The Breeze [See Specific Item for Date]
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.••duioUu OuiiKgtJ LiUftiiy Harrisonburg, Virginia Madison's Black Emphasis Giovanni Culminates Week By MARI RECHIN viction, and the Increase In veneral disease Black Emphasis Week drew to a close Wed- today. She is very excited about the tremen- nesday after many successful presentations by dous volume of black movies being released various black talents such as Andy Goodrich, today. Ms. Giovanni commented that these Art Evans, the .Howard Players, Dr. Charles movies are giving a greater self-esteem to Simmons and Nlkkl Giovanni who concluded the the black people because they show blacks In program with a poetic recital on Wednesday hero roles. evening In the Warren Campus Center. Ms. Giovanni also commented during this pause Ms. Giovanni, a noted black poet, Is a grad- of her disappointment in youth In general using uate of Fisk University who has taught at Rut- students here at Madison as specific references. gers University traveled extensively, and writ- She was appalled at the way "folks Just drifted" ten poetry for the past nine years. She is the around here. She feels that we shouldn't author of several books, the latest of which is be as "dull and uninteresting as we are" and entitled "My House," a collection of love poems suggested exchange programs to induce new and producer of two albums, the latest of which excitement in youth. Is entitled "Like a Ripple On A Pond." Ms. Giovanni's next poem was entitled "When Ms. Giovanni, casually attired, began her I Nap" a love poem written before a break- presentation by commending the Black Student up. At the introduction of this poem Ms. Alliance for maintaining a dominant position Giovanni commented "I'm constantly In love." in the activities of Madison College. "It must Her next two poems she laughingly referred to be difficult for black students to come to pre- as "obscene" and were entitled "Preface To dominately whlteschools," she reflected in her An Obscene Poem" and "The Butterfly" her appraisal of the successful work of the Alliance. shortest poem. Ms. Giovanni's first poem was untltled and During the conversation which ensued after written In commemoration of mothers for the a few of her other poems Including "Poem trouble they go through in raising their children, For A Lady Whose Voice I Like" (a tribute particularly her own mother. to Lena Home) Ms. Giovanni spoke momen- M6st of Ms. Giovanni's poetry Is written in tarily about the newspaper Industry. She was free verse combining colloquialisms and wit highly complimentary In particular about the Into very entertaining and communicative ex- Washington Post which she said was 'interested postulations which she recites with a delight- in bringing out what Journalism should do" fully Interpretive tone. and cited the publication of the Pentagon Papers Between recitations Ms. Giovanni injected as an example of this Interest. casual conversation which spurred favorable Ms. Giovanni's recitations were very warmly audience response. Her intermittent conversa- received Judging by the enormous applause a- tions centered on a great deal of controver- warded her and the amount of audience parti- sial Issues, such as American politics (es- cipation in casual conversation with her bet- pecially the embarrassment of tb» Watergate ween readings. Ms. Giovanni's program seemed Jimmy Castor delighted the crowd that • #as on hand Affair), enforcement of drug laws and the an appropriate presentation with which to end to hear him perform here Friday in connection with Black Emphasis Week. apparent ease with which suppliers escape con- Black Emphasis Week on a successful note. Photo by Doug Dickey 5ty* l&ttttt r vol. xLviy Madison College, Harrisonburg, Va. Friday, April 20, 1973 No. 34 Black Dramas Performed By Howard Univ. Players By MARCIA SLACUM Black Drama as one profile called, and Miss Reese's soul he* is a computer that needs Scott further commented that Last Friday evening at 9:00 of Black culture. stirring voice seemed to epi- reprogramming. Each time her production owned much to pm in the Warren Campus Cen- The first play, "A Lion tomize the suffering and an- his mind wanders he is seen Diane Whorton, a Howard stu- ter, the Howard Players from Roams The Streets" written guish of the black man's ex- engrossed in taking orders dent, who composed all of the Howard University performed by Gordon Wathers and direct- perience. r from a higher source that music used to aid In the in- two plays dealing with the black ed by Mary Francis Spruce, The climax of the play cen- informs him that the world has terpretation of the play's cha- experience in'America. The had as Its theme the crea- tered around the dramatiza- been destroyed. Herble, a racters. Players were a part of Madi- tion of bitterness In a young tion of Martin Luther King's quick-witted character that son's Black Emphasis Week black man. In this play six death. This scene was filled delighted the audience, Joined for the purpose of emphasizing of the Howard Players created with quick moving action Sisyphus In his Imaginary Lecturer Speaks several action-filled scenes scenes: slides of ghetto computer world and together designed to reveal hardships scenes; words by Martin Lu- they created chaos for the On Black Hist. Steve Miller the black man has suffered. ther King on obtaining free- sanltorlum officials. At times By PHILD? BIGLER The opening scene centered a- dom, flashing lights and gun the 'play was difficult to fol- The History Department round the young Black Man's shots, symbolizing King's low because the character's made its contribution to Black Here Ape 29 expression of optimist goals death, and a mad rush about actions directed the audience's Emphasis week with a series he had set while the other the room by the actors to re- attention from the deeper me- of lectures presented by Dr. The "Steve Miller Band" players boisterously remind- create the confusion after anings behind the dialogue. Charles W. Simmons, a na- will perform in Godwin Hall ed him that he was black and King's death. The play ends Many of Sisyphus' comments, tive Misslssippian who is pre- on April 29, 1973. This pop- his goals impossible to reach. on a note of bitterness as however, succeeded In clari- sently teaching at Norfolk ular group has been on the Next .the players engeged in the epilogue warns that "the fying the idea that he was a State University. He received music scene for quite awhile, a joyous dance as they called lion In the street" is the black black man confused by a cruel his MA and PhD from the and it appears that they will out the names of such fallen man who is suspicious of every world in which he had lost or University of Illinois In La- remain in demand. Variety leaders as Malcolm X, Meager man and ready to do the only failed to gain a positive self- tin American History. His is the mark of Steve Miller 'Eves and John Kennedy. The thing he has learned from a idenlty. major interest Include the his- music and their repertoire In- dai. .3 ended suddenly with e- white society, kill. Miss Monica Scott, student tory of Brazil and the plight cludes such songs as "An- ach player repeating "all dead The second play performed director for "Sisyphus" and of the black man In America. thology," "Rock Love" and and what will be next." At was "Sisyphus and the Blue- a senior at Howard was on hand Dr. Simmons first lecture "Sailor". Appearing on the this point, the young blacks felt Eyed Cyclops'Vritten by Gar- to comment after the play. was presented to Dr. Daniel same ticket with the "Steve a need to reach out to God land Thompson and directed She said the play is particu- Continued on Page 4 Miller Band" Is Rick Roberts for help. This cry for help by Monica Scott The two ma- larly "relevant to the black with the "Windmills." was very effectively present- jor characters, Sisyphus play- experience because It shows Black Emphasis Admission is $3.50 with ed as one player, Roxanne ed by Johnny Willis, and Her- two black men struggling to I.D. and $4 general admission. Reese, sang "Precious ble played by Stephen Byrd, tell their life stories while Tickets are now on sale at Lord." As she sang, the names were two black men In a san- being surpressed by an in- Continued On the Warren Campus Center. of the dead who had fought for itarium. Sisyphus is in the stitution symbolic of a world For Information call 433-6217 Justice for the black man were sanltorioum because Rethinks controlled by whites." Miss Pages 4 & 5 H ■ SO V- page 2 THE BREEZE, Friday, April 20, 1973 Peculiar Honor •By LEWIS SWORD Dick Nixon ran for Presi- dent In 1968. His position with regard to the war In Indochina was that he had a "secret plan" which would bring us "peace with honor." Dick Nixon ran for Presi- dent in 1972. His position with regard to the war in Indochina was that he had a "secret plan" which would bring us "peace with honor.*' At the present time, the United States is conducting some of Its heaviest B-52 raids against Cambodia and Laos. Thus the question must be raised: how can we speak of "peace with honor" when there is no peace at all? Are we destroying people in Asia, as we say we are, because there are Commun- ists there and we Just can't stand Communist? Since Dick *1Ml9 WAY,MENf" Nixon has engaged the United States in a cloying love affair with Communist China, I rather doubt it.