s. The

i Scarlet
8 Black

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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

10/10/75 Vol. 84 No.7

 

Afro-AmeriCan activities planned

by Rosa Michnya
The annual Black Cultural
beekend, sponsored by Concerned
Black Students, will be held this
weekend. According to CB. ,
Program Coordinator Alic
Longstreet. “A variety of activities
dealing with Africans and Afro-
Americans will be open to the
entire Grinnell community.”

The agenda for Friday evening
features cultural workshops to be
conducted simultaneously at the
mock Cultural Center. Admissions
Counselor Maurice Hunt will

concentrate upon the subject of
black athletes, while tWo other
speakers plan to give discourses on
blacks‘ contributions to music.
Instructor Victor Kendall, will
expound upon retention of Airican
characteristics in AfroeAmerican
music; Professor Charles Davis
will discuss the jazz continuum.
Another professor, Marilyn
Leonard, will deliver a lecture on
AfrorAmerican history that Will
include. Longstreet speculates, a
focus on slavery. Leadership of an
additional workshop will be shared

Black
Cultural

Weekend

by Josephine Gurira, a member oi
the town’s balck community, and
student George emuony, Gurira
will speak on American myths and
misconceptions concerning Airica
and its inhabitants; Omuony Will
emphasize the need for raising
black consciousness,
immediately tollowing these
sessions, which will include
discussion of the material
presented by the lecturers, certain
dishes will be available for sam-
pling. Ginger bread, sweet potato
pie, pinto beans with neckbones,

buttermilk cornbread, and candied
yims will be but a few of the
culinary otierings..

On Saturday night, the LaMnnt
Zeno Black Repertoire Theatre of
Chicago will appear in “On the
Darker Side,” The fifteen-member
group, under the direction oi
Pemon Rami, plans to present a
Combination oi dance, poetry, and
drama detailing black history.
Later the same evening a rhythmn
and blues group, God's Concept,
will provide music tor a dance to be

held in North Lounge.

One other attraction will be the
motion picture “Wattstax,” which
will be shown both Friday and
Saturday evenings. This iilm
covers performances given by
such black entertainers as Isaac
Hayes, The Staple Singers, and
Richard Pryor in the riot-torn Los
Angeles district known as Wattsr

Cris, hopes that many will
attend ﬂiese events, which con-
stitute opportunities for both
enlightenment and entertainment.

C.B.S. aimed at
black thinking

by Rosa Michnya

Since its inception in 1969,
members of Concerned Black
Students have aimed to “cultivate
black thinkingesocially,
politically, and culturally—and
competence in academics," ac
cording to one spokesperson,
Cheryl Cole, Although CBS. is
clearly oriented towards one
particular race, the group does not
wish to be viewed as a “separatist
nr segregated” organization. Cole
stressed that it is necessary to
promote more awareness of
minorities and their problems on
the part of the entire Grinnell
community, and observed that this
can be accomplished through
greater interaction between the
different races here.

Yet, few non»blacks visit the
Black Cultural Center, which is
described by those who maintain
the house on 10th Ave. and Park Sti

as a “repository of resources."
Materials available include
assorted African artifacts, a
diversity ofpamphlets, magazines,
and books, and tapes oi speeches
given by Stukely Carmichael, Dick
Gregory, and others, Much at this
property is garnered via donations
from Grinnell students, alumni,
and professors. C.B.S. purchases
some items with funds allocated by
the college, and other schools
frequently contribute valuable
additions to the steadily
burgeoning collection. The
material is being developed in
order to provide more extensive
opportunities for research and .
iniormative reading thean can be
iound at Burling Library.

Besides Wishing that larger
numbers would utilize the Center’s
offerings, Cole would like to see
more enthusiastic support oi
C.B.S.~sponsored activities, which
are announced on the group’s
KDIC radio program. One im-
minent event is the annual Black
Cultural Weekend; which will
feature Workshops (in the form ofa
series of talks and discussions)
dealing with such topics as African
music and literature,

Objectives tor this year include a
focus on Work with the Third World
and Women’s groups. There will
also be an investigation oi
decreasing black enrollment and
the decline in the number of black
professors at Grinnell, The chief
concern, however, involves in»
creasing the resources at the
Cultural Center. Appropriate
donations will he readily accepted.

Those with questions or
suggestions regarding any facet of
the C.B,S. program should contact
either Cheryl Cole or Ricky Stokesi
Additional representatives include
Finance Chairperson Mike Harris,
Program Coordinator Alicia
Longstreet, Social Committee
Chairperson Onishous Jones, and
Communications Representative
Greg Wiggens.

 

