Community leaders students comment on racial problems

Community leaders students comment on racial problems

Race Relations on West Chester's campus.

Article outlined issues that black students on West Chester campus experienced. Quad interviewed Larry Doudy Chairman of Black History Week and Huk Bethea. They discussed problems with communication and possible solutions to the racial problems on West Chester's campus.

Nancy J Holt

Quad Angles

West Chester University

February 16, 1971

Jacquelynne Conyers-Jordan

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about course changes for twoyears and they're not moving fast enough." Correct Racial Injustice With a black minority at West Chester and the problem of course integration, Doudy said he chose to come to West Chester because he can do more here to correct racial injustice. "I see it as a challenge," Doudy said. Flamer said he came here because West Chester was the ultimate of the state colleges and at the time he didn't know the ratio of blacks to whites here. When questioned about a break between the college community and the town of West Chester, Doudy replied, "I see a barrier between the black community of the town and college because there never were any good relations. No one wants to look over the fence," he added. Flamer feels that communication has broken down between the city and the college because there are no social programs shared by the college and the town. "I think we definitely have to knock down the suspicion that they (townspeople) don't belong at the college. We have to open up the college ... We can't turn our faces away." Tutorial Programs In order to try to better community relations, Doudy said that the black community on campus is working on setting lip tutorial programs in the town and the gospel choir will be performing in West Chester on three occasions.Chas. A. Melton, director of the Community Center, 501 E. Miner St., says that the black people in the community of West Chester don't feel kindly toward the college because for one reason the black community feels that the administration is apprehensive about hiring black faculty. "I don't believe in percentages but it should be a more equitable spread. There are only about five on the college faculty now ... but I'm saying that it's still just tokenism. He added that the hiring of blacks is usually done just to comply with state and local laws as well as to satisfy the black community. Reflection of Attitude Melton said that he feels the problem lies with the administration. "I think the faculty and staff more or less reflect the attitude of the administration. If the administration showed more concern, it would be reflected by the faculty and staff." In reference to his last verbal communication with the administration, Melton replied that he has not communicated with Dr. Rossey since last spring. He specifically went to Dr. Rossey \ with Dr. W.T.M. Johnson from Lincoln University, to express his ! views about the firing of Dr. Michael Kay, though at the time he had not yet met Kay. "I really feel that there is a great connection between the firing of Dr. Kay and the repression of blacks at West Chester," Melton commented.Asked why he has not made an effort to communicate with Dr. Rossey since last spring, Melton replied, "Perhaps it is my fault, but he is so bigoted in his stand against Kay that he wouldn't see the forest for the trees." Cannot Condone Violence When questioned about the violence at the Chambers Brothers concert last October 31, Melton ' said that he cannot condone the violence caused by a group of blacks from the West Chester community, but he can understand. . Even if the rule enforced at the time was a valid one, he said the blacks involved probably thought that it was a gimmick to keep them out. Melton said that the college can better community relations by cooperating with different agencies; for example, the Community Center, in a tutorial exchange program which would help blacks and whites to know and understand one another better. Chas A. Melton, Community Center Director . . . "if the Administration showed more concern. . ."