File #2845: "MFM_VA_1969-05-06_Reflector_Vol80_Stereotyped-Role-Black-Students_001.pdf"
PDF Text
Text
'Stereotyped Role' Describes Black Student
/
By JOHN TAYLOR
When a student discusses his
life at Mississippi State University, he usually tells how much
fUn his fraternity life is, how
great the chicks look, and how
far he has to drive for a can
of beer. The last subject on his
list of what to talk about would
most llkely be the MSU black
student. The fact that only 1.5
per cent of the MSU student body
is black would account for this
absence from his conversation.
In order to inform people about
out black students, several blacks
were asked to express their views
on MSU and related topics. Among
those offering comments were
Farrie Walton, Janice Burt,
Frank Rocker, Harry Spiva,Sandy Hodge, Earley Addams, and
Bernard Barnes.
The blacks were first asked
to identify the black role atMSU.
All of the students agreed that
almost everything they do ts done
in tokenism. They have · to go
through the admlnlstration before
they do anything.
"It's a stereotyped rote," began Farrie Walton. "I feel as a
token student. we can do almost
anything we want to do, but we
must go through the administration. They (the admlnsltration)
only comply wbeD pressure1s put
on them."
Janice Burt was moreapeclfle.
"We have to do more on our
tape before he could see him."
YMCA
One part of the campus where
you can be sure to see some
of the black populace is the YMCA
building. When asked why he preferred the "Y" to the Union,
Frank Rocker replied, "It's a
place where you can go to feel
at ease. I feel tense in the Union
because of cow kickers staring
and Pointing." Janice Burt added,
"The YMCA is the black union."
When asked to talk about their•
education, Frank Rocker was
eager to speak. He said, "We
go to class, work on studies, and
get an education just like a white
student."
"I feel fine 1n this predominantly white university, only
some of the teachers often feel
too high on their white horses
to come down to the black's
level," he continued.
~'Old ·teachers are set 1n theh"
ways. I prefer the young graduate
students that have young, modern
ideas," he continued. "We would
like to see some black teachers
at MSU, not black mUltants, just
some goodblackeducators," said
Rocker.
"A black teacher would be a
new experience for white students," added Earley Addams.
" It would be a two-way learnlng
process."
Addams also replied, "A black
educator would be the best for
the course 1n black history and
l
'OW'll"
she said. "I conslder myself a
privileged cbaraCter because a
black can go direct)yto President
Giles when probably a white student would have to go through reel
Only ·
1.5%
_ .. . . he -yelllj.Gi~,ee,::~'"""
more able to: relate to per
experiences than a white teacher
would. The faculty should be
t«ally integrated."
Perhaps the sharl)est note of
U. iate1nin :, • •·· :Htlldl!ICI
Sandy Hodge dlscusstng tb4t local
church situation lB which some
blacks were barred from . ,
worship service and were ea directed to a "eolored chllreh"
down the street.
"Jntep-atton of the church just
for the bell of it ls not for me.
A church ls not a church lf people are banned. It's like a KKlC
rally. Every Christian sbiould
boycott such a situation,,, he
said.
Hamor
Symbolic Confrontation
Humor entered the discussion
when conversation turned to dorm
life of blacks. "In the dorm, I
have maybe three white friends,"
began Janice Burt. "Alotofglrls.
come up to our rooms and want
us to teach them bow to dance.
Sometimes they come \IP t<lcur
rooms to talk, but tlleY -near
talk about anytbtng serloas. TIie
eonversations are always. coml•
cal."
"The black seats on thetollets
are a defiDlte improvement over
the white porcelain seats in the
gym. 1>ut
WOUld like to see
black toilet paper and lavatories
-la the dorms," Joked Dwight
Presley.
The blacks find it ironical that
they were "randoml,., placed ln
the 25's, 16's, and 33's-36's ln
the dorms. These rooms always
happen to be next to the resident
assistant and across from the
shower.
Sandy Hodge and Earley Addams had an unexpected, unresentful outlook on fraternities.
"The fraternities are for people
that have a lot 1n common,"
said Hodge. "We should not be
in a fraternity just because we
are black and the fraterBitles
na.r. 18 ldCDe(
ttM- t WWJUld like to get ••"
added Addams. "Smee it
be virtually ~ k t lot a
·black to get ID a frat here, we
should set up one of our own...
When the discussion drifted to
the subject of loyalty to MSU
sports, some faterestlng stat&,;,
ments were made.
"No, I'm not tru1Y JeyaJ.:• Addams bepn. ''So few blacks
partlcipate in school athletics.
The cheerleaders are white, the
players are white, the band memhers are white, the coaches are
white, the majorettesarewhite.''
"The scboo) should make the
same effort to recruit blacks
as they do to recruit whites,"
added Bernard Barne~. "We
would have moreprtdelfNegroea
COllld take part ID more USU
life."
"I canlt ldeitlfy with the t
because it's not that white are
better ball players than blacks,n
said Hodge.
Addams concluded, "I doa't sit
out there and hope State loses
because no blackS are on the
team, but I just can't identify
with them because of the absence
of blacks on the team.•• We can..
go to Jackson Sbife and watch ·
a game there. we know all the
players and band, members, so
we have a gooct time."
Redneck Enemies
The last subject of the discussion was that of the perennial
"redneck.,, at state. The blacks
on campus seem t-0 get along with
the "hippie types" while they
consider the rednecks thelr
enemies.
Harry Spiva brought in the fact
hb a co , and Jfegro
a
coined by wbltes mean1ilg ; ~
la Spplsh.••
Oil dlscuaslng rednee , Bodp
had an Interesting outlook, "He
(the rednec ) grew up that way,
and doesn't mow why. I pity
because actually be bates
nothing. One thing though,
kids won't be like him
they wlll bave been br
ln a more tmegrated
"U I'm waUdng down the
and drop something, he
have to pick it -up for me,
so he doesn't step on me
I'm picking It up."
"U everyone woke
morning and everyone
same color,"saidA
would flndaodle reasa
• • 8llcll as 1.-r toes
yes.,.
''lf a rednec goes- t
and sees a blac in c
be surprised and say
you're a smart Digger?' WIM!1£W, .'"____,.,. ,._
sees you're aot dumb
'You can spend YOIU'
us bat you
a.J.one!' "
Yet wtth a feelfDC of
tile blacks on MSU cam
feet inferior to the
Many blacks expressed
as a "limited role",
~Y serve as member
various classes and ar
sldered a real studeilt
people. Having no other
ible means to.
eve
barriers 'betweea tile bl
whites at MSU, tbei blae lei.
have begun working through
administration down through
Student Association, and fl
to the MSU populace.
/
By JOHN TAYLOR
When a student discusses his
life at Mississippi State University, he usually tells how much
fUn his fraternity life is, how
great the chicks look, and how
far he has to drive for a can
of beer. The last subject on his
list of what to talk about would
most llkely be the MSU black
student. The fact that only 1.5
per cent of the MSU student body
is black would account for this
absence from his conversation.
In order to inform people about
out black students, several blacks
were asked to express their views
on MSU and related topics. Among
those offering comments were
Farrie Walton, Janice Burt,
Frank Rocker, Harry Spiva,Sandy Hodge, Earley Addams, and
Bernard Barnes.
The blacks were first asked
to identify the black role atMSU.
All of the students agreed that
almost everything they do ts done
in tokenism. They have · to go
through the admlnlstration before
they do anything.
"It's a stereotyped rote," began Farrie Walton. "I feel as a
token student. we can do almost
anything we want to do, but we
must go through the administration. They (the admlnsltration)
only comply wbeD pressure1s put
on them."
Janice Burt was moreapeclfle.
"We have to do more on our
tape before he could see him."
YMCA
One part of the campus where
you can be sure to see some
of the black populace is the YMCA
building. When asked why he preferred the "Y" to the Union,
Frank Rocker replied, "It's a
place where you can go to feel
at ease. I feel tense in the Union
because of cow kickers staring
and Pointing." Janice Burt added,
"The YMCA is the black union."
When asked to talk about their•
education, Frank Rocker was
eager to speak. He said, "We
go to class, work on studies, and
get an education just like a white
student."
"I feel fine 1n this predominantly white university, only
some of the teachers often feel
too high on their white horses
to come down to the black's
level," he continued.
~'Old ·teachers are set 1n theh"
ways. I prefer the young graduate
students that have young, modern
ideas," he continued. "We would
like to see some black teachers
at MSU, not black mUltants, just
some goodblackeducators," said
Rocker.
"A black teacher would be a
new experience for white students," added Earley Addams.
" It would be a two-way learnlng
process."
Addams also replied, "A black
educator would be the best for
the course 1n black history and
l
'OW'll"
she said. "I conslder myself a
privileged cbaraCter because a
black can go direct)yto President
Giles when probably a white student would have to go through reel
Only ·
1.5%
_ .. . . he -yelllj.Gi~,ee,::~'"""
more able to: relate to per
experiences than a white teacher
would. The faculty should be
t«ally integrated."
Perhaps the sharl)est note of
U. iate1nin :, • •·· :Htlldl!ICI
Sandy Hodge dlscusstng tb4t local
church situation lB which some
blacks were barred from . ,
worship service and were ea directed to a "eolored chllreh"
down the street.
"Jntep-atton of the church just
for the bell of it ls not for me.
A church ls not a church lf people are banned. It's like a KKlC
rally. Every Christian sbiould
boycott such a situation,,, he
said.
Hamor
Symbolic Confrontation
Humor entered the discussion
when conversation turned to dorm
life of blacks. "In the dorm, I
have maybe three white friends,"
began Janice Burt. "Alotofglrls.
come up to our rooms and want
us to teach them bow to dance.
Sometimes they come \IP t<lcur
rooms to talk, but tlleY -near
talk about anytbtng serloas. TIie
eonversations are always. coml•
cal."
"The black seats on thetollets
are a defiDlte improvement over
the white porcelain seats in the
gym. 1>ut
WOUld like to see
black toilet paper and lavatories
-la the dorms," Joked Dwight
Presley.
The blacks find it ironical that
they were "randoml,., placed ln
the 25's, 16's, and 33's-36's ln
the dorms. These rooms always
happen to be next to the resident
assistant and across from the
shower.
Sandy Hodge and Earley Addams had an unexpected, unresentful outlook on fraternities.
"The fraternities are for people
that have a lot 1n common,"
said Hodge. "We should not be
in a fraternity just because we
are black and the fraterBitles
na.r. 18 ldCDe(
ttM- t WWJUld like to get ••"
added Addams. "Smee it
be virtually ~ k t lot a
·black to get ID a frat here, we
should set up one of our own...
When the discussion drifted to
the subject of loyalty to MSU
sports, some faterestlng stat&,;,
ments were made.
"No, I'm not tru1Y JeyaJ.:• Addams bepn. ''So few blacks
partlcipate in school athletics.
The cheerleaders are white, the
players are white, the band memhers are white, the coaches are
white, the majorettesarewhite.''
"The scboo) should make the
same effort to recruit blacks
as they do to recruit whites,"
added Bernard Barne~. "We
would have moreprtdelfNegroea
COllld take part ID more USU
life."
"I canlt ldeitlfy with the t
because it's not that white are
better ball players than blacks,n
said Hodge.
Addams concluded, "I doa't sit
out there and hope State loses
because no blackS are on the
team, but I just can't identify
with them because of the absence
of blacks on the team.•• We can..
go to Jackson Sbife and watch ·
a game there. we know all the
players and band, members, so
we have a gooct time."
Redneck Enemies
The last subject of the discussion was that of the perennial
"redneck.,, at state. The blacks
on campus seem t-0 get along with
the "hippie types" while they
consider the rednecks thelr
enemies.
Harry Spiva brought in the fact
hb a co , and Jfegro
a
coined by wbltes mean1ilg ; ~
la Spplsh.••
Oil dlscuaslng rednee , Bodp
had an Interesting outlook, "He
(the rednec ) grew up that way,
and doesn't mow why. I pity
because actually be bates
nothing. One thing though,
kids won't be like him
they wlll bave been br
ln a more tmegrated
"U I'm waUdng down the
and drop something, he
have to pick it -up for me,
so he doesn't step on me
I'm picking It up."
"U everyone woke
morning and everyone
same color,"saidA
would flndaodle reasa
• • 8llcll as 1.-r toes
yes.,.
''lf a rednec goes- t
and sees a blac in c
be surprised and say
you're a smart Digger?' WIM!1£W, .'"____,.,. ,._
sees you're aot dumb
'You can spend YOIU'
us bat you
a.J.one!' "
Yet wtth a feelfDC of
tile blacks on MSU cam
feet inferior to the
Many blacks expressed
as a "limited role",
~Y serve as member
various classes and ar
sldered a real studeilt
people. Having no other
ible means to.
eve
barriers 'betweea tile bl
whites at MSU, tbei blae lei.
have begun working through
administration down through
Student Association, and fl
to the MSU populace.