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Section: Demographics > African-American

The Problem With Henry Louis Gates’ ‘African World’

The Problem With Henry Louis Gates’ ‘African World’The beautiful African coastline in Ghana is studded with the haunted vestiges of slave fortresses built by European nations over a period of 400 years. It is not unlike the history of the European Slave Trade in other parts of West Africa, from Mauritania to Angola, where more […]

November 24, 1999

Students

Inappropriate Monikers

Inappropriate MonikersAs minority students become aware of buildings honoring people of dubious distinction, campus officials grapple with issues concerning institutional history and racist legaciesBy Paul MuschickCHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Kristi Booker thought her fellow students didn’t know what they were talking about when they told her Saunders Hall here at the University of North Carolina’s […]

November 24, 1999

African-American

Testing Your Diversity Knowledge

Testing Your Diversity KnowledgeThe following test was developed by Fred L. Pincus, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and author of the Test of Affirmative Action Knowledge and the co-editor of Race and Ethnic Conflict: Contending Views of Prejudice, Discrimination and Ethnoviolence. 1 It is well known that children from […]

November 10, 1999

African-American

BI News Briefs

Protest by Black Students Wins Reprieve of Decision on Student UnionJACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Black students at the University of North Florida rallied for the preservation of the African American Student Union after a student government agency decided the organization was unconstitutional.The decision last month to dissolve the African American Student Union was made by a […]

November 10, 1999

Faculty & Staff

Professional Appointments

PresidentsRoman Picked as Interim Head at CCNYDr. Stanford A. Roman Jr. has been named interim president of the City University of New York’s City College. Since 1990, he had served as dean of the CUNY Medical School and Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at CCNY, a post he will continue to hold. Roman earned […]

October 27, 1999

Faculty & Staff

Learning From Wilt And Milt

Learning From Wilt And MiltI was among those stunned earlier this month at the news that basketball superstar Wilt Chamberlain and jazz legend Milt Jackson had died within days of each other. Chamberlain’s giant feet trampled over me once at a track and field meet that I and a few athletes he was mentoring were […]

October 27, 1999

African-American

New Views on Malcolm X

New Views on Malcolm XFrom a 1941 letter to friend Zelma Holman in Michigan, written from Boston by 16-year-old Malcolm —Dearest Zel,Sorry I haven’t gotten around to writing you sooner but I have been very busy. You know how we traveling men are. How is everything in Jackson. Boston’s fine. The place is really jumpin’ […]

October 13, 1999

African-American

Rethinking Malcolm X

Rethinking Malcolm XATLANTA — Early writings by Malcolm X went on public display for the first time at Emory University here last month, offering a new glimpse of the fiery orator who advocated Black nationalism and raised government suspicion. The papers, which could alter Americans’ perceptions of Malcolm X, are the only known collection of […]

October 13, 1999

African-American

Raising the Bar for Middle-Class Blacks

Raising the Bar for Middle-Class BlacksNext month, Jenna Bond-Louden will board a plane for North Carolina where she and other college seniors will spend all day learning to write a college essay that will wow admissions officers. Her parents have already shelled out hundreds of dollars for the Baltimore senior to take SAT prep classes.There […]

October 13, 1999

African-American

Professional Appointment

ACADEMICLisa R. Elliott has been named communications coordinator for Cleveland State University’s office of minority affairs and community relations. Previously, she managed a marketing communications firm, Aspire Marketing. Elliot holds a bachelor’s in speech from Northwestern University.Dr. Allen J. Green has been named dean of studies and student life at Sarah Lawrence College. He comes […]

September 29, 1999

African-American

Africa:Through Skip Gates’ Eyes

Africa:Through Skip Gates’ EyesIn his poem “Heritage,” Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen once asked, “What is Africa to me?” Harvard University’s Dr. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr. struggles with the very same question in a PBS documentary that will air next month over the course of three nights. Throughout the six-part Wonders of the African […]

September 29, 1999

African-American

Two Miami University College Students Acquitted in RaceCase

Two Miami University College Students Acquitted in RaceCaseDefense points finger at Black administrator, both sides still smarting OXFORD, Ohio — The acquittal earlier this month of two former African American students accused of faking a racist hate crime at Miami University here has left faculty, staff and students split in their interpretations of the decision. […]

September 29, 1999

African-American

Demanding Quality Leadership

Demanding Quality LeadershipIt is commonly said that African Americans suffer from a lack of leadership. Yet, whenever someone begins to wield significant power, too often the campaign to unseat him or her is not far behind.Certainly, no one should be allowed to set an agenda or lead without censure. But rather than tearing folks down […]

September 29, 1999

Students

Private Party

Private PartyPlagued by sexually-lewd behavior and violence, one of the largest Black fraternity gatherings in the country is no longer a public event and some say that while it’s unfortunate, it may be the wave of the futurePhiladelphia — At first, it seemed that the 1999 Philadelphia Greek Picnic had all of the support that […]

September 15, 1999

African-American

Professional Appointments

AcademicFrancene Gilmer has been appointed director of the Vanderbilt University Career Center. Before the appointment, she was associate director of the center. Gilmer earned a bachelor’s degree in community health education from Western Kentucky University; and a master’s degree in education from Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Mynora J. Bryant has been named coordinator of counseling […]

September 1, 1999

African-American

Capturing the spirit of 15 years

Capturing the spirit of 15 yearsWhen Black Issues In Higher Education started in 1984, Nelson Mandela was enduring a life sentence in a South African prison. Today, he is not only the former president of South Africa, but he holds an honorary doctorate from Harvard University. In the United States, back in 1984, “PC” was […]

August 18, 1999

African-American

Shameful Occurrences

Shameful OccurrencesWhile rummaging though our files in search of highlights to include in this anniversary edition, we also came across many, many shameful occurrences. Any reputable 15-year assessment of Black issues in higher education would be incomplete without at least a mention of some of these ignominious episodes. This is by no means a comprehensive […]

August 18, 1999

Students

‘Greek’ Pride and Pain

‘Greek’ Pride and Pain During the late 1960s and the Vietnam War era, the Black fraternity and sorority movement suffered a loss of prestige because many young African Americans viewed them as too traditional and middle class to be “cool.” However, the success of affirmative action and academic outreach programs brought an unprecedented number of […]

August 18, 1999