The Amherst Student issue from April 24th, 1967
“American Studies Conference: Whitney Young to Highlight Black Power Forum This Week”
“Whitney Young, executive director of the Urban League, will head the list of speakers participating in a conference on Black Power sponsored by the American Studies Department… The conference will discuss ‘The Negro and the Problem of Assimilation in American Life;’ more specifically, whether Black Power is an appropriate strategy for the Negro protest movement in the context of the American experience.” Click here to see the full schedule.
“Black Power Conference”
“The conference is the highlight of this year’s ‘current topic,’ which each year concludes the American Studies introductory course. The program and the conference are among the most important and exciting experiments at Amherst.
“American Studies: The Evolution of Amherst’s Most Relevant Course”
Written by John Greenthal ’69.
This semester’s title [of American Studies introductory course] is ‘Assimilation and Pluralism in a Democratic Society,’ and after spending eight weeks studying the problems of immigration, religion, and theories of assimilation, American Studies 12 students will consider the ‘The Meaning of Black Power.'”
The Amherst Student issue from April 28th, 1967
“Black Power Conference: Donaldson, Negro Struggle Cannot Be ‘Quiet, Powerless'”
Written by David Heinlein ’69.
“‘A deeply ingrained racism disrupts our drive. If we want to make progress towards assimilation as a community, we must first questions the beliefs in the standing institutions of this society. Our struggle can not be a nice, quiet, calm, powerless affair.’
Beginning with this theme of black organization and a necessary struggle to change American society, Ivanhoe Donaldson, Director of the New York Office of the STudent Non-violent Co-ordinating Committee (SNCC), spoke to about 400 people Wednesday evening in Johnson Chapel on ‘Assimilation and Black Power.'” Read second part.
Summary of Speakers at Black Power Conference
From left to right:
“Levine: Negro Music, Folklore, Humor Form Basis for Black Power” written by Dave Moore ’69.
“An Interview: Donaldson Aims to Get Negro Thinking” written by David Heinlein ’69.
“Horton: ‘Whites Should Play Second Fiddle in Struggle” written by Don Colburn ’69.
The Amherst Student issue from May 1st, 1967
“Clark Sees Rights Movement As ‘Dead and in the Doldrums'”
Written Denny Aftergut ’69
“‘It is clear that any approach in terms of justice or equality for the Negro will absolutely fail. All programs based on appeals to morality will not work because 300 years of racism in America will not sustain a functional conscience. Therefore, I proclaim the civil rights movement in these terms dead.’
Arguing that white America never intends to honor its pledges to the Negro, a despondent Kenneth Clark told his Friday evening Johnson Chapel audience that the predicament of black people had not significantly improved in the last 20 years.” Read part two here.
“Black Power Panel: Divisions Within Movement Called Healthy, Necessary”
Written by David Michelmore ’69
“The realization which emerged from the two-hour session, (and for many it was a realization made for the first time) was that despite dissension and disagreement on methods and goals, these are only ‘in-house’ differences which are not only necessary but healthy effects of the division of labor.”
Main Page | Site Map | The Process
Photo credit Amherst College Olio