University students form committee
Racism, violence spur support for blacks
By STEPHEN KNIGHT
Of the Emerald
Prompted by racist threats and violent acts
against blacks around the country, a group of white
University students has organized the Black Libera
tion Support Committee.
It’s time for white progressives to help support
black people’s struggle for justice and equality, says
BLSC co-coordinator Gemma Grott.
The BLSC plans to combat racism through educat
ing whites about the condition of blacks, she says.
“Most whites get their images of blacks from TV
which portrays them in comfortable, middle-class
families like the Jeffersons.”
In reality, blacks had a higher standard of living in
the 1960s than they do today, Grott says.
The black unemployment rate is twice the white
unemployment rate, and for inner-city black youths
the rate can reach 80 percent, Grott estimates.
The tight economy causes white racism to grow in
this country, she says.
“Rather than challenge the profits of corpora
tions, some people are accusing blacks and affirma
tive action for the high rate of unemployment among
whites.”
Racial tensions also are being increased by a
renewed militancy among many blacks, Grott says.
Many white racists saw the black riot in Miami last year
as a prelude to a race war. But she claims the acquittal
of several white policemen accused of beating a black
man to death was unjust and went unnoticed.
And Grott predicts blacks will rebell in the United
States until they are treated with dignity and equality.
She claims injustices in the judicial system have
resulted in a high proportion of the black population
being imprisoned.
Grott says 80 percent of the women in California
prisons are black.
And she says one in every four black males is
imprisoned during his lifetime.
The BLSC will support black efforts for commun
ity organization and economic development, Grott
explains.
But blacks themselves must lead and design a
black liberation movement, she says. Black civil rights
groups led by whites have had the tendency to com
promise black goals, Grott says.
The BLSC will raise money later in the term, and in
May the group will organize transportation to the
African People’s Solidarity Day Conference in Berk
ley, Calif.
For more information on the Black Liberation
Support Committee, call 343-9130 or 683-9029.
Emerald graphic
Math degrees can equal jobs
By MARIAN GREEN
Ol the Emerald
Editor's Note: This article is part of a series on
the job-market outlook for University graduates.
Majoring in mathematics is one good way to
find pathways to many different jobs, says math
department head Theodore Palmer.
"A mathematics bachelor’s degree doesn’t
necessarily lead to a mathematics job, but it’s
awfuly good preparation for all kinds of jobs,”
Palmer says.
Business is one job area that employs many
mathematics graduates, he says.
“Most companies are impressed with math
majors.”
Palmer cited recent job listings by the Boeing
Corp. Half of those jobs, which were engineer
ing-oriented, called for a mathematics back
ground, he says.
Another job outlet for mathematics graduates
with bachelor’s degrees is teaching in elementary
and secondary schools, Palmer says.
This teaching level “always has a shortage of
people to fill math teaching jobs,” Palmer says.
“That’s definitely a good area.”
But Palmer cautions students that teaching
jobs require earning state teaching credentials.
For students who get mathematics master s
degrees, Palmer says "there are a great many
opportunities in public school and community
college teaching."
However, college and university teaching
jobs are limited to graduates with doctorate
degrees.
Bachelor's degrees in math also are good
pre-professional school training, he says. Law,
dental and medical schools look favorably on
applicants with mathematics degrees.
In addition, mathematics graduates often go to
graduate school in science fields.
Math Prof. Robert Tate agrees with Palmer’s
assessments, but suggests augmenting a math
ematics degree with applied course work from
other departments.
“There are quite a few jobs if you take the care
to add something applied," Tate says.
He suggests students add courses in computer
science or statistics to their mathematics cur
riculum.
"It makes a lot of difference.”
Committee asks for award nominations
A faculty committee is inviting
nominations for an award com
memorating a former University
professor and administrator.
The Charles Johnson
Memorial Award, established by
the Assembly in 1979, is pre
sented annually to a professor
displaying “the principles af
firmed by the life and career of
Charles E. Johnson."
Johnson came to the Univer
sity in 1952 as an accounting
professor. He later served as
liberal arts college dean and as
acting president until his death
in 1969.
Johnson believed a liberal
University should be "a place
where it is possible to bring up
for examination all ideas, good
and bad, offensive and inoffen
sive...in the firm conviction
those of value will find accep
tance in a free enterprise
democracy,” he said.
A five-member faculty com
mittee awards the plaque to a
professor who shows ‘‘across
the board” involvement in
teaching, scholarship and the
academic community, says
committee chairer Bryan
Downes, associate dean of the
community service and public
affairs department.
Nominations should be sent
to Downes by April 22 and
should include a statement
supporting the nomination and
any additional information
useful to the committee.
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