Negro Digest - Freedom Archives

A Call To Concerned Black Educators
Last Summer, David W . Kent, Director of Admissions at Lincoln
University (Pennsylvania) drafted a proposal for a conference on the
black American's access to higher education .
In October, a black coterie of college admissions personnel caucused
at the national convention of a professional association to consider their
feelings of frustration and indignation-feelings which were aroused by
the fact that the black representation to this convention of 1800 was
typically sparse and, further, that the convention did not address itself
to THEIR primary concern-black youth .
Sharing an ethnic, social and professional mutuality, 12 educators
discussed common concerns, exchanged philosophical views, defined
their role as black professionals in higher education and concluded
that, first, the issue proposed by Mr . Kent should be dealt with on a
national level ; second, any resolve to expand the opportunities for black
children in higher education is meaningless without a consolidated attack
on the fundamental educational problems of black children AT
EVERY STEP OF THE EDUCATIONAL LADDER ; and, third, the
need for dialogue among-and action initiated by-black educators is
overwhelming.
A national conference with seminar-workshops was conceived of as
the most appropriate means by which to arouse the black professional
to demonstrate his concern and simultaneously to put to use our vast
resources of expertise. Black educators are uniquely equipped to state
what must be done in order to raise the educational achievement of
black children . We must sit down "family style," realign our priorities,
and mobilize to remedy the educational ills atNicting our children .
The wheels were set in motion last October . In Illinois . the Association
of Afro-American Educators was chartered . A steering committee
was formed to lay the groundwork for a national conference to
be held early this summer .
Chicago will be the place ; June 6-9 the dates . We need your help .
if you wish to become involved in this effort, let us hear from you
TODAY . Contact Mrs . Myrna C. Adams, coordinator, National Conference
Steering Committee, Association of Afro-American Educators,
72 E . 75th Street, Chicago, Ill ., 60619 .
Other members of the Steering Committee for the National Conference
of Afro-American Educators include : Clara B . Anthony ; Dr.
Nancy L. Arnez ; Lerone Benuett Jr. ; Timuel D . Black ; Shelly Fletcher;
Hoyt W. Fuller; Mildred Gladney ; Dr. Charles V . Hamilton ; Everett
Hoagland ; Arnold P . Jones ; David W . Kent ; Hugh Vf . Lane ; Harold
Pates ; Marvinia Randolph ; Dr. Donald H . Smith ; Anderson Thompson ;
Donald Vanliew; Sylvester Williams ; Radford Wilson ; and Dr. Nathan
Wright Jr. -MYRNA C . ADAMS
NEGRO DIGEST March 1968 4q