The Be hr end
Collegian
Feb 16,1995 Er PA Vol XLlll, No. 16
Thursday,
Forums:
Black generations, portrayals
by R. Carl Campbell 111
News Editor
With a little help from the
Fund for the Improvement of
Undergraduate Instruction, the
Office of Student Activities and
the Department of Humanities
and Social Sciences sponsored a
forum in which the thoughts of
three generations of African-
American women were presented
on Tuesday night in Reed 117.
Majorie Podolsky, coordinator
of the program said, “We were
particularly interested in putting
this together because professors
are interested in what students are
thinking. We’re putting together
the ideas of three generations of
black women to see how their
views differ. This is not one
voice we’re hearing, but a variety
of voices.”
“Students seem to be more
interested in talking about these
issues on an academic level.”
by Jlegi Photographer
THE PANEL: Israel Jenkins, Shannon Jones,
Betty Brooks, Eva Tucker, and Andre Horton
composed the panel for the open forum last night.
Behrend Briefs page 2
Black History Month page 3
Generation X page 5
ruary
Ngozi Mboto stated that the
program was developed to
establish and open
communication, information,
connections, and history.
“The insight,” Mboto said,
“may be where Erie is heading
and how women may play a part
in that movement”
The women began the forum
with descriptions of growing up
in Erie. Ellen Curry, the first
vice president of the PA State
Federation of Negro Women’s
Clubs, informed the diversified
audience on growing up prior to
the Civil Rights Bill. In talking
about her experiences she said
that she is not bitter and does not
carry a bitterness.
“If we do not know history,”
Curry said. “We are sure to
repeat iL”
“I don’t know how fair’we have
come,” Curry continued; "I’d
like you to give it some
News
College
Photo by Sheila BkkeH/Collegian Photographer
GENERATIONS: Compiling three generations of history, Judy Spangler,
Ellen Curry, and Nicole Miller were on the panel during Tuesday's night forum.
thought” Way of Erie County, was next to potential as men,” she said. “We
Nicole Miller, the Director of speak. should earn the same as they do.”
Community Initiatives and “Women have the same CONTINUED ON
Minority Participation of United PAGE 3
"Representation of the Black Male"
Joueatra Henry
Collegian Staff
Last night, HRPC presented
n open forum on the topic.
Representation of the Black
Male.” The panel consisted of
two Behrend students, Israel
Jenkins and Shannon Jones,
Assistant Director of
Undergraduate Studies Betty
Brooks, professor of geoscience
Eva Tucker, and Andre Horton, a
local resident
The panel and audience
discussed different portrayals of
the Black male. Panel member
Tones "believes the media
portrays the Black male as
devious, not as a doctor or
lawyer. They portray us as
pimps or drug dealers. We
should be portrayed as
individuals, not as a group of
devious persons.”
Inside
Entertainment
'Higher Learning '
Matchbox Players
*8 2 *
°>99S!
According to Brooks, "Black
males sometimes get a raw deal,
on the other hand, sometimes the
Black male lends himself to the
negative ideals presented upon
him."
Tucker stated, "Black males
have played an important part in
wars, in adding to the philosophy
of the this nation, and have
played a significant part in the
development of this nation,
despite the obstacles faced. If we
think we are victims, then we
will be victims."
One important Black 'male
discussed was OJ. Simpson.
Some of the audience comments
were, "OJ. has to watch his back
- Black men have to keep their
identity - The case would have
been handled differently if OJ.
hadn't supposedly killed two
white people • The case is a 1990
version of a lynching."
page 12
page 13
Sports
Men's Basketball page 18
Women's Basketball page 19
Happy Valley hoops page 20
An audience member, who
wished to remain anonymous,
stated, "OJ. entered the good
black boy category of the white
people. But now that he
supposedly committed a crime,
he is no longer the good blacl
boy. He is considered a typic.
black male in the media and i<>
jme white people's eyes, who
nad considered him a crossover
before the event happened."
According to Horton, "Our
responsibility is not to be
victims. We should look at the
doors that our open. Racism is
not declining in the near future,
so we as a race have to accentuate
the positive."
Jenkins, a resident advisor in
Lawrence, stated, "Black men
have been stripped of a lot of
things, especially self-knowledge.
We have to figure out how to
educate youth about the positive
and not the negative."