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MUTIVeRoLOe = tHe coamencnunir® OF “SPRING
ESDSMAND NOL
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ot
#8 DEMAND CHE
HISTORY Coua.3s
MABDIA PE INSPITULLON 97 AN AFRO AHERECAN
(} A) his course is te be taught by a qualified instructor
of our own chosing.
8) This course is to be taught on the 200 level and no
prerequisite course is to be required. =
CG) Students enrolled in the above mex
must receive 3 full credit hours
academic requirements.
-ioned course Be 3
ward their nopnal
DEMAND No. Ils 8FFECCIVE A3 OF DH
SEMESPER 1969
rol
WE DEMAND THE VORMABLTON OF A DEPARLMANTALLY AUPONOMOUS —
APROBAMGRICAN SSUDIES PHIGRAM
A) THE above department will eneble interested studel
to major in Afro-American Studies on both the unde
graduate and graduate levels.
8) Though the administration is expscted to vigorous
: -engage in helping arrange for this program, we deme
the right to play the decisive role in both recraitE
and sereering of all potential instructors.
C) fhe requirements for qualification, and the appoint
: of all potential instructors will be determined by
committee anpointed by the BSA
D) we further demand the right to play the decisive ro
= in the structuring of the department's curriculum, —
DEMAND No. If: EFFECLIVE AS OF ME CON
CBaKN? OF Falbssaiesdm
Mis ENROLLWINE OF A MISLHUN OF 300 AFnU-sMEaDCAN, PU
>) GLHER NONeNHIDS BKINORT EY GROUP GTUDSNTDS.
Wwe DEMAND
if SAT.
A} we further demand the right to participate in the
recruitment of such students. =
Te= DEMAND No. IVs
LNMEDIS SS
ANTAUION.
ES TNSUAING.f
rs
vA
MEMORANDUM
1-15-69
TO: All SUNYA Faculty
FROM: Jeffrey A. Smith, Anthropology
SUBJECT: Resolutions on the accession of the president to the
demands of the Black Students Alliance.
The following resolutions are being circulated prior to their
presentation at the next general faculty meeting, to be held
Monday, February 3, 10 A.M., in the Campus Center Ballroom.
Whereas accession to the demands of the Black Students Alliance
to "play a decisive role in both recruiting and screening all
potential instructors" in a proposed Department of Afro-American
Studies, and accession to the demands of the Black Students
Alliance that "The requirements for qualifications and appointment
for all potential instructors will be determined by a committee
appointed by the BSA" opens the University to excessive pressures
from groups outside the university ccmmunity through the Black
Students Alliance and, therefore, poses a grave threat to academic
freedom.
Be it resolved that the faculty of the State University of New York
at Albany instruct the University president to inform all parties
involved, administrative, faculty, and student personnel, that no
group save the University administration and faculty can "play a
decisive role in recruiting and screening ... potential instructors"
in any program or department at SUNYA, and that no group save the
administration and faculty can determine the qualifications for
appointment of potential instructors for any program or department.
at SUNYA.
Be it also resolved that the faculty go on strike beginning at
some time and date mutually agreed upon by the faculty and terminate
at such time as the president of the University takes the above
action.
jas
fi-21-e%
the Executive Committee offers the foliowing statement 1:0 Faci.tty Senate
tor its consideration:
Having reviewed the circumstences under which the “Demands” of
the Black Students’ Alliance were presented te President; Collina on
canuary 13, 1969, the Faculty Senste endorses the actiona of the
Fresident as being in the best anterests of the University.
Although the Senate expresses concern that normal channe}s of
faculty participation appear to have veen by-passed, it urges that
tair and sympathetic consideration be given to the proposed changes,
aad requests the appropriate committees and councils to continue with
taeir review of the proposals which have already been developed by the
faculty.
C9G7 faz
VS.
THE SMITH MEMORANDOM
On Monday January 13, the Black Student Alliance presented the adiinistra~
tion of S,U.§.¥.A, with a list of demands, [he demands were agreed to by the
administration and, according to the administration, were to be put into effect
as soon as possible.
Following this, a faculty momber at S,U.N.Y.A., deffewy Smith (Anthropology).
sent a memorandum to other faculty mexbers expressing his point of view con~
eerning the demands signed by the administration, He seemed extremely displeased
about one point in particular, That point being; the agreement of the Univer-
sity to the demand made by the Black Student Alliance that the final decision
in the hiring of professors for the Black Studies Department (to be established
according to another demand set forth by the B.S.A.) rests solely with the
students. Mr, Smith has called for the University administration to back dow
from its position, especially on this one crucial point. If the University
does not retreat from its stand, Hr, Smith proposes to call a general faculty
strike, or a walkout of as many faculty members as possible (evidently very
few at the present by Smith’s own admission, in an article in the loval paper
he was quoted as saying that the response te a faculty strike was “minimal,")
Let us now analyze the position taken by Mr, Smith, It is quite evident
that Mr. Smith dees not think that the final decision concerning the hiring of
faculty members for the new department being formilated should rest with the
black students. Why dees he hold such views? He does not think that these students
are capable of making these decisions, They, in some way do not possess all the
information needed to assess their future professors, Tell us Mr. Smith, do you,
or dees any faculty member, or administrator, or fer that matter student possess
the infinite wisdom needed to make the best choice (the only choice if one is
all-knowing)? Of course not, the question is absurd, Sut, Mr, Smith does
think that some are more qualified that others to make this decision. And in
this particular case he obviously thinks that the faculty and administration
are more qualified to make the final decision,
dJast how qualified are the faculty and the administration to make the final
decision in this case? How many faculty members or administrators have been
raised in the filth of the ghette or the slum? iow many of these same people
were born black? How many have been treated like seum for a better part of their
lives? low many have been refused better jobs, better homes, and better educa~
tional opportunities because of their national origins? dow many have been
continually told, "Boy, don’t rock the boat. We know what's best for you." ?
Do you Lr, Smith or does any group of faculty members or administrators
“eel that they are capable of making that final decision? Remember,vou are
not dealing with numbers any longer, you are being confronted with people; people
who want a voice in their educational development, a voice in their lives,
what about a knowledge of a professor"s scholarship, and 2 knowledge of how
qualified h® really is to teach a certain course? Isn't the faculty or the admin-
astrationmore suited than the student to make such a decisionin bhis case?
Let us take the case involving the 8.S.A.. Before the demands were presented to
the administration, the Black Student Alliance had already presented to some
members of the administration a prospectus of the kind of course they would
like to see taught. Sy the admission of the President of the University these
ideas had just sat on someone's desk until he (the President) took action.
Are we, kr, Smith, going to allow the futures of these students to_be nothing
more than dust collectors on the desk of seme lazy BBAHX official!
=e.
Who is more concerned about the courses to be given here, the black student’s
or that official?
Tt is also well known that the members of the Slack Student Alliance have been
in close contact with some of the leading authorities in New York State in their
particular field (black studies}, When the black students make a decision it
will be, in the end, a decision that will influence the rest of their lives,
If the faculty and administration make the final decision it may have at most
a passing effect on them, but it will influence the lives of the students,
There is no other alternative Mr. Smith, self-determination is the only solution,
Let us now proceed to another arguement raised by Mr, Smith, If the B,S.A.
gets their way it might them be possible for other groups, especially those groups
politically inclined,with outside ties, to infringe upon academic freedom, First
of all, let us not forget that faculty members who ‘qualify’ are granted tenure.
Tenure is the sanctuary of the political, scientific, or other radically inclined
person, but, it is also the sanckuary of the lazy, Let us be pragmatic for a
moment and bring up another point, Is there any one political group on this campus
that is in any way prepared or has the numbers to ‘take over’ any department on
this campus and infringe upon the academic freedom of the professors, The
answer again is quite obvious, No, there is no such student group, All your
paranoia is useless.
We are prepared to meet, at any level, any steps taken by Mr, Smith and
those who are in agreement with him, An attack against one is an attack against
all, Let it be understood that there can be no compromise when the right of
people to determine their own destinies is at stake,
YOUNG SOCIALIST ALLIANCE
[hd 3
Dear brothers & Sisters:
Enclosed you will find informetion pertaining to the develop-
ment of a Department of Afro-American Studies which will be officially
operative at the State University of N. Y. at Albany as of September
1969. This department will offer degrees in Afro-American Studies
at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It might interest you
to know thet the development of this program, both in terms of
curriculum and instructors, will be and is being largely determined
by the interests of the Black Students, Alliance.
We are writing you in the hope that our program might stimulate
interest among our brothers and sisters in various black organizsticus
throughout this country. By evaluating the department curriculum as
developed by the B.S.A. one can readily see that we are intent upon
making this program es dynamic and as relevant as possible to the
needs and interests of black people. We desire to make this program
one of the strongest in the country since 5.U.N.¥.A. is one of the
major institutions in the entire State university system. We are
currently in the process of recruiting the most together and dynamic
black educators available to insure the program’s success. We are,
at present, in continued dialogue with the administretion and are
determined to see that our primary goals end intentions regarding
the quality of the newly formed department will not te aborted in
any way.
We would, therefore, appreciate your waking available to the
brothers and sisters all the necessary information regarding our
progrem. Any and ail students who might be interesteé in applying
for admission to the newly formed department must coritact us at
once. Time has become a very crucial factor in organizing the entire
program. All- inquires can be addressed tor
DEPARTMENT OF APRO-AMERICAN STUDIES
GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
STATE UNIVERSITY OF N.¥. AT ALBANY
SOCIAL SCIENCE BUILDING ~ RM. 235
1400 WASHINGTON AVE,
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12003
Hoping 1 to hesr from you soon, I remain
United in the struggle,
Pak Mand
Fred Sarris
Member~ Executive Council
Bleck Students’ Ailiance
pus — Blroe Shlet, BPswc nd-
WE WILL REACH THE PROMISED LAND
The slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King cannot be taken as a sad act contem-
plated by a sick person, The history of the black people in this country (the
very rocent history) tells us that this is the answer for their just struzgle
for freedom and dignity fron this sick, racist society. The slaying of ivers,
of the students in Orangeburg, of the mother of ten children in Newark and of
hundreds of others of our black brothers and sisters, is the deed of this society,
which is built on violence and injustice towards our people,
We have been listening to innumerable cries for law and order, but as always,
_ there are two laws and two orders, We think that order breaks when the racist
spaiiee forces are unleashed in the black community killing and humiliating our
brothers and sisters. We think it is lawless when, in the long history of this
country, not one of the slayers of black people has been punished. When a
society fails to apprehend the uranic of a father of five, whose only crime
was being promoted to a foreman's position never held by a black, such a society
cannot blame its sickness and racism on individuals, we think dr, King was
murdered when this society was tee
We do not mourn for Or, Martin Luther King because he is not dead--he lives
in the causes for which he died. we will not cry for King; we will carry the
banner of freedom on, His death will neither subdue us nor destroy our will to
fight. We vow to avenge his murder and the murder of all other black people by
waging a relentless strugele until we eliminate all forces of racism and oppres=
sion the world over.
THE SLACK STUDENTS!’ ALLTANCE
