Viewing page 20 of 100

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

FREEDOMWAYS FIRST QUARTER 1973

system. Nothing goes down without his okay. The right of Department Chairmen to hire faculty members has been usurped. There is no Faculty-Senate to press for faculty rights, let alone a faculty-student, and Administrative Senate.

students support progressive faculty members

In mid-October Dr. Charles M. Waddell, Chairman of the Psychology Department resigned. In his resignation statement Dr. Waddell stated that the University (meaning Dr. Netterville) had rendered him ineffective as a department head by constantly usurping his powers as Chairman of the Department. understanding that the basis for Dr. Waddell's resignation was the lack of social awareness and commitment to change students began to support Dr. Waddell. In this effort they were led by Charlene Harnett, Chairwoman of the Psychology Club, and Ricky Hill, Vice-President of the Student Government Association. They took some students to see President Netterville concerning the increased number of resignations from the faculty of progressive faculty members. Netterville feigned ignorance of Waddell's resignation as well as why other progressive Blacks were resigning from the university.

Usually on Black campuses one or two militant organizations can be found but the major tendency is usually exemplified by letter fraternities known more for their parties than for their political activity. The militant organization on Southern's campus had been the Blackstone Society headed by Brothers "Nate" Howard, Sababu Taibika, and Ricky Hill. Joining the Blackstone Society in late 1971 was the Psychology Club headed by Sisters Charlene Harnett and Margaret Leonard. These sisters had mounted a boycott in Baton Rouge against the rash of Sweet Sweetback-like movies flooding the Black Community.
The social composition of both organizations was working-class background, and since 1972 they have been moving more and more to an anti-imperialist posture. For example, they led the organization of the Burnside Chrome* protests last spring. They also led the efforts to organize the Gary Convention delegation from Louisiana which pressed for a strong anti-imperialist plank to be included in the Black Agenda. Also Brothers Hill and Taibika headed up the African Liber-

[footnote]*This is a reference to the action taken by longshoremen and students against the importation of chrome purchased by the United States Government from the white supremacist regime in Southern Rhodesia. The action was in the Port of Baton Rouge.