledged black millionaire, he has had to filter out certain kinds of people , mainly for financial reasons. In conclusion he says , "Everyone with a growl, a clenched fist and knowing all the twelve hand- shakes doesn't necessarily happen to be working for other black people." He carries these feelings into his .. perceptions of black politicians. Even though the trend these days is towards electing more black politicians , he be- lieves that each and every black man in power is not necessarily dedicated to freeing other black people ;basical- ly there are too many "pay-offs".
He ended his discussion on poli- tics by responding to a question about Vice-President Agnew and commenting that he considered both Agnew and Nixon total threats , not only to black people but to poor whites as well(i .e. , cut- back on H.E.W.,more expenditures on war materials, and the ease of wealth- ier people to avoid the draft) .
The pace of the interview was changed and he talked a little about his home in Beverly Hills and his child- ren. Cosby, truly a thoughtful father, tells of how he teaches his two daugh- ters to respect all people but also to defend themselves if they are called a name. He went on to say, "They can do one of two things ;smack the person in the mouth or defend themselves ver- bally. At ages 4 and 5, they 're much too young to understand social and psychological reasoning."
Bill Cosby ended the session by saying that his plans for the future are to continue what he is doing now. He wouldn't go into any more detail because as he said, "I don't want to arm the enemy."
That evening the members of WMIIA, the Hampshire Gazette, Bob Alexander, and myself (Jimmy Wilkinson) questioned Mr. Cosby for a revealing 45 to 50 min- utes. He mixed a casual exterior with very definite thoughts on controver- sial issues and still managed to slip
23.
in a few funny lines. To say the least, Cosby, like most contemporary black stars is outspoken in his views yet somewhat idealistic in his application for change. Although he travfls in different circles he is hip to what's happening among young black people and is in a position to lend his support if need be. I guess that's all we can expect...
Or is it?
'■'submitted by
Jimmy Wilkinson
THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM
ANNOUNCES meeting of all staff era , writers ,
critics who wish to help mold a unique
BLACK IMAGE
to be present mentally physically spiritually
BROADSIDE BULLETINS
For those interested in:
Health Careers Summer Program Harvard Medical School 24 Shattuck St. Cambridge
contact : Carol Sanders (a 734-3300
*
MILLS HOUSE COFFEESHOP presents
BLACK HERITAGE FILM FESTIVAL and POETRY READINGS
every Wednesday @ 8pm POETS Mike Cook Bill Hasson Bill Wilkinson McKinley Moore Tom Sellers Jean Parrish Chuck Reed * -k * ^
"Are You Listening World", A Thesis production of poetry , dance, and music directed by Shelbe Freeman presented April 16-17-18
@ Mt. Holyoke College, lab theatre
at a meeting on:
March 9,1970 at 4:30pm
within MILLS HOUSE, 111 If you wish to work now and write
with us and cannot make the meeting, phone 545-2414 ask for
THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM THE DRUM
Dudley Randall, poet and teacher at University of Michigan will read his poetry Friday, March 13 @ 4:15pm
(? Herter Aud 231
Bill Hasson, grad. student and teacher at the U-Mass Sch . of Ed.
will read his poetry Tuesday, March 10(9 4:15pm
@ Herter Aud 231 * *
WANTED'.".".'
ART WORK
"Feel Free" to fall on in the DRUM office with your ART WORK
scripts available @ MHC Blackhouse
for private auditions contact: Shelbe Freeman
@536-4000,ext. 405,474,310
parts openi
24. BROADSIDE
It seems that one progresive step towards the cause for black pride and awareness in the revolution would be that black brothers and sisters patronize the functions at other black educational communities especially in the immediate vicinity.
Case in point :Brown University is presenting a Black History and Cult- ural Festival this month, March 19-22. Here's what's happening..
Thursday (March 19)
1:00pm Art exhibit in Faunce House
6:00pm Film "Of Black America" series in Metcalf Auditorium
8:00pm Opening address with LeRoi Jones at Sayles
Friday (March 20)
1:30pm Lecture on Black Music with "Cannonball" Adderley at
Sayles
3:00pm Poetry reading with Don L. Lee
4:30pm Cocktail party wifch Adderley and Lee
8:00pm Jazz concert featuring Adderley at Meehan Auditorium
10:00pm Mixer at Sayles with Billy Stewart
Saturday (March 21) 12noon Soul food banquet followed by an Afro-fashion show
((31.25 extra) at Andrews Dining Hall 2:00pm Cocktail Sip at Afro center with members and guests 3:00pm Informal lecture given by Dick Gregory at Alumnae Hall 4:30pm Sherry Hour with Dick Gregory at the Crystal Room 5:30pm Black Arts Festival buffet at refectory 8:00pm Memphis Stax/Volt revue with Issac Hayes, Carla Thomas, and the Bar-Kays 10:30pm Mixer at Sayles Hall with the O'Jays or a live band
Sunday (March 22)
1:00pm Sermon with Jesse Jackson followed by a concert of
black spirituals at Manning Chapel 7:00pm;
and Showing of the film "Uptight"
9:00pm
..for further information write the Black Student Organization at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
THE DRUM
wishes to acknowledge the invaluable artistic contributions of Brother Jimmy Wilkinson
we also wish to acknowledge the constant encouragement of
the Black Community for without their presence and spirits and (harassing)
THE DRUM
would not become a reality for us all.
PEACE
POWER
PRIDE
TO THE PEOPLE
• ■■."-?*.■... ■•■ ■