Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 January 2003 — Page 6

PAGE A6

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2003

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WABASH COLLEGE Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy As To Students

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Wabash College admits students without regard to race, color, national and ethnic origin or handicaps, as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to all the rights, privileges, programs, facilities and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the College. Wabash does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin or handicaps, as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Education without Borders

I iiul oui more about our rollcui - prcparaton program including the challenging International i ^ Baccalaureate curriculum ( omc to our Open House on: Saturday, February 1 II am - 12:30 pm ( all OH) 255-1951 tor more information.

IPS Day Adult High School John Hope Education Center 1301 East i6th Street Spring 2003 Enrollment Now in progress - Dial 226-4116 for more information

Msg nPHLIIMii Das Adull Hiuli School, located at the tvuulilul and >pavious John Hope I.iluealion ( enter, is a Jisimoii o! the IPS Ssstem, Students attending will receise a diploma Ironi Arsenal lechnical Hi ell School. DAY ADULT HKiH SCHOOL \dult I ducutjon Is lor S ou it soil arc tired of Ireiny shorlchiinucd in sour |nh because you lack a hiyh school diploma il \oy area ti‘i'na)>i'r uhortroppcil out ot schoorbecausc ot poor attendance, insuijkient crcdiis. ordiliiculiv passing the IS 11 I* ii\t»u arc a homemaker with tree tune durine the das it sou area niijht or afternoon worker who can studs at

home

1! sou want to improve your readinu and math skills, it you want to improve your employment skills, d you have college entrance deficiencies Now is the time to enroll in bay Adult: \\ c have instructors ' trained and , crested in svnrknip with sou to enhance sour, educational esperience Special adult-type time block scheduhiu! pcrnnis you to attend part-time 01 lull-lime l ain the rei)uirements you need lor a diploma Das Adult I licit School offers the l< il loss me classes

COMMUNITY CLASSES (.11) cl I NGLISII AS A Sll'ONP LANGL'Alii: IliSL) KXTERSlAL DIPLOMA PROGRAM (HOP) I he I sternal Diploma Program (LDP) allows adults who cannot attend day or evening in-school classes to obtain a high school diploma by earning class credits from their homes. I hese courses are recommended for students vv ho work well independently and are advanced readers Classes available this spring:

Algebra I.-2 Pnihlcm Solving Consumer Math I I conomics Lamilv Living Child Dev 1-2 Physical I d 1-2 Itiology 1-2

hnglish 1-8

llealth/brug I d (invemment U.S. History 1-2

Psychology Sociology

World History 1-2 , Phy sical Science 1-2

Problem Solving Pre-Algebra I A 2

Algebra 1-4

(icometrv I ■ 2

Itiology I-2

( areer I xploralion Opixirtunities (( I tti ( onsomer business

I conomics f nglish 1-8

I nglisti ititjl i

Accounting (lovernment

Health/Drug I diKalion Spree h/Debate l S Hislorv I 2 Word PriKessuig

Kevboarding 1-2 Lite Skills Machine ( al/l ding Malt) ((itjl i Microsoti t seel Mlcrosolt Wont Mixed Subject I ah

Music

Needle Art I t Phvsical I docalion 12 Aerobics I’hvsk at Si ieru e I 2 Psvchologv Sociology I etn I'arenling I etn I'regnaocy I ibrarv I vjieriericc

The cost for LDP Classes is $20 per subject for those w ho live in the Indianapolis Public Schools District and S'X) per subject for non-IPS residents. I he cost for the course workbook is $20. Textbook costs will vary.

SLCOND CHANCK CLASSES

L.arn credits by taking one class at a lime or adding an extra class to your schedule after school:

Algebra 1-4 Lnglish 5-8

Pre- Algebra 1-2 (GQK) I.nglish

Calculus Geometry 1-2

Consumer Math 1-2 Government economics U.S. History 1-2

((.01 ) Math P L. 1-2

Health Int Chemistry

Nutrition/Wellness I HI I.I AKMNG UhVI KK I he IPS I c.inmi'c ( enter i- dciicncd in med the nccdi id pregnant and icccntly p.ucnlmg iudcni ol all age, I he mission <i| the I earning < enter i, to help the ludcnl have ■nid miiturc a hcallhy tiairy ‘and ni help her u'IMiiiuc mi her cducalnnial liaci I or ionic iriliiinialinn call J.’r, Vru;

lo register, you must present the following information: \n offieial transeript from your hrmie school. ( I o obtain your offieial transeript, rorftact the Registrar at your home school.) Students who are 16 or 17 years old must bring an official withdrawal form signed hy the student, parenl(s) and school principal. (To obtain an official withdrawal form, contact the guidance department of your homc sehool.) ( \REKhEXPLORATION\M)HS\SriAl.Alb IM ORM M ION IS W AII.AHLL I IIROLGII (.(XkDWII.L INDI SIRILS. ( Al l. 226-4116.

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Cornel V/est drew I'housands to Butler Princeton professor cites crisis in Black leadership

Education

Does

Matter

By Leroy Robinson

The lines began forming several hours prior to show time. Show time was set for 7:30 p.m. And the first eager participants began arriv-

ing around 5:30 p.m. In the frigid and bitter cold weather, thousands of African Americans withstood the elements on a sub-freezing Friday night to hear the featured

speaker.

The public interest was so great, that an overflow crowd was permitted to witness the event from a lower level hall, complete with monitors equipped with audio and video. With this type of response from our community, one could easily assume that the featured speaker was from the hip-hop, professional sports, or entertainment community. But we pulled one over on them this time ... tonight’s speaker was from the world of academia. Dr. Cornel West spoke at Butler University’s Clowes Memorial Hall last Friday and the support given to him by the African-Ameri-can community was outstanding. Unfortunately, our community has a track record of showing a lack of interest to events in the education or academic arena, while generatingan overwhelming response for those events that are entertainment in

nature.

Dr. West is currently the U niversity

ProfessorofReligion p r cornel west spoke at Butler University's Clowes at Princeton Univer- Memorial Hall last week. The support given to him by sity and formerly the African-American community was outstanding. held a similar posi- (Rhoto/J. Hurst)

tion at Harvard Uni-

versity, teaching Afro-American studies and philosophyof religion. He is a graduate ofboth universities and has taught at Yale University and Union Theological Seminary'. It only took Dr. West three years to graduate magna cum laude from Harvard University. He is a noted scholar, lecturer, and author and has received critical acclaim for his groundbreaking book, Race Matters. In speaking to Dr. West prior to his 7:30 public lecture, I asked him what effect the current music and video culture is having on our young people. He stated that the songs and videos that get the most media attention are those that continue to promote the stereotypes that white America has about our Black youth ... that of displaying an abundance of “hyper criminal and hyper sexual”

activity.

These are the terms he used to describe the videos that are in heavy rotation on BET and the songs that are in heavy rotation on urban radio. The marketing of our culture as being a sex crazed, gun-toting, and material driven people is currently shaping the minds of not only white America, but the international community as well. With the capabilities of today’s technology, this distorted image is being sent all over the world. Dr. West said this type of behavior, perpetrated by African America and funded and encouraged by white- America, is “disarming an entire generation ofour people.” I le mentioned current young artists like Common, Mos Del’, and Lauryn Hill as having “something of value" to say to the young generation. Dr. West titled his lecture, “Race in the New Millennium.” He opened up by describing outcurrent society as a “market driven society.” I le discussed how everything, including churches, is now being driven by the market. He spokeon how churches have become market institutions with pastors as CEOs. He mentioned that the market is even attempting to drive the manner in which wc parent our children, to a point where parenting has now become marginalized. Dr. West suggested that w^ begin using the “Socratic" method ol questioning as wc go through our daily lives. A type of questioning made famous hy the Creek philosophc r SocratcsGiote: Socrates received his training in Egypt ('Africa) prior to the Egyptian invasion hy Alexander the Great), where the type of questions that arc asked arc often “unsettling and unnerving,” anti often “stirs your thinking.” I le also posed the question to the audience; “Do you have the courage to think critically?” noting that this type of questioning could cause a “metamorphosis, conversion, or transformation” in your thinking.

Dr. West spoke about the current national debate on the relevance of affirmative action, noting that white females have been a major benefactor of affirmative action (and welfare) benefits. He supports the continuation of affirmative action legislation at the University of Michigan Law school and throughout America, citing that white America has never used “merit” as a determining factor when handing out benefits and rewards to their

own people.

An interesting point that Dr. West spoke on briefly, was the fact that using the term “white” to classify a group of people only became relevant when Europeans arrived in America. He spoke on how in most European countries like Italy, Ireland, Germany, and Great Britain, internal and external conflicts existed with people inside and outside of their own culture. But these conflicts were based on cultural differences, such as religion, social class, or past transgressions. However, in America, it became clear to the earliest immigrants, that “white” was a term that was synonymous with “privilege.”

The Irishmen who came to America wanted to hold fast and preserve their I rish culture after being held hostage by Great Britain, until they realized that by assimilating and becoming “white,” more benefits and privileges would come their way. Many early European immigrants changed their last names, or the spelling of them, to better fit their new privilege status. Dr. West reflected on 9-11 and

how Americans of

all races and ethnic backgrounds actually became afraid. He spoke on how our nation’s leaders described those who attacked America as being “thugs, cowards, and terrorist.” And trying not to

minimize the tragic situation, he said this was theonly time in history when white America had become “niggarized.” They had to experience what Blacks have been experiencing for centuries. He emphasized how Black America has been terrorized since their arrival in America. Experiences such as slavery', lynching, Jim Crow, segregation, injustice, police murders, beatings, and coverups, and many instances of institutional and overt racism have terrorized and traumatize millions of

African Americans.

Dr. West noted that the priorities that are driving the market economy are out of place. He questioned the fact that 1 percent of the population owns 48 percent of the wealth in America and 5 percent of the population owns 75 percent of our nation’s wealth. Contributing to this fact is the one that reports that CEOs earn $485 for every $1 that is earned by their daily workers. Dr. West also noted that these individuals come from both political parities, the Democrats and Republicans. He concluded by noting that we are currently in a leadership crisis in the Black community. He stated that when our leaders have no vision, the people will perish. He encouraged the community leaders to have a vision much broader than themselves. He also strongly encouraged the elder statesmen to pass the baton on to the younger generation

of leaders.

During the question and answer session, Dr. West called each person who addressed him as "brother” or "sister.” Each Asian, white, or African American who had dialogue with Dr. West, was greeted in the same manner. He closed by saying that we need to focus and keep track on the more fundamental principals, such as decency, dignity, and equal justice for all people. In closing, a white brother came to the microphone and asked Dr. West why did he sound so hitter and questioned why he doesn’t celebrate the progress that has already been made? Dr. West responded by saying that he is not bitter, he just has a hatred for injustice.” And not just for Black people, but for all people. And in regards to celebrating the progress that has been made in America, he responded by saying he does “acknowledge” the progress that has been made. But In* finished his answer by using the analogy made famous hy Malcolm X: “If a man stabs you in the back with a nine-inch knife and pulls it out three inches, is that considered

progress?"

l or speaking r/igvigv/ne/H.s or education workshops, contact /, )( . at: cdiicationdocsmatterOi hotmail.com or write meat: ti.'inl St., Indianapolis, IN. hi'JUti. My contact number is (.117) .'iO'j-tyjyj,

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