University of Virginia Library

Teach-In Discusses
The African Heritage

By Rick Pearson
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

In observance of Afro-American
History week, The Charlottesville-Albemarle
Council on Human Relations
will hold a special teach-in on
Africa tonight at 7:30 at the Zion
Union Baptist Church on Preston
Avenue

The program will consist of a
series of presentations on the
political, cultural, and intellectual
aspects of the African and his
heritage. Among the speakers will
be the presidents of the Human
Relations Council and the Charlottesville
NAACP, a professor at
the Free University, and a former
Youth Corps worker.

Robert Merkel, president of the
Human Relations Council, will
begin the teach-in with a talk on
the "The Countries of Africa
Today." He will be followed by
James Fisher, newly-elected president
of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People. Mr. Fisher has been
working for Uhuru [Freedom], a
program helping disadvantaged
local youths, and he will discuss the
diversity of the "African Races and
Cultures."

Tim Bird will speak next, on the
"Colonial History of Africa." Mr.
Bird conducted a course last fall in
African history, as part of the Free
University.

Following Mr. Bird will be Mrs.
Frances Brand, an officer of the
Charlottesville branch of the
NAACP. Mrs. Brand will discuss the
Arts of Africa, interspersing her
talk with the presentation of items
from her own collection of African
art.

After a short break, the program
will continue with a presentation
by members of the Neighborhood
Youth Corps, entitled "An Appreciation
of African Culture by
Afro-American Youth." William
Watson will then speak on Nationalism
in Africa. While living in
Central Africa, Mr. Watson, a
well-known anthropologist, conducted
several studies of African
tribal life, and he is expected to use
this experience as a basis for his
talk on nationalism.

The final speaker of the night
will be Wesley Harris, one of the
first black students ever to attend
the University's School of Engineering.
Mr. Harris is now a professor at
the University, and has immersed
himself in such community affairs
as the Neighborhood Youth Corps.
His topic will be "The Connection:
Why and How: Black Americans
and Africans."

The teach-in is scheduled to last
from 7:30 until 10:30. Students for
a Democratic Society have offered
to provide rides for any interested
persons. For more information, call
296-2064.