Charges of Racism, Pleas for Unity at Rally

Students at Cal State Fullerton who gathered for a peace and racial unity rally Wednesday heard two very different messages from speakers.

The biggest round of applause went to Rev. Walter Cooks Jr., a former president of the Orange County chapter of the NAACP, who stressed unity among the races and urged togetherness. “Don’t stoop to the level of being racists,” Cooks told the enthusiastic crowd. “We are here as one, united together.”

‘I Am Telling the Truth’

However, Dr. Ernest Smith, the rally’s keynote speaker, told the crowd that all whites are racists. “I am not teaching hate. I am telling the truth. You must recognize that all Caucasians are racists.”

The “Together We Can Make a Difference” rally, which drew a racially mixed crowd of about 300, was sponsored by four black student groups and other organizations to show unity in the wake of recent racial incidents.

In one incident, a black woman was called a “nigger” and shoved to the ground by a white male who then referred to an Asian student, who tried to intervene, as a “chink.” The second incident involved the distribution on campus of a flyer promoting an upcoming student talent show, which contained a drawing of a black-faced Al Jolson-type figure.

University officials said Monday that a task force had been formed to study interracial relations on the university, which has 570 blacks out of a total enrollment of 23,400 students.

Speaker Cooks admitted that there may be a problem of racism at the school but said the “moral breakdown” is not confined to that campus. “I am not here to indict the entire community. Yes, we have racism at Cal State Fullerton. We also have racism at the White House.”

But Cooks said he thanked God for the “white man, the black man, the red man, because together we can move mountains.”

But Smith had a different message.

According to Smith, a former linguistics professor who taught at the school from 1972 to 1982, statistics and analytical data confirm that “all whites who have been observed” are products of white racist institutions who practice overt or covert racism.

After the rally, Smith, who only drew polite applause, said he was invited to speak by the department of Afro-ethnic studies.

One of the sponsoring organizations was the Assn. of Afro-Ethnic Studies. The other organizations included the National Society of Black Engineers, the Black Business-Students Assn., Black Fraternities on Campus, the Movimiento Estudiantil, Chicano de Aztlan (Mecha) and the Multi-Cultural Council.

‘Something That We Had to Do’

Cynthia Hall, president of the Black Business Students Assn., said of Smith, “Unity is the purpose of this rally. The four organizations really did not agree to invite him here. This is something that we had to do.”

Carl Jackson, chairman of the Afro-ethnic studies department, said: “The buck stops here. I personally invited him.”

Lyndon Allens, a 23-year-old black student, said of Smith’s speech, “It was troubling. It does not promote unity.”

But Greg Trachy, a 19-year-old white student, said, “I agree with the guy. I’m not totally in agreement with his saying all whites are racists, but when you have a movement, you sometimes got to take a stronger stance.”

Part of the rally was dedicated to a student who was killed last Saturday near his Watts home. Keith Solomon, 22, who was scheduled to graduate with honors this month, was shot outside of a fast-food restaurant.

His sister, Letitia, accepted flowers for her brother and broke out in tears as she thanked the students who took up a collection.