Oregon Multicultural Archives
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Work provided by Oregon State University

The Scab Sheet, May 5, 1969

Date
  • 1969-05-05
Description
  • The issue is larger and is prepared as an actual newspaper, unlike the former format resembling a home-made newsletter. Page 1 The title page depicts Oregon Governor Tom McCall dressed as a Knight, with the state seal on his shield. Two bodies are impaled on his lance. They are labeled as “BSU” and “Symposium.” President Jensen, dressed in a Jesters suit, and Dee Andros, dressed as a policeman, are sitting on a horse behind McCall. This issue is the first to utilize a format standardized in later issues, with a clenched fist (half white, half black) next to “the SCAB SHEET.” The issue price is also raised to ten cents. Page 2 “Black bard booted” Donald Williams, a black poet from San Francisco, is reported to have been evicted from campus by the campus police. His non-profit activities are described, however the details of his eviction are not reported. A collection of his poems are printed on Page 8. “Teach In” An open rapping-session is advertised for May 6th at 2:30 pm, during which anyone is encouraged to rap about current events. “MAN in AWS” Luther Hall is criticized for applying for chairman of the AWS Judicial board, a board designed to self-govern women on campus. Attention was brought to the group over outrage concerning rules dictating mandatory arrival and departure times on campus. “AMERICAN RENAISSANCE SYMPOSIUM” Oregon government officials are criticized for over-reacting to rumors of the American Renaissance Symposium, a group which existed in rumor only, sparking fears of future riots on campuses in Oregon. “Fast for…” An organized fast is announced for May 5th in an attempt to raise awareness for a movement requesting diplomatic recognition of Biafra, a state midway through an unsuccessful civil war with Nigeria. “SPORT” Black student athletes in the Pacific-8 conference, spearheaded by the University of Washington, are reported to be planning to meet for a peaceful demonstration against Oregon State during the conference championships held in Corvallis later in the month. [no title] An image of an eagle in a circle is between the words “BOYCOTT GRAPES.” Page 3 [All articles on this page are part of one story, all falling under the first headline mentioned.] “Boycott SAFEWAY” Attention is drawn toward a boycott of California grapes. “AGRIBUSINESS” Statistics and economical figures are presented in an attack on the Farm Bureau’s attempt to counter the boycott. “SAFEWAY SUCKS” The Safeway supermarket chain is criticized for not supporting the grape boycott. “TOTAL OWNERSHIP SOUGHT” Safeway is accused of seeking “vertical integration” by attempting to acquire full ownership of every aspect of farming, shipping, and marketing food. “BOYCOTT SAFEWAY” Consumers are urged by the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee to boycott Safeway and sign a pledge sheet. “MAY 10, NATIONAL BOYCOTT DAY” A new student organization, Friends of the Farm Workers, is reported to have met with local clergymen and the Kennedy Action Corps, and other groups to plan a May 10th demonstration at the Corvallis Safeway. “LOCAL EVENTS SCHEDULE” The TGIF Forum on May 9th is announced to feature the Friends of the Farm Workers and a surprise guest, while the May 10th boycott is encouraged. Page 4 – Editorials Section “HUMAN RIGHTS, 1880” House Bill 1880 is criticized for its vagueness, which could possibly lead to “radicals” infringing upon human rights. The bill involves cases of “imminent danger” at state institutions, presumably geared towards riots, and allows the governor to declare a state of emergency after consultation with the institution’s president. “Big Brother” Governor McCall is accused of creating an atmosphere not unlike 1984. An investigative force is claimed to have been uncovered. The force allegedly provided information to Governor McCall on a weekly basis after covertly gathering information on campus. “Black Ousted” The information in Page 2’s article “Black bard booted” is repeated in an editorial. [no title] Black students at Cornell are congratulated for developments on their campus, while the precedent is noted for President Jensen. [no title] A drawing of a fist is under the word “NOW.” The word and fist both are half white and half black. Page 5 “BLACK CIVIL WAR” An open letter signed “BLACK POWER, Seattle Alliance of BSU’s” is directed toward OSU black track athletes Willie Turner and Ernie Smith. They, along with any other black athletes which have no left OSU, are labeled as turncoats and are accused of being fake black students and traitors to black people in general. They are given notice that they are not welcome in the state of Washington, either for athletic, or future professional endeavors. They are formally labeled as “white.” “TO THE SCAB SHEET:” Larry Gossett, University of Washington Black Student Union President, delivers an open letter to the Scab Sheet in which he informs Willie Turner and Ernie Smith that they are not welcome at the University of Washington for an upcoming track meet. Black students remaining at the OSU campus (over half of the Black Student Union) are labeled as either fakes or traitors to their race. Turner and Smith are accused of going over to the “enemy.” [Note: As of February 7, 2012, Gossett is currently the King County Council Chair in Washington, according to his official biography at kingcounty.gov.] [Note regarding the two articles above: According to a April 29, 1969 article in the St. Petersburg Times, a newspaper in Florida, Smith and Turner and the Athletic Department issued a statement accusing the Washington Black Student Union of infringing on their rights. Neither competed in the event in Washington because of harassment from black students at the meet. Leon Johnson, another black athlete competing for OSU, was instrumental in OSU’s victory at the meet. For further reading of this incident, see Craig Collisson’s dissertation from the University of Washington, “The fight to legitimize blackness: How black students changed the university.”] [no title] An advertisement for the Junior Carnival to be held at Parker Stadium on May 23 and 24. Page 6 “A WORD OR 2” [“2” is represented by the image of a hand giving the “peace” sign.] Mike Murray Inaction is criticized and opposition to the Human Rights Movement and other protests is challenged, while peaceful demonstration is encouraged. “Women Unite” A satire, several rights of women are challenged for actually benefiting men and dehumanizing women. “ground under protest” Several short quotes are given, mostly referring to freedom and civil unrest. Page 7 “BRING ‘EM HOME” In an interview with Don Luce, a former official of the International Voluntary Service (he compares it to the Peace Corps), Luce criticizes the war in Vietnam and urges the U.S. to come home. Page 8 “POEM” Donald Williams A continuation of Page 2, a poem immerses itself in racial friction. “STAGE REVIEW” A review praises a play set in 2001 in which the main character quests for the legalization of sex in an obvious parallel to drug use prevalent in 1969. “Films” Two films are advertised, one about the Bolshevik Revolution, and the other about man’s drive for creativity. “No Vietnamese Has Ever Called Me Nigger” Advertisement for a “contemporary film” on May 18.
Subject
Keyword
  • Vietnam
  • Scab Sheet
  • Civil Rights
  • Grape Boycott
Work Type
Location
Rights Holder
  • OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center
Identifier
  • Scab-Sheet-1969-05-05
Local Collection Name
Publication Place
Volume
  • 1
Number
  • 9
Institution
Submission Date
  • 08/22/2017
Modified
  • 09/09/2022
Collections

APA

Oregon Multicultural Archives, Oregon State University. (19 Apr 2024). The Scab Sheet, May 5, 1969 Retrieved from https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df71gf45m

MLA

Oregon Multicultural Archives, Oregon State University. "The Scab Sheet, May 5, 1969" Oregon Digital. 19 Apr 2024. https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df71gf45m

Chicago

Oregon Multicultural Archives, Oregon State University. "The Scab Sheet, May 5, 1969" Oregon Digital. Accessed 2024-04-19. https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df71gf45m

Wiki

{{cite web | url= https://oregondigital.org/concern/documents/df71gf45m | title= The Scab Sheet, May 5, 1969 |author= |accessdate= 2024-04-19 |publisher= }}
Data Sources
Footer Number Term External URI
1 United Farm Workers of America http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91008086
2 African Americans http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85001932
3 Vietnam War, 1961-1975 http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85143277
4 College students http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85028356
5 Universities and colleges--Periodicals http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85141147
6 Women http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85147274
7 alternative publications http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300192718
8 Corvallis >> Benton County >> Oregon >> United States https://sws.geonames.org/5720727/
9 Underground Newspapers (PUB 013-3) http://opaquenamespace.org/ns/localCollectionName/pub_013-3
10 Corvallis >> Benton County >> Oregon >> United States https://sws.geonames.org/5720727/
11 Oregon State University http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80017721

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