Several State College area officials, University students and faculty discussed forming task forces to combat racial discrimination in jobs and the amount of racial incidents in the area.
The informal discussion, sponsored by The Centre Daily Times, the University' s Academic Assistance Program and the student chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was held at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center yesterday.
The discussion was split into ten groups, which first addressed a plan to start a task force to eliminate discriminatory hiring practices in State College.
University student Omarishanid Garrett said job discrimination does exist, but he wouldn't elaborate on any specific incident. He said some employers may believe blacks are generally lazy or untrustworthy and refuse to hire them.
Jacquelyn Duval, counselor for the University's Counseling and Academic Skills Development program, said employers may fear the reaction of their customers if they hire blacks.
Duval said basic guidelines need to be set up to handle incidents of racial discrimination. People have no place to refer to when discrimination occurs, she added.
State College Mayor Arnold Addison said the area is predominantly a white community that has a long way to go on solving racial problems.
However, Addison said the borough is working with the Downtown Business Association to encourage area businesses to hire minorities for part- time and full-time work.
Addison said he has seen a noticeable increase in minority employment but he still wants to increase the community's awareness about racial affairs.
Diane Farnsworth, AAP counselor, suggested forming a task force to handle not only job discrimination cases but racial incidents as well.
Solomon Heggs (graduate-nutrition), said racial incidents are basically ignored by State College Borough police.
"We need someone to show sensitivity to our needs and to what we tell them (about racial incidents)," Heggs said.
Garrett named one incident where several white students hit a black student and area police accused the black student of instigating the incident.
Farnsworth said she believed all local policemen should be trained in racial sensitivity so they can properly handle such racial incidents.
Mark Stringer, University Police Services officer, said a three-person task force already exists. The task force meets once every other week to discuss any reported racial incidents.
Yvette Dudley, vice president for the NAACP's student chapter, said the chapter wants to implement a buddy system with upperclassmen for all black freshmen.
Dudley said a questionnaire would be distributed to all freshmen on whether they have a sexual or racial preference for their buddies.
She said the NAACP will meet with other University officials to discuss the system further.
Seprenia Coleman, president of the NAACP's student chapter, said at the discussion's close, The Daily Collegian could help in reducing racial discrimination by reporting more on black cultural events and meetings.
Other topics discussed were plans to replace the Black Studies Room in Pattee with an African Cultural Room in the west wing of the library and possibly re-start a black study lounge in Pollock Halls.
