Spring Break
Professor cites racism in University's history
By: Melissa Filbin
Issue date: 3/4/05 Section: News
"I have (this information) on good authority, but there's nothing in writing," he said. "The question is not whether or not they exist, but what they are doing."
Ronethea Williams, Student Government Association's advocate for diversity, said she thought the most interesting part of the presentation was how the KKK was tied to the faculty, showing that the society was not a select group of students but indicative of the Southern climate.
"It's important to study all history and not just what we want to know," Williams said. "The only way to progress is to know where we came from, because then we're better able to understand each other and better equipped to solve problems."
Coleman said there are many undeserving individuals enshrined on campus, such as former Texas Gov. Richard Coke.
"Coke heralded the onset of Southern redemption of reconstruction efforts, and he publicly advocated lynching of blacks," Coleman said. "Don't rename the Coke building, but remember what he stood for. I'm not trying to revise history - just help people understand it."
Coleman also spoke about Matt Gaines, a former slave who became a Republican state senator, and said that Gaines has no statue or memorial on campus. Gaines served in the 12th legislature, which established free public education in Texas and enabled the establishment of A&M.
Another figure in A&M's history was a man known as Uncle Dan, Coleman said. Uncle Dan was a black laborer at A&M who worked on the campus for 50 years after A&M was opened. The treatment of Uncle Dan, as exemplified by a poem in an A&M yearbook, showed the expectation of black inferiority, something not specific to A&M.
Professor of 20th Century Contemporary African American Literature and Culture Kimberly Brown said the most important thing students can do is know their history.
"When people don't know history, they have a tendency to unconsciously do things that make others uncomfortable," Brown said. "We've got to reevaluate the traditions that we follow here to make A&M more inclusive."
Coleman said conversation is necessary to ensure that people see how A&M's long and deep history is relevant in today's world.
"We have to be honest about what our traditions mean and what they stand for," he said. "One person's tradition may be another person's nightmare."
Ronethea Williams, Student Government Association's advocate for diversity, said she thought the most interesting part of the presentation was how the KKK was tied to the faculty, showing that the society was not a select group of students but indicative of the Southern climate.
"It's important to study all history and not just what we want to know," Williams said. "The only way to progress is to know where we came from, because then we're better able to understand each other and better equipped to solve problems."
Coleman said there are many undeserving individuals enshrined on campus, such as former Texas Gov. Richard Coke.
"Coke heralded the onset of Southern redemption of reconstruction efforts, and he publicly advocated lynching of blacks," Coleman said. "Don't rename the Coke building, but remember what he stood for. I'm not trying to revise history - just help people understand it."
Coleman also spoke about Matt Gaines, a former slave who became a Republican state senator, and said that Gaines has no statue or memorial on campus. Gaines served in the 12th legislature, which established free public education in Texas and enabled the establishment of A&M.
Another figure in A&M's history was a man known as Uncle Dan, Coleman said. Uncle Dan was a black laborer at A&M who worked on the campus for 50 years after A&M was opened. The treatment of Uncle Dan, as exemplified by a poem in an A&M yearbook, showed the expectation of black inferiority, something not specific to A&M.
Professor of 20th Century Contemporary African American Literature and Culture Kimberly Brown said the most important thing students can do is know their history.
"When people don't know history, they have a tendency to unconsciously do things that make others uncomfortable," Brown said. "We've got to reevaluate the traditions that we follow here to make A&M more inclusive."
Coleman said conversation is necessary to ensure that people see how A&M's long and deep history is relevant in today's world.
"We have to be honest about what our traditions mean and what they stand for," he said. "One person's tradition may be another person's nightmare."
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