Page 2

THE SCARLET AND BLACK

May 7, 1971

Black Studies Courses Versus While Profs

by Greg Butcher

In an attempt to get a view of
the black studies courses be-
ing taught here at Grinnell,
this reporter talked to five
professors and about 25 Slud'
ents--both black and white"
to get their opinions.

Three of the five courses
taught by the professors are
social studies seminars
(which have noprerequisites).
They are: From Slavery to
Freedom in Urban‘America,
taught by Howard Rabinowitz,
instructor in history; Politi-
ml Tactics of Black Ameri'
cans, Neal Milner, associate
professor of political science;
and War on Poverty: Declared
But Unfought, Steven Gold, ins
structor in economics.

Charles Cleaver, professor
of English and American
Studies, taught Afro-Ameris
can Literature; and George
Furniss, associate professor
of sociology, teaches Ameris
can Minorities II (BlacksWhite
Relations). In addition, Ray-
mond Betts, professor of his-
tory, teaches African History;
but he discouraged an inter-
view by saying that his course
has been no different fromany
other course he's taught on
campus.

There are a few specificproc
blems in each course; discus-
sion of those will be used to
launch into a general discusr
slon of black studies courses,
white professors, and inter'
racial classes.

SPE CIFIC PR OBLEMS

In Rabinowitz's course, the
three blacks interviewed gen-
erally complained about an
overdependence on the books
statistics and lectures and a
lack of interest in emotions
and personal experiences.

"The course mtersbasically
to the more analytical white
students in the class."

“Rabinowitz is basically a
facts and figures man."

“He takes up too much ofthe
time; half the students haven’t
said a word all year."

The three white students in-
terviewed generally agreed
with the description of Rabins
owltz as an “organized"
facts-andefigures man, but
each of them seemed to favor
that approach.

"He knows more than most
of us."

"It is structured well, even
though it eliminates any flex—
ibility."

The emphasis away from
personal experiences seems
to be a result of Rabinowitz’s
experience ﬁrst semester. In
that class, there were heated
arguments and black~white
tension. The emphasis on the
books seems to be an attempt
to lessen that sort of tension.

Two black students specifies
ally urged that there be more
controversy in class, not less:

“I try to bring up controvers
sial issues: Rabinowitz tries
to avoid them."

“White students may think
that I, by asking point-blank
questions, am harassing Ra-
binowitz. The white student's
role is that of learning; the
black’s, of challenging and
defining."

Two of the white students
were afraid of the black stu*
dents at first, but found they
soon overmme it. The Other

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student said, ”I haven't seen
a great deal of tension, possi*
bly because everything is
discussed, in an historiml
context."

REACTION TO MILNER

Reaction to Milner's class
was split, both among the
blacks and among the whites.

One black said, ”I enjoy that
class. There‘s quite a bit of
participation and the class is
usually very interesting. We
have some really involved dis-
cussions.”

Another commented, "We get
off on some weird tangents
that are unnecessary."

A third: "I would have liked
to have discussed more things
that are more common to the
people. The class has been
good lately because black 5m,
dents have been writing their
own reports and giving them
in class."

White reaction to the course:
”Milner didn’t want to ress
trict conversations, so most
of it tended to be bullshit. He
was disgusted with the lack of
discussion after some of the
books, seeming to indicate
that no one was interested.
With no guidance and a lack of
structure, no one loiew where
to go."

“Sometimes the discussions
were slow. We had one class,
though, that discussed racism
in Grinnell that turned into
something ofa sensitivity ses-
sion."

"The course was way tooun-
structured and far too easy.
Readings were never discus-

sed in their fullest. Discus»
sions almost always degen‘
erated to the level ofpersonal
experience."

TA LLY 'S CORNER

Every discussion on Gold's
course began exactly the same
way: "We read this book.
”Tally's Corner."Many black
students felt that the book
ever generalized and misrep-
resented black people.

Discussion of the book led to
the most heated discussion of
the course, which led into a
discussion of black-white re-
lations on mmpus.

Gold told the 5&3 that in his
class "the average perfor-
mance for blacks has notbeen
as good as for whites." As a
possible reason for this, he
stated, "Some of the things I
do from an abstract social
science point of View thatmay
be of interest to some stud-
ents seem not to interest the
blacks." He added, "Black
students often have more trou-
ble with economics than other
students do."

Some black student reaction
to the class:

"The course was a class
more on economics than on
poverty. I agree that poverty
should be looked at on an eco-
nomic level, but that isnot the
only level on which it should
be dealt with."

"He seems to expect the
black student to do worse;
therefore, they do worse. He
expected us to have a back-
ground in economics; WiLI'i

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all the econ he was giving, I
feel'it should be a prerequi-
site for the course."

"Why is it that a black studs
out who has lived in poverty
all her life has to drop the
course because she finds she
doesn’t Icnow anything about
poverty?"

FURNISS

White students and black
students seemed to agree that
Furniss is too "‘analytical"
and ”theoretical." "He has
a thing about tables and sm-
tistics. The kids got bored
with that." Anorher complaint
was that the books were out-
dated and the material too
historical.

“I think the students would
rather be talking about cur‘
rent issues. They'd like to
discuss; and when you're talk
ing about history itgets pretty
boring."

Students feel Furniss is
"naive" and “idealistic,"and
"not very empathetic." One
student said, "He shies away
from anything controversial.”
Two black students complain
ned that Flirniss often put them
on the spot, by asking them to
speak for black people.

”He looks to black students
(0 expounduponwhathe says.”
“It's more ofa black intros
spection; it’s a class focused
on you.”

The class, very small to bee
gin with (seven students),also
has an attendance problem.
"Some days only two of the
class members show up."

BLACK PROFESSORS

Virtually every black student
interviewed spoke of the need
for black professors to teach
black studies courses, and
many whites agreed, although
whites tended to place more
qualifications on their endor-
sement.

(Next year Virginius B. The
ornton will teach in the Amer-
imn Studies department as
Grinnell's only black profes-
sor.)

Booker Carter told the 5&8
why he thinks a black profes-
sor is necessary for these
courses:

"It is not possible fora white
professor to present these
courses because he has no
emotional insight into the lives
of blacks. He won’t be able to
answer many questions rela~
ted to feelings and emotions.

“It doesn‘t do any good for
a teacher to apologize for his
lack of insights. That forces
black students to voice their
opinions, and they get tired of
being looked upon for the ans-
were.

“The basic ingredients for a
black professor here are that
he must not only knowhis field
Well to meet pressures from
white students, but he must
also be very confident in him'
self and his convictions.

Otherwise, things will be very
difficult for him."

Cleaver and Milner tend to
agree with the necessity of
having black professors teach
these courses, although Mil-
ner adds, “I don‘t accept the
position that weaswhites can-
not at all interpret the black
experience, even though there
are limitations on our per-
spective."

Rabinowitz rejects the notion
that only a black should teach
or study the black experience.
He quoted numerous studies
of ethnic groups that were
done by members of other
groups.

“History has benefittedfrom
the fact that writers don'tjust
study their special interest
areas. Two of the best com-
mentaries on American life
in the 19th century were done
by foreigners.

“On the other hand, it would
be foolish to deny that insid-
ers also get special insights.
Both are important."

Patricia Swansey told the
5&3, "Black professors can
make the course more rele
vant and interesting for both
black and white students."

Celestine Bloomfield: “I'm
nor going to say white profes-
sors can‘t teach black his—
tory; but man, they needsome
help.”

Some whites agreed whole—
heartedly with the blacks on
the need for a black profes—
sor; many more agreed with
the stipulation that the black
man be about equally quali-
fied in his credentials as a
white professor. Others in-
sisted that expertise was
much more important than
skin color.

Everyone agreed that one
black professor will not be
enough. Some were worried
that he would be overworked;
others felt tokenism was in-
volved.

Some black students expres-
sed the opinion that blackpro-
fessors could be found if the
college were committed en-
ough to hiring them.

Milner spoke of the difficul-
ties the politiml science de-
partment had in trying to re-

CORRECTION:

cruit a black professor:

”The college stated a few
years ago that it was going to
make a special commitment to
hire minority personnel by
enabling departments to hire
an extra man, if he were a
member of a minority group.

The department went ahead
this year and made two pre-
liminary contacts. At this
point we went to the Executive
Council, where we were told
that, due to the financial situ*
ation, that commitment no
longer existed."

STUDENTS' PURPOSES

Many blacks told the S&Bthat
they feel the black studies
courses, as all courses here,
are oriented solely to educate
the white student.

Jon Gray said, "What white
students are looking for is to
become acquainted with the
black Way of life, the black
past and the writings. Black
students prefer to challenge
what the authors and profess
sors are saying in the process
of redefining themselves."

Booker Carter expandedthis,
"There seems to be a basic
difference in what blacks and
whites want out of a course.
Being black, you have an in*
sight into what the author’s
getting to, which a white can-
not have. ‘

“I wanted to learn what the
author had to say in the period
he was writing andto compare
his feelings to my own. Often
we stopped andtalked ofthings
that were trivial to me--such
as style and other technical
details.

"Facts are impormnt, but
emotional reasons for the
facts are also important."

Emotion and personal expers
ience were recurring themes

(continued to page 7)

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