Lincoln University of Missouri - Archives Yearbook (Jefferson City, MO)

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Contents Organization Sports Student Body Grads Index Advertising Royalty

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Theme Memorlal Campus Llfe Tab Ie - Academic Staff 81

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'White Histor ' , used against bIacks'- Lee 5' 1. -- it it ,A www ,,gmg,gg3,A . ei .ei - lair, . Q lm 55 W - f A. f is ll 1 -l. .. 15 One of the Year's . g . g gr. ,f I Speakers i l A israel: I I '. west 1 - . -- . yi. . l. fi l ' . l , - ii V . 11 at L.U. T' 'L Haki R. Madhubuti lDon Leel We've lost our African self, Haki R. Madhubuti lDon L. Leel told Lincoln University students in a lecture and poetry reading, last semester. Madhubuti thrilled, excited and at times surprised the audience in Richardson Auditorium with his poetry and comments on today's society. Every other ethnic community has its own cultural identity but the black man. The Jews, Germans, Chinese, all take care of their people except' the black man, said Madhubuti. At points in his hour lecture, Madhubuti unloaded a blistering attack against whites. Whites have treated blacks in either of two ways-elimination or assimilation. You see they put the Indians on the reservation and on the ox back of the nickel. White history has been the most effective weapon against black people said Madhubuti. Black children have grown up with a Sambo history and now they are ashamed to look each other in the eye he said. We need a fighting history, said the poet-linguist, we need to document the events of the last 5000 years in Africa. You thought the Germans were cruel when they killed over six million Jews but Europeans killed more than 250 mil lion blacks in Africa. Madhubuti said times have not changed the position of blacks, if anything conditions have worsened. Chattel slavery has become neo-slavery and the chains that used to be on the ankles are now on black people's minds, he said. Nine times out of ten, if you have a man's mind you control his body. Madhubuti is working toward a new black movement and advised students to provide some direction for others while they are in school. Madhubuti, a one time poet-in-residence at Howard University, asked seniors what they learned in the last four years. They replied nothing, he said. Then they go on to grad school and learn nothing more. Finally they come back to the community and teach youngsters nothing, said Madhubuti. He also told students to serve as models and practice what they preach, be constructive and positive. Madhubuti, who changed his name in December of 1973, said he did so because he didn't know what Lee meant. lt may have been Chinese for all I know. He said Haki means justice and Madhubuti means dependable. Names tell about you, your past, present and future, he said. The Madhubuti lecture, poetry reading and reception was the first in a series of cultural activites in Lincoln's Festival of Fine Arts.