And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 20:57:40 -0600 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Cyd Crue <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Bradley vs. Illinois Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" FOR IMMEDIATELY RELEASE 11/21/99 National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media (NCRSM) For more information contact: Geoffrey Frost, Bradley University, (309)676-8592 Prof. Zev Gorin, NCRSM-IL. (309)677-2390 Michael S. Haney, Natl. Exec. Dir. NCRSM. (217)355-6757 or (217)344-6928 Paula Ostrovsky,NCRSM-IL. Executive Director (217)344-6928 Cyd Crue, NCRSM-IL Vice-President (217)355-6757 PEORIA, IL. With Illinois' schools under the national lens for racial tension, another local group calls for racial justice in the state's educational institutions. On Monday, November 22nd, 1999 a coalition of students, faculty, community members and activists who aim to rid the educational system of racist mascots, will hold a press conference and rally to protest the use of Native American culture by the University of Illinois and Bradley University. . Bradley University students and faculty, and members of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media will address the media during a press conference at 5:00 PM in the lobby of Bradley University's Student Center. This group and supporters will hold a rally outside the Peoria Civic Center from 6:00 to 7:15 PM, where the men's basketball teams of these two institutions will play. Bradley student organizers hope to send a clear message that for race relations to improve, educational institutions need to get rid of the racially insensitive "Indian as a mascot" mentality. Zeev Gorin, Bradley Sociology Professor, reminds us that people like Matt Hale and Benjamin Smith are the products of these institutions. He adds that their racist behaviors are not a direct consecuence of their alma maters' Indian mascots, but that these mascots foster an atmosphere of disrespect towards all people of color. "Academic institutions should do everything in their power to improve race relations in this country, and changing a mascot or a name is an easy, yet important step towards that, there is no excuse not to take it", adds Paula Ostrovsky, NCRSM-IL Executive Director. According to Michael S. Haney, NCRSM National Executive Director, Bradley University administrators have yet to fulfill their agreement to actively recruit Native American faculty and students and develop a quality curriculum on Native American culture, and still insist on keeping the name "Braves" after dropping their Indian mascot/logo. With respect to the University of Illinois, a particularly stubborn case involving a twenty year struggle, the NCRSM warns that academic and other scholarly societies and associations will soon join the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in boycotting the state of Illinois as a meeting site until these stereotype-perpetuating practices stop in its flagship University. The AAA unanimously approved an advisory vote on this issue at their annual meeting on Friday, November 19th, following a guerrilla theatre performance by La Raza, a multicultural student group from the University of Illinois, and a presentation by Michael S. Haney, NCRSM National Executive Director. <<<<=-=-= =-=-=>>>> "We simply chose an Indian as the emblem. We could have just as easily chosen any uncivilized animal." Eighth Grade student writing about his school's mascot, 1997 <<<<=-= http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/racial/ =-=>>>> IF it says: "PASS THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW...." Please Check it before you send it at: http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blhoax.htm <<<<=-=-=FREE LEONARD PELTIER!!!=-=-=>>>>
