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oe ’ iN "ay RE: COUNTERORIENTATION WEEK athe ae a." Starting out in dealing with the campuses, we have to first of all, -you know, look at what education is all about in this society or any society. You have to recognize first of all that education has two primary roles. One is that it passes on the culture and the customs and so forth of the society to the younger members. The second role of education is that it provides the skills for the younger members to deal with the problems that they have to confront in society. ES Son ca In-a particular situation of black people being in a colonized situation in relationship to the overall society, we find ourselves in a very unique position in that as far as black people are concerned, our most desparate need is one of liberation. We are faced with the question of asking the oppressor to provide us with the education to relieve us Of our oppression. We've come to realize that this will not come about. Education in racist and capitalist America does not teach black people ha’ to deal with the problems that originate from racist capitalist America. We have to recognize this. In the last couple of years the efforts as far as what black people have been doing on the campuses have been centered around the goal of a lot of other struggles throughout the nation. There are black studies, trying to introduce black studies into the curriculum. From my experience at Duke I learned, you know, one important lesson about trying to introduce black studies int« the curriculum, particularly on predominantly white campuses. At Duke, you know, we had the usual list of demands, about twelve demands, one very important one being for an institution of a department of black studies. The key question of black studies in mind was for gome semblance of control for black people in the program. This was the key issue. This was the issue that forced us to do a lot of other things, you know, after we left the Allen Building. After we came out of the building, you know, took the building and came out. The subsequent renigging on this particular issue of control forced us to go into a lot of other things. ‘ 20 A+ ~ a : ae ~ fe NRG AT Rees ; - . ee a a ae ee SEE