The Collegian Wednesday, January 24, 1990
How long will the dream
be deferred?
(continued from page S)
once again hearing King's
powerful oratory, made me think
about his famous "dream," and
how little of it has actually been
realized in the 21 years since he
was gunned down by James Earl
Ray. King's birthday is now on
the calendar as an official holiday,
but how much cause have
African-Americans to celebrate?
Obviously, great strides have
been made towards desegregating
the nation since the beginning of
the civil rights movement. Many
black Americans have had greater
freedom to choose where they
will live, what jobs they will
hold, which organizations they
want to join, and who will serve
in elected office, largely thanks to
the efforts of King and his fellow
crusaders for freedom and
equality.
Just this year, blacks have
achieved several positions (L.
Douglas Wilder -governor of
Virginia, David Dinkins -mayor
of New York City, Colin Powell
-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff) they have never held
before. And the Reverend Jesse
Jackson has been a major force in
the Democratic Party throughout
the past decade, and a serious
presidential contender in the 'BB
primaries.
Under the laws of the United
States toddy, blacks arc
guaranteed the same rights as any
other citizens. Amendments
attached to the Constitution more
than a century ago, and laws
passed in the decades since,
promise them all of the same
opportunities and privileges that
this nation's Founding Fathers
claimed for themselves in the
Declaration of Independence.
America is supposed to be
colorblind with regard to its
citizens.
Unfortunately, that fine
indifference to pigmentation or
ethnicity which we have written
into our laws has yet to establish
itself in the minds of white
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America. Racially motivated
attacks against blacks, such as
Howard Beach and the murder of
Yusef Hawkins in Bensonhurst,
are on the rise. In Boston, the
false identification of a black man
as a murder suspect has led to
fierce racial divisions.
Black Americans arc still
disproportionately represented
among the poor, die unemployed,
the undereducated, the homclcss
in virtually every disadvantaged
or disenfranchised segment of
society. A recent report claimed
that many neighborhoods in our
large cities are still 100 percent
segregated, years after the passage
of fair housing laws. White
supremacist groups appear to be
growing, especially among
young people, and becoming
bolder in their actions, such as
the recent package bombings in
the South. All is most
emphatically not well for blacks
these days, despite all the
legislative efforts and action for
which King fought
King emphasized, in one of
his speeches, that there can be a
great difference between merely
desegregating a society and truly
integrating it. In the body of our
laws, on paper, these United
States have been desegregated.
But many neighborhoods and
schools are still considered to be
for "blacks" or "whites" only.
Twenty-one years after King's
death, we have not even
approached the completion of the
first step that he outlined,
desegregation. How much longer
will it take merely to complete
this easier phase? And how many
more times will January 15th
come around on the calendar
before we see the fulfillment of
King's dream, the integration of
all Americans into a nation where
every person can count on being
judged, "not by the color of their
skin, but by the content of their
character?" How many years to
bring about a change, in men’s
and women's hearts?
Ask Louanne
The Collegian Advice Column
by Dr. Louanne Barton,
Psychologist
Dear Louanne,
I read your column last semester, the one
about the guy who gets sick every time he takes
his girlfriend out to dinner. Well, I don't get sick,
but I sure get uptight I never know what to say,
and there are always embarrassing silences when
I'm alone with a girl. I've never been much of a
conversationalist without having to put down a
couple beers first
Dear Quiet One,
I imagine there arc quite a few guys like you
out there (and girls, too). I understand a couple
drinks can loosen up the inhibitions, but be
careful. That's not a healthy reason to drink,
belter to work on overcoming your problem.
A few suggestions that might be helpful:
Signed,
The Quiet One
Plan time together involved in some activity you
can talk about such as a movie or even bowling
(if you really get desperate). Sitting across from
someone in a restaurant can be a pretty intense,
face-to-face situation unless you're with another
couple. A good way to get started is to plan
things in small groups.
When making conversation, many people
often make the mistake of thinking they need to
be entertaining or have something interesting to
tell. Not necessarily so. There's nothing we all
like better than to talk about ourselves (myself
included).
All you have to do is ask her a question about
herself. Make it open-ended so she’ll have to
respond with something besides a simple "yes"
or "no". Try something like, "Tell me about
your family?" Not "Do you have any brothers or
sisters?" Or, "What was it like going to a big
city school?" Not "Did you like being in a
graduating class of 1,000?" On the next round
pick up and reflect back something she said in
her First response.
Ask for clarification or even disagree if you
want to liven it up a bit. Don't be 100 quick to
come back with a story of your own, otherwise
the conversation may get stalemated. Many
people are so busy trying to think of what they're
going to say next, they forget to listen to what
the other person is saying.
If you're lucky, this technique will get the
ball rolling. If this girl is worth gelling to know,
she'll show an interest in hearing more about
you. If she doesn't, just chalk it up to a boring
evening and look for someone less self-centered.
Signed,
Louanne
Address letters to: Dr,
Louanne Barton, Counseling
Center, Reed Building
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