Thursday, December 10, 1992 Tarsha Proctor's article, many phrases pop into my head. The famous two words WAKE UP, which were used in the Spike Lee movie School Daze and the words of Rodney King asking the American people; "Can we all just get along." Let me address why the words WAKE UP fill my thoughts every time I think about the many negative responses Ms. Proctor received because of her article. To receive what I am about to enlighten you on, please elevate your minds and realize that what I feel does not reflect the feelings of the entire Black community. The first thing that you the readers must ascertain is that no matter how "offensive" the article may have been to some of you, regardless if you are black or white, Tarsha is entitled to her own opinions. That is her First Amendment right. By many of you expressing how wrong it was for her to say the things that she did places her right back into the form of bondage and slavery that our people (the black race) have had to embrace since the first slave ship was brought over from the Mother country. For centuries the black race has been told that their opinions were and still are invalid and less intelligent that the white man's. The black race's forefathers fought long and hard for the exact freedom that so many of you are verbally tearing down. The right to express one's opinion and have it to be seen as equal to the white man's and not unjustly ridiculed. WAKE UP! Do you really expect the black race to get rid of their desire to bond as one and rebuild the family that was torn apart? I hope not. It would be nice if blacks, whites and all races could "all just get along", but until people realize that there are differences and that different does not mean something bad but good, then and only then can "we all get along." Until the black race finds peace and unity within itself then and only then can "we all get along." When white America realizes the injustices that blacks have had to deal with for centuries then, and only then, can "we all get along." Until all this is done, the black family will not build and grow, the white race will not be enlightened about other races, and WE will all be in a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual DEEP SLEEP PLEASE, PLEASE WAKE UP..PLEASE!! Angela B. Johnson 7th Semester Political Science Major Shared happiness After reading the article "No compromise, no sell out" my first reaction was anger. Such remarks as "blind white b-- @*!!!," "Jungle Fever" and "epidemic" infuriated me. I wondered how the author could know so little about this topic. Maybe the reason is that the author is a freshman and has only been at this "white school" for only four months. Does she know any interracial couples personally? I should say, does she know both parties involved in an interracial couple? From her comments I would have to say no. For one reason, she states that most of the black men at Behrend are dating Caucasian women. I can't even think of five, and I've been here for five semesters (that's a little longer than four months). And you call it an epidemic?! And, yes, I have dated African-American men before. And, no, it was not an act of accentuating "their success" and I do not have "blonde hair and blue eyes." I am a 5'10" red head with brown eyes. What her article only comments on is the appearance of the couple. What she may not understand is the interaction between the two. As in every other relationship, we shared happiness and laughter and had a good time. But let me say that I was in African- American men, not thinking of marriage, but simply dating. And dating, in no way, threatens the education of the black family. What about the education of values that apply to all families? Values such as respecting others' opinions and beliefs; believing in a Supreme Being; respecting others' property; and most of all, (which the author may have forgotten) to be unprejudiced of color. The author urges African- Americans to educate themselves and I agree wholeheartedly, but educate themselves with an open mind, for narrow minded thinking only leads to small places: Because it seems to me that the small number of people involved are not only educated, but show a world of enlightenment for looking past color, which is what African- Americans have been fighting for far before Malcolm X. And finally, as you quoted Malcolm X, let me quote another great black man, Martin Luther King, Jr. when he said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Kim Landes sth Semester English Major Views seen as derogatory In rebuttal to Tarsha Proctor's article about interracial relationships. I feel you are confused in your beliefs and I feel the views you are expressing are very derogatory towards the other African-American women on campus since only a select few share your beliefs. I am a white woman dating a black man. I feel that no matter what color a woman is, she can make any man strong if she so desires. It all comes from within. It's always got to be a black-white thing. Question: What if it were a brother and a Chinese girl or a Asiatic girl? I think people should skip all that black-white bull and start directing their frustrations to The Collegian bettering things. If two people want to be together regardless of race, color, etc., they are going to be together. If they are happy, I think people, if they can't accept it, should ignore it instead of expressing themselves negatively. Society has this self-imposed view of black and white. Whether some of us like it or not, we are all "brothers and sisters" and if we are going to live in society as one, we must first come together in order to live together. I'm sure the black man is not dating out of his race to spite his sistahs. He might simply find himself more comfortable in an interracial relationship. It should not be a question of black or white, but whether a person is happy or not. It all comes down to, if a person is satisfied internally, then what the rest of society has to say really shouldn't influence his or her decision. Tarsha, before you begin educating people on Malcolm X, I suggest you do a little more research on your own. I did and I believe Malcolm X himself had an affair with a Caucasian woman. LOVE SEES NO COLOR! Sandra D. Volgstadt Sth Semester Special Education Major Views supported I am writing in response to the article "No compromise, no sell out" in the opinion section of The Collegian written by Tarsha L. Proctor. I firmly support her views. One of the problems of the black race is the decline of the black family, and I feel that black people need to work together to make it strong again. I fear that interracial marriages results in the loss of the black race, culture, and identity that my black people need to maintain and preserve. As a black "sistah", I love my strong, black brother and would not give him up for any amount of offers. Charlena M. Scott 3rd Semester Nursing Why such an issue? This is in response to the article printed in the December 3 issue titled "No compromise, no sell out". I don't understand why Tarsha Proctor is making such an issue out of interracial dating. It is an individual's decision to choose who he/she wants to date. Black people have been fighting for equal rights for years. Isn't interracial dating a by-product of this freedom? If a white person were to publicly say that they don't approve of interracial dating, they would be called a racist. In regards to Angela Johnson's comment, I think that a black man seeks companionship of a white woman because of her personality and soul, not because of her color or "lack of strength". Why does Ms. Johnson feel that a white woman is weaker than a black woman? That is an absurd and racist comment. If Tarsha Proctor has such a problem with this "white school," then why did she choose to attend Behrend? Behrend has always been a predominantly white school. I don't think it's the white person's responsibility to solve the racial misunderstanding at Behrend-- it's everyone's responsibility. Articles like Tarsha Proctor's do not help the racial problems at Behrend; instead, they cause more frustration and misunderstanding among students. Rachel Knestrick 7th Semester Management Major Racist and flawed This letter is in response to Tarsha Proctor's racist diatribe which appeared in the December 3rd i ssue of The Collegian. This is not only a racist argument, Tarsha, it is also a flawed argument. I will now demonstrate this point. Your choice of quotes leaves much to be desired. You quote an anonymous source as stating that "when brothers get high up...they have to accentuate their success with a blind white b-- @*!!!" For your information, Tarsha, not all successful black men choose a "blind white b_@*!!!" Many successful black men choose black women and some choose white WOMEN who can SEE! Also, you quote Angela Johnson as stating that "some black men aren't strong enough to deal with a strong black woman, so they go to a white woman." Eccausc this statement is unqualitied, implies that ALL black women are strong and ALL white women are weak and passive. This is an overstatement. It makes use of stereotypes, and it is RACIST as it implies that black women are stereotypes, and it is RACIST as it implies that black women are stronger than, and therefore superior to, white women!!! Next time, Tarsha, please use qualified, logically, sound sources to support your argument. Also, I will give you a bit of advice. I see that you oppose race mixing. Perhaps you should date the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan or some other white supremacist piece of S**T who also opposes race mixing. I think you would have a lot in common. James D. Ruhlman sth Semester Political Science Major Offended and appalled We are writing in regards to the article entitled "No compromise, no sell out." We are offended and appalled by the ignorance spewed forth by Tarsha L. Proctor in this manifestation of racism and sexism. Her ignorance is shown by a lack of data, no sociological study as a source, and no quantification of black males that are dating white females. Her information is not fact, only assertion. The language, which included words such as "sistah" and "brother" was stereotypical Page and separatist, implying that people of a certain group experience a stronger bond simply because of the color of their skin. The use of the words "blind white bitch" were especially racist anu sexist. Proctor condones the use of these words and the racist attitude they imply by using the source of the quote to back up her opinion. Proctor's belief that certain males prefer to date white females, due to a lack of education in the black community, further shows her ignorance. Is Proctor implying that no intelligent person could ever feel affection towards someone of another color? If so, who is the one with the lack of education? A scary thought is that at a rally held by the KKK, many of the same thoughts would be voiced as were voiced by Proctor. Separatism only exacerbates the problem. Hitler proved that. Philip W. Susann Non-degree Student Gwendolyn D. Pellam Ist Semester Mathematics Major Status symbol Over the last week, I have heard several comments concerning the December 3, article "No compromise, no sell out". I would like to make aware several points which I feel would help put this issue into perspective. In the years after slavery, most of the African-Americans who were "accepted" by the white society were those who tended to assimilate into the white mainstream society. This trend also included interracial relationships. Both Black men and women bought into the myth of the standard female beauty - She being the long haired, blonde, blue-eyed, slim figured,white woman. Many Black people felt that by having interracial relationships they would be more accepted (and therefore "less black") in the white community. Sadly to say, remnants of this thinking are alive and well today. There are many black men (and women) who equate their success and/or acceptance with being seen with a white person (or worse yet sleeping with one). Then there are others who make it a practice to only date persons outside their race. These people tend to disassociate themselves with members of their own race and culture, only to cling to the cultures of others. These people are denying who they are and their own cultures. You see, I am not questioning what a person does, or, for that matter, who they choose to do it with. What I am questioning is why they are doing it. What are the real reasons? Do they really love that person, or do they only want a so called status symbol? Calandra Matthews 9th Semester Communication Major
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