Addressing the Afro-American Society at its annual Convocation yesterday afternoon, Dr. Wilburn Durousseau '58, a Los Angles-based obstetrician and gynecologist, spoke about his experiences at Dartmouth and advocated racial tolerance.
Durousseau was one of eight black students who matriculated at Dartmouth in 1954 -- the same year the Supreme Court rendered its Brown v. Board of Education decision, which prohibited segregation in public schools. He spoke to 65 students, faculty and administrators in Alumni Hall.
"We all felt pretty smug here at Dartmouth," he said. "Of course, with no women at Dartmouth, we didn't have much to fight about."
AAm President Tiffany West '97 said the annual AAm convocation is not a replacement for the College's convocation, but rather an occasion to greet freshmen.
"We have convocation to invite people into the Afro-American Society," she said. "It is to get freshmen involved in the society as well."
West said she was not sure when the AAm convocation tradition began, but she believes it started about 15 years ago.
In his speech, Durousseau described how he felt living in an atmosphere of change and warned students that it is "essential to take advantage of opportunities that exist because of change."
Despite the College's being a "preeminent institution for undergraduate education" Durousseau said, some students carry "black baggage with us that stunts our growth."
Durousseau described four types of black baggage. The first was black self-doubt -- a "failure to love ourselves enough," he said.
The second was black-on-black violence. Durousseau said he did not necessarily refer to physical violence but rather the "cultural, psychological violence of brother and sister against each other."
He said the third item of baggage was students' dwelling in the past.
"We are not the only group to suffer injustice," Durousseau reminded the audience.
He went on to describe other injustices inflicted on Native Americans during colonization and the Japanese Americans during World War II.
Durousseau said African-Americans must integrate into every part of American society and not use the past as an excuse.
Durousseau said the fourth type of baggage was inflicting the same discrimination on other races that had been inflicted on African-Americans.
He pointed to the rise of anti-Hispanic feelings in the African-American community.
"We should understand their culture, learn their language, and in the areas where our goals are congruent, we should cooperate," Durousseau said. "In those areas where our goals are different, we should negotiate."
Durousseau concluded his speech by telling the audience to set goals at Dartmouth and that grades did not mean everything.
"Advisors do not know the strength of your tenacity," he said. "There is more to the Dartmouth education than what happens in the classroom."
Other speakers included West and Assistant Dean of the College Sylvia Langford.
West spoke briefly about the AAm's "checkered past" but pointed out the "strength of our [black] heritage behind us."
West said the AAm's past problems were mainly internal -- including gender problems, honesty problems and communication problems among members of the AAm executive council.
West promised the audience that the AAm would be an inviting place this year for all freshmen and described some of her own trials during freshman year.
Langford presented several members of the Black Caucus in the audience including Office of Residential Life Area Director Chris Chambers and Christian Chaplain Gwendolyn King. The Black Caucus is a group of black administrators and faculty members who provide support for black students.
King delivered the ceremony's opening invocation and closing benediction.
After the speeches, members of the Class of 2000 participated in a candle lighting ceremony. Freshmen in the audience were called up individually to light the candle given to them at the start of the ceremony.
Convocation was one of the projects of the AAm summer executive council, West said.
West said she thinks this year's AAm convocation went well.
"The freshman turnout was wonderful," she said. She characterized last year's turnout as "low," estimating that about 30 freshmen attended then.
A reception followed the convocation ceremony in Cutter-Shabazz Hall. After the reception, Director of Alumni Relations Nelson Armstrong gave a tour of the building.
