CSU Faculty Voice: Literary Excerpt of the Day Contest

Friday, October 10, 2014

Literary Excerpt of the Day Contest

Faithful readers,

In tribute to us and the great U.S. literary tradition we offer this contest. The first to identify and post to the blog the name of the author and title of this literary masterpiece wins either a "Jokari Miller" hat or an "It's only a hat. Please don't choke" baseball cap to wear at Board of Trustees meetings*.

"You're nobody, son. You don't exist-can't you see that? The white folk tell everybody what to think--except men like me. I tell them; that's my life telling white folk how to think about the things I know about. Shocks you, doesn't it? Well that's the way it is. It's a nasty deal and I don't always like it myself. But you listen to me. I didn't make it and I know I can't change it. But I've made my place in it and I'll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am."

He was looking me in the eye now, his voice charged and sincere, as though uttering a confession, a fantastic revelation which I could neither believe nor deny. Cold drops of sweat moved at a glacier's pace down my spine...

"A man gets old winning his place, son. So you go ahead, go tell your story; match your truth against my truth. The broader truth."

*Please indicate size and preference. Hats sponsored by the Vigilance Committee in recognition of Officer Mike Jones' serving and protecting the status quo by choking graduating senior, Jokari Miller, at the May 2014 CSU Board of Trustees meeting. Express your solidarity with Black men and all others attacked, abused and murdered by the police and other State agents by wearing a hat in front of the CSU BOT and Wayne Watson who stood idly by while Mr. Miller was assaulted by CSU police.

3 comments:

Robert BionazOct 10, 2014, 12:08:00 PM
I know the answer but I've already got a Jokari Miller hat so I'll wait for the winner. Those hats should be widely distributed. Nice quote
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UnknownOct 10, 2014, 12:37:00 PM
Ralph Ellison "The Invisible Man"
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Thanks to Haki Madhabuti

"1. He/she must be a scholar of national note, with significant peer review publications and books in his or her field. There must be no doubt as to his/her standing in the community of scholars. This would also include a history of the candidate’s participation in the appropriate professional organizations.

2. He/she must have served with distinction as the administrative head of a major unit within an institution of higher learning or at the important position of Provost and/or Dean. Of course, prior service at the presidential level is preferred.

3. He/she must have a documented history of raising significant monies from the private and public sectors. At most major and research one universities it is not unusual to expect the president to come with a plan to raise in excess of half a billion dollars or more in the first few years.

4. The prospective president must have a consensus buy-in from the faculty, students, administration and staff, therefore, arriving with a unity mandate to lead by joining a University community that has bought into his or her vision for the future."

From an open letter to the CSU Community, 2009.