Collegian (Hurst, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 18, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 20, 1991 Page: 3 of 11
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Tarrant County College Collegian and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Tarrant County College NE, Heritage Room.
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Wednesday, February 20, 1991
Student dedicated
to bring out truth
By Troy Topping
Reporter
Jeffrey Simmons is dissatisfied
with public education in America as
it stands.
“Public education is the biggest
joke because people aren’t educated
to the truth, black or white,” he said.
One example Simmons pointed
out is that a Frenchman helped design
the White House.
“But what they don’t tell you is
that Frenchman was black,” he said.
To help young people learn the
truth in public education, Simmons,
a South Campus student, is demon-
strating leadership and growth
through his involvement in the com-
munity and his initiative in student
activities.
Simmons, a 25-year-old politi-
cal science/pre-law major, started at
TCJC last spring after returning to
Fort Worth from Washington D.C.
He left Fort Worth at 18 when he
joined the Marines.
After his four-year enlistment,
Simmons came back to Texas al the
urging of his girlfriend, and his wife
since October, 1989.
“Washington was a pretty rough
town,” he said.
Since returning to Fort Worth
and attending TCJC, Simmons has
engrossed himself in student activi-
ties. Who’s Who recognized him last
semester for his achievements.
Simmons was vice president of
the African-American Student Or-
ganization (A ASO) last semester, and
he helped Robert Moreland with a
petition to start a South Campus
history class with special emphasis
on African-Americans, he said.
Other contributions by S immons
include working in a volunteer tu-
toring program at Logan Elementary
in Fort Worth and working for the
Special Services office on South
Campus. He said the office helps
people get tutorial assistance and
works with the various student or-
ganizations on South Campus.
Simmons also thinks students
are not educated to the truth about the
history of slavery in the states, citing
the fact that over 100 million Africans
died while crossing the Atlantic on
slave ships.
Simmons is bothered by
America’s ignorance of many his-
torical facts and hopes the govern-
ment will recognize the reparations
he and others like him feel they owe
descendants of slaves. Since the
government has paid back Japanese-
Americans and American Indians,
he feels blacks should also be com-
pensated for suffering.
“It’s sad that six million Jews
were killed in World War II, and
everybody knows it,” he said, “but
what about those 100 million Afri-
cans?”
Currently, Simmons is disturbed
by the war in the Gulf. It bothers him
that Africans represent 15 percent of
U.S. population while accounting
for 33 percent of our soldiers.
Since becoming a Muslim last
summer, Simmons said, “My ulti-
mate goal is to see Africa reclaimed
by African people, void of Western
influence.”
TEACHING THE TRUTH-Jeffrey Simmons
teaches interpreting graphs to several children at
Logan Elementary, where he is a volunteer tutor.
The South Campus student, a pre-law /political
science major, works for the Special Services offices
and helps get students tutorial assistance. He is a
former vice president of the African-American
Student Organization. photo by Richard Parry
Simmons also intends to change
his name to one of African origin,
and he said he would love to go to
Mecca eventually.
Simmons admitted he is quite
opinionated.
“I used to keep my opinion to
myself until I read the autobiography
of Malcolm X. He is my idol.”
Simmons quoted Malcolm X to
explain his feelings: “Any man fail-
ing toconfrontracism whenever faced
with it is nothing but a yellow-bel-
lied, Uncle Tom coward.”
After TCJC, Simmons plans to
attend Texas Wesleyan University,
and he is not sure about where he will
attend law school, where he wants to
specialize in criminal law and civil
rights law.
Currently, Simmons is helping
put together a South Campus panel
discussion on Dispelling the Myths,
which is geared at improving various
racial and social relations.
The discussion will involve two
representatives from Hispanic, Afri-
can-American, Anglo-American,
Vietnamese and SCOOP student
groups.
Peace rally provides forum for students, faculty
By Stephanie Dowell
NE Campus News Editor
(See related photos, page 1)
People are dealing with the recent
Persian Gulf War in a variety of ways.
Yellow ribbons and flags spring
up in restaurants, yards and cars in
support of the troops, while protests
of the country ’ s conflicts are reflected
in the clothing similar to yesteryear’s
garments.
NE Campus helped deal with
people’s feelings of war recently by
holding a peace rally in the center of
campus between the Administration
and Learning Resource Center
buildings.
Joy Dill, NE College
Republican secretary, began the rally
with the presentation of a black and
white flag to the NE Campus.
Dr. Herman Crow, campus
president, accepted the flag that
contained the message “POW-MIA
YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.”
“On behalf of the students,
faculty, staff and administration of
the campus community, with great
emotion we accept this flag that will
be flown,” Crow said.
A letter in support of President
Bush, which the College Republicans
plan to send within the next few days,
was read before the crowd of about
25 people.
The floor was then opened to
those who wished to express feelings
about the war or who had someone in
the war they wanted to mention.
Judy Keys, secretary of SCOOP
offices,whose son is in Saudi Arabia,
was the first to speak.
“I appreciate all of the support
everybody gives. People have been
so nice and so supporti vet that it pulls
me out of the horrible feeling,” she
said.
Dr. Jane Harper, Humanities
division chair, next mentioned her
brother, who has been stationed in
Riyadh since August.
Keys then encouraged sup-
porters to provide comfort to those
who have family and friends fighting
in the war.
“When you are totally mentally
tired, a sweet little phone call saying
I am thinking of you — you don’t
know how important that is,” she
said.
Numerous other suggestions
such as smiles, prayers, flowers,
meals and cards were recommended
to show support for those with loved
ones fighting in the Gulf.
Dale Phillips, an ex-serviceman
whose last year to serve in the military
was 1989, mentioned a friend fighting
in the Middle East.
“Though some might not think
war is right, the troops are over there
because they volunteered to do what
the President told them to do,” he
said.
Phillips told the crowd
supporting the troops is “something
we need to do” and hopes it will not
be like Vietnam.
Proposed ways of supporting the
men and women in the Gulf were
brought forth by Dill, who discussed
the yellow ribbons, and the red, white
and blue colors.
Dill also suggested writing the
troops and forming friends to “keep
up communications to let them know
what we are doing.” She emphasized
it will be important to continue that
support when the troops do come
home.
Paul Jordan, a NE Campus
student and a member of the College
Republicans and a retired military
person, also suggested sending the
troops cookies, letters, cards, toilet
paper, sunblock and chapstick that
could be helpful and handy to the
troops.
“Anything like that would help,”
he said.
NE student Mary Docktor
revealed that she writes one of the
soldiers and mentions him daily in
her prayers.
Another member of the rally said
the troops were happy in doing the
job for their country and “they are
happy about the support they are
getting.”
Then all eyes turned toward Terri
Horton, NE Campus student, as she
tearfully read a letter from a friend
who is “glad to be a part of the
selected.”
Horton’s friend, Barney, is one
of the many Marines who were called
away recently to fight Dec. 28. The
marine is presently south of the
Kuwaiti border.
Barney was going to graduate
from UTA until he was called away
and still plans to return to finish the
last few hours required.
As Horton expressed her feelings
and the prayers that are with Barney,
she urged the crowd to “keep
supporting them.”
Dill concluded the rally by
playing Lee Greenwood’s GodBless
the USA.
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Collegian (Hurst, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 18, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 20, 1991, newspaper, February 20, 1991; Hurst, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1183130/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Tarrant County College NE, Heritage Room.