Marshall University - Chief Justice Yearbook (Huntington, WV)

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V i - d ' ' . ,% k FEMININE FINALE, The Huntington Theatrical Ensemble completes the last act of the Broadway hit, For Colored Girls Who Consider Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enough. The drama troupe succeeded in illustrating the reality of what it ' s like to be a black woman in America. The cast (Sylvia Ridgeway, Jacqueline McMillian, Carolyn Thomas, Elaine Blue and Delores Johnson) turned in a stellar performance in depicting the black woman ' s struggle to find her true identity as a person, mother, sole breadwinner, worker and companion for her man. -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee STEP ON LOVELY SISTER. Sylvia Ridgeway energizes the stage in a scene from For Colored Girls Who Consider Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enough. -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee IT ' S OBVIOUS that students come to Marshall to get an education. But it ' s also the opinion of Bobby Jewett, Mr. Black Awareness, that the education process should transcend the classroom. It is the responsibility of every student to get an education that exceeds the classroom and enters other areas of campus life such as student government, social organizations and cultural events, he says. Our involvement should not be mere participation, but should prove valuable to incorporate a sense of worth. It would be unwise to spend four years in an institution of higher learning and only receive a degree. Let ' s become ' educated. ' -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee

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Black concern is not enough There ' s more to Black Awareness Week than attending all or most of the events and talking pride in one ' s blackness. True, good attendance speaks well for the yearly program and the concern of those who attend. But in the 1980s, being concerned is not enough to promote and implement genuine change for black progress. Being concerned is not enough to do something positive about the seemingly high number of black drop-outs and the relatively low number of black Marshall graduates. Being concerned is not enough to help black student organizations gain the same access on campus for hosting social functions. Being concerned is not enough to do something about the strong possibility that black Greeks may lose their campus recognition if they don ' t change their pledge programs. This could happen if the pledge clubs continue traditional black Greek practices that the administration views as mental hazing. Caring by itself won ' t change these sad realities. The initiative for change must (continue on page 23) A FORCEFUL ORAL INTERPRETATION was given by Victoria Wilburn at the Variety Show. Wilburn ' s performance reflected the anguished moods of a black woman who turned to God as a last resort after having an abortion because her sorry man deserted her. The interpretation came from the Broadway play, For Colored Girls Who Consider Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enough, written by Ntozake Shange. -Photo by Craig T. Greenhss SOULFUL PRAISES TO THE ALMIGHTY were sung by groups like Huntington ' s Sixteenth Street Baptist Women ' s Gospel Chorus at the Gospel Sing. Listeners were inspired by the spirit lifting vocals. -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee rm ' J«-V x ' ' • «« JOE SLASH JR., deputy mayor of Indianapolis and MU alumnus told a seminar audience that black unemployment could be alleviated if federal monies are used to set up minority owned businesses so blacks will get permanent jobs. -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee THE ART EXHIBIT showcased a multitude of talent. My Brother , a painting by Robert Mangum, is a vivid example. -Photo by Craig T Greenlee

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Concern (continued from page 21) be taken by us. As black students, commitment is crucial. We must be willing to become actively involved in all facets of Marshall University that ultimately affect the quality of academic achievement and social life for blacks on the Marshall campus. This means more of us participating in everything from student government to The Parthenon to insure that the black viewpoint is clearly understood and not misconstrued. The opportunity to participate is there if only blacks will seize it. So far, we haven ' t. That has to change, if we really want change. -CRAIG T. GREENLEE THE HUSBAND-WIFE COMBO of Ngoma and Jaribu Hill is Serious Bizness, a multi-talented montage of music, poetry, graphics and acting out of New York City. The couple ' s presentation centered around what black America has endured in the past and what it can look forward to in the future from a nation that is perceived by many blacks to suffer from Jim Crow vision. -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee MRS. KING RECEIVED a standing ovation after concluding her speech. West Virginia Governor Jay Rockefeller and Arley Ray Johnson, president of Black United Students led the applause. -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee URGES UNITY. Vonzetta Wilborn, Miss Black Pearl, sees a lack of unity among Marshall ' s blacks as a major problem in promoting change. I feel that black students need to be aware that since we are so immensely outnumbered on the campus, we simply cannot take the attitude of ' every man for himself We ' ve got to be willing to eliminate all personal, petty animosities and learn to love each other as brothers and sisters before we can even attempt to join forces to combat any racial injustices on this campus. But most importantly, we ' ve got to follow the example of our forefathers and kneel to ask God for guidance before we endeavor to do anything. -Photo by Craig T. Greenlee