By

I’m James Penny, Jr., graduate of duPont Manual High School and a senior in electrical engineering at UofL. I am the 1999 UofL Homecoming King and president of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc. I’m not a black activist, but I am a community leader who is in full support of the minority community. I’ve never taken a Dr. Jones’ class, and I wasn’t at the forum. So I’ll limit my citations to your (Sara) article only.

Sara, your article displays everything wrong with the Caucasian campus community and administration. Losing respect for Dr. Jones is your right, but no longer calling him “Doctor,” a title and degree he earned is racist. During the slave times, whites couldn’t pronounce the given African names, so Blacks became Bob and Jim. This was disrespectful to blacks. Now you won’t call him “Dr.” Jones. . . hmm.

Furthermore, Dr. Jones does not have “sidekicks.” Only super heroes have sidekicks, although I’m sure he appreciates your caricature. We support and trust Dr. Jones because he’s one of few faculty who support us. His knowledge of civil rights activism make him an expert. Besides, who wouldn’t want to follow a super hero fighting seemingly hopeless battles?

Dr. Jones doesn’t have numerous lawyers, and neither does black campus community. TKE and administration does. With lawyers comes an issue of money in which the black campus community doesn’t have. So who do you think has power in this situation? It took courage for Dr. Jones and others to say what they did. Even for TKEs to publicly apologize despite advice of administrators. However, this courage wouldn’t be needed without the hurtful acts. Ponder this. Two weeks after September 11th, Bin Laden publicly apologizes. Does it remove the hurt? Would America have openly accept his apology. The pain remains the same for that and this.

Blacks will ask questions and be assertive. We are angry about the situation and the administration’s lack of resolve to prevent similar instances. I’m not a safe 23-year-old black male on this campus. We feel administration doesn’t sympathize with our pain or support our struggle. I can’t speak for all black students, but know people cope in different ways.

Finally, “German-Irish-Dutch-Native-American” woman, don’t use your heritage as a shield. You are a white woman. I am a black man. Therefore, we will treat each other respectively. I’m certain you haven’t experienced racism, so don’t claim it. You had no problem backing the “white” side of this. So I ask, where is your deep heritage now? Nazi-Germans have always stood against people of color. Are you proud of that heritage too, or do you proclaim ignorance as others do? So my dear, sweet, innocent Sara, racism does run deep, deep through your article and deep through your heart.

James Penny, Jr.
Chapter President
Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc.