Wednesday, February 11, 2009
During this year’s black history month, students and professors alike said, they hoped to draw new attention to the history of African-Americans. This month also holds a special importance for the African-American Community because Thursday is the 100-year anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
“It’s a really good time to have pride about our history,” Koga Moffor, Overland Park senior and president of the KU Black Student Union, said.
To commemorate the month’s events, the Langston Hughes Center for African-American Studies is hosting a symposium Friday to commemorate this month’s events. Speakers will give presentations about the NAACP throughout American history and the effects the organization have had on African-Americans today.
Race relations have been a part of Kansas history since the first African-Americans arrived in the 1820s. The territory was dubbed “Bleeding Kansas” during the Civil War era because it had become a battleground regarding slavery with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1864, which defined the states of Kansas and Nebraska and said citizens could vote to make slavery legal or illegal in their state.
— Lawrence was a depot station for the underground railroad. A major receiving point for refugees was the ferry landing at what is now the bar Abe and Jake’s Landing, 8 East Sixth Street. Conductors hid runaway slaves at the former Miller family home and smokehouse, located at 19th and Massachusetts streets.
— In 1860, Kansas’ constitution banned slavery and in 1861 the state joined the Union.
— In 1954 Kansas broke the education barrier with the landmark legal case Brown v. Board of Education, overturning the previous ruling that public schools must be segregated.
— Betsy Cutcliff
Shawn Alexander, professor of African-American Studies, said speakers would specifically highlight the future tasks of the NAACP by promoting civil rights and upholding the 14 and 15 amendments.
Alexander said he wished students better understood the link between African-American history and American history.
He said that before the composition of the Constitution or the Revolutionary War, race relations had been an issue in America.
“When you see the watershed events, you’ll see that black history is American history,” Alexander said.
Joel Cowart, Los Angeles junior, agreed with Alexander and said he wished more emphasis was placed on the role of African-Americans throughout history.
“When you sit in the majority of your history classes, you don’t hear about black history even though it is such a huge part of American history,” Cowart said.
Alexander said he hoped the symposium would bring more awareness to the black experience, and said the election of Barack Obama and the NAACP’s centennial only added to the pride and importance of this particular month.
Alexander said he was afraid that the election of a black president would calls people to think racism was less of an issue. He said students needed to know that electing a black president doesn’t erase the “bloody history of race relations in America.”
“We elected a president who happens to be black,” Alexander said. “That won’t erase racism.”
Moffor said the Black Student Union was holding its own events to invite students to discuss current issues within black culture.
“One issue is how black women are portrayed on TV,” she said. “We want to look at and talk about things that affect us in everyday life.”
Moffor said the events were open to anyone who wished to participate.
— — Jesse Trimble
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Professor hopes students connect with history
Black History Month is meant to help instill pride, dignity, honor and self-respect in the Black community. However, the following serves as a catalyst for disrespect, dishonor and the demeaning of the sacred memories of our ascendants; after viewing the following video please pass it on to your family and friends...if you agree with the message.
Bury that Sucka by goldfingerslll
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