From: q2tj@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: separate but equal???
Date: 2 Jan 93 15:44:04 EST
Distribution: soc
Organization: Cornell University

cr614@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Monee C. Kidd) writes: 
> 
> Has anyone else encountered this problem? - When whites 
> associate with each other, that's normal, but when African
> Americans do it, we're being separatist and restrictive. At my
> school, University of Pennsylvania, we have a dorm named after
> W.E.B. Dubois, which is where quite a few (but not *most* or
> *all*) African-American students choose to live. It gives them a
> sense of community and family in a predominately all white, ivy-
> league institution. Yet, annually, Dubois House comes under
> attack for being separatist, and therefore, somehow inherently
> racist. No one questions the existence of the Modern Language
> House, where students who speak a certain language all live on
> the same floor, or the Asian American Living/Learning program,
> where Asian students live together. Is there some reason that
> groups of black people means 'trouble' to many outsiders?
>
	Thanks for the post, and I'm really glad you brought
up this issue, because it is very common.  Here's what I think
is behind this common problem on university campuses.

The few white students who do raise a fuss do represent a much
larger silent group who don't trust black students in general.
Sorry to be so blunt, but I think there is a lot of suspicion
and distrust on the part of many many white students.  Displays
of activism or open militancy on the part of black students
tends to further reinforce and harden this distrust and suspicion.
(I'm not trying to place blame on anyone; we all know that finger
pointing is the easiest thing in the world.  I just want to honestly
discuss what I think is going on; we all know that honest discussion
on these issues is among the rarest thing in the world)

A very inciteful explanation of this was provided by Shelby Steele
in various essays and also "Content of Our Characters"  (yes, I know
that lots of people don't like this "establishment" figure...but lets
just consider the good parts of his writing).  It comes down to feelings
of guilt on the part of the white students, so that whenever they see
someone with dark skin they automatically feel accused. (And if it's
a GROUP of people with dark skins, then the acusation is all the stronger).

I'll give some specific examples.  Many many white students feel
odd or funny or unwelcome or out of place at these various
African American dormitories, lectures, meetings, dances, etc.
in a way that they would not at say, Asian American events.
Dabbling in these other cultures seems possible, with the exception
of African-American culture.  The white student brings much baggage
with them (guilt, prejudice, negative-expectations) and LET's BE
HONEST, there will also be (some? many?) black students who are
suspicious ("What's HE doing here").  There may be funny looks, stares etc.
There will usually be some black students living in these dormitories
who are SEPERATIST: and they will start clubs that invite speakers
who have a vested political interest in seperatism (NOI representatives
are a good example, and rather common, and we all know (come on now!)
that the NOI speakers are only too glad to relish and feed upon
any white resistance to their presence and what they stand for.
In other words, they will also try to futher black suspicions about
white suspicions.  You see how a feedback gets started! (electrical
engineers please take note ;-)  (PS: I know NOI didn't start the
hostility or suspicions, I'm just describing how they (willingly)
get engaged in the cycle of hostility.  And this is just one
specific example.  Obviously, there will be some white students who
point to this as examples of seperatism of a sort that is unacceptable.

In summary, when charges of seperatism are being made againt 
the Africana Study Centers, the Ujamaa(s), the Black Student Unions
it is an expression of white distrust of black students.  Unfortunately,
this distrust is never answered or even openly talked about.

comments?

SteveS