Contradictions: An African-American View of Aggieland

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CONTRADICTIONS
AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
VIEW
OF
AGGIELAND
C L V H M M Had. Prairie View A I M University, S. I. M o n i t A i t i x i a l n and W. Norm Moslcy Assoriotes, onhitetts, 1976.
If A&M is to be a w o r l d - c l a s s
university,
then some aspects of r e g i o n a l i s m
must be dispensed
middle-class African-American with a
doctoral education in the history of architecture give me a different perspective. It
is not that I perceive the quantitative and
qualitative characteristics of space differently, but in my analysis of architecture
the sociological aspects of space and
power are questioned, and conventions
are not taken for granted.
*
Anderson Hall, Prairie View A&M University, Louis Edwin Fry, arihilcrt.
/
WKSI.KY H.
HENDERSON
with.
F
l rom a distance, the sight of Texas
A & M University is awe inspiring.
| Tall skyscrapers rise above the
trees, .1 massive football stadium rides like
an ocean liner on the prairie, stout and
sturdy square buildings cluster together.
At a closer view, there are immense lawns,
tree-lined vistas along roads, and manicured flower beds. This is what the majority of people see, and, indeed, that image
is cultivated and intentional. Yet, as a
minority person, I see things differently.
My views cannot speak tor every AfricanAmerican, but my life experiences as a
lis.is \ \ \ 1 is a sei ol secminglj con
tradictory concepts that students, faculty,
and administrators try to resolve into a
synthetic whole. For example, A & M is a
land-grant college established in a rural
setting, yet it feels somewhat urban. Student-,, faculty, staff, and other pedestrians
mill about on plazas and walks, especially
hi the precincts in which vehicles ate
restricted. A & M is Texas's oldest statesupported university, and one feels this at
the core of the campus, yet its edges have
new buildings. Images rich in tradition,
history, and ok) power vie with images of
new power, sophisticated technology, and
new research facilities. I hesitate to call
this progress, because in this mix the personalized and customized compete with
the large, bland, and impersonal in setting
an overall ambiance, and there is no clear
dominance. Also there are many agencies,
the state agriculture extension and school
of veterinary medicine for example, that
are not focused cm teaching undergraduates but draw many outside visitors to
campus. I'hcse agencies have a strong
visual presence, not just because of their
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i i
hers nt iIK- c o m m i i i u u recognize these
pie. 1 also w o n d e r w h o the first female
c o n t r a d i c t i o n s , a n d in the case o f B o n f i r e
student was? W i l l she receive some sort
have p r o p o s e d tree p l u m i n g ; as a n a m e l i o -
o f s p a t i al c o m m e m o r a t i o n ?
r a t i o n . I lere is an i m p o r t a n t n e w t r e n d .
W h i l e m a n y students d o n o t necessarily
I c a n n o t recall any b u i l d i n g s m i o r
near the c a m p u s t h a i were designed by
belong to the ecology movement, there is
A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n architects , b u t in H o u s -
a g r o w i n g awareness o f the i m p o r t a n c e of
t o n , D a l l a s, San A n t o n i o , a n d A u s t i n
the n a t u r a l e n v i r o n m e n t . M o r e c o n -
there are such b u i l d i n g s w e l l k n o w n t o
t e n t i o n s battles w i l l c o m e o v e r a n i m a l
the local c o m m u n i t y . I c a n n o t recall any
experimentation and human fetal experi
A 6 c M African-American architecture
m e n t a t i o n . Ideally, o l d t r a d i t i o n s d o n ' t
graduates w h o c o u l d realistically c o m p e t e
have h> end. Inn new ones are needed thai
f o r c a m p u s c o m m i s s i o n s against the large
can reach o u t t o m i n o r i t i e s , w o m e n , a n d
m a j o r i t y f i r m s . H o w e v e r , some n o t a b l e
f o r e i g n students. I have s e l d o m seen m e m -
A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n graduates o f o t h e r u n i -
bers o f m i n o r i t y g r o u p s p a r t i c i p a t e i n
versities in Texas have o b t a i n e d c o m m i s -
events at w h i c h the intent is t o b u i l d c a m -
sions o n campuses of t h e i r a l m a maters.
pus unity.
It is f u r t h e r u n l i k e l y that a n o n - A g g i e ,
M o s t o f the A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n people I
see o n c a m p u s are s u p p o r t statf members
A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n a r c h i t e c t w i l l get a
c o m m i s s i o n , but there .ire plenty o f g r a d -
such as m a i n t e n a n c e , j a n i t o r i a l , c u s t o d i a l ,
uate architects f r o m A c v M ' s sisier system
a n d f o o d service w o r k e r s , w h o wear u n i -
school at Prairie V i e w w h o c o u l d c e r t a i n -
li n nis that s y m b o l i c a l l y obscure their
ly c o m p e t e for c o m m i s s i o n s o n the m a m
i n d i v i d u a l i d e n t i t y . O c c a s i o n a l l y , however,
c a m p u s . A logical s o l u t i o n at this p o i n t
an a t h l e t i c - l o o k i n g A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n stu-
w o u l d he t o encourage m a j o r i t y a n d
dent passes by. b o t h sets o l people arc
m i n o r i t y architects t o design join t venture
invisible u n t i l they are needed. O n e per-
campus projects.
son m a u n i f o r m changes ligh t b u l b s .
A n o t h e r p e r s o n , also in a u n i f o r m ,
T i n s leads t o a q u e s t i o n m a n y ask: Is
Prairie V i e w A t f c M U n i v e r s i t y p a r t o f
becomes .1 g l a d i a t o r t o d o battle w i t h
Aggieland? N o , h ut the t w o are d e f i n i t e l y
a n o t h e r school's g l a d i a t o r s o n the c o o n
tied together by h i s t o r y a n d a d m i n i s t r a -
o r field. W h a t is missing at I e \ a s
t i o n . W h e n the A g r i c u l t u r a l a n d M e d i a n -
A\'M
Toai AIM Uninisity, Cwpt ballalton h front »f the John K. William* Admiimlration Building.
The u l t i m a t e c o n t r a d i c t i o n is t h a t A g g i e l a n d is changing
buildings, but because of the logos on
their ubiquitous vehicles.
Many European-American students
anyway.
al friends are negative a b o u t the C o r p s , I
is average African-American students. The
ical College o l Texas was f o u n d e d in C o l -
note that the m i l i t a r y is one o r g a n i z a t i o n
subtle message o n c a m p u s is t h a t i f y o u
lege Station w i t h federal l a n d - g r a nt b i n d s
where A l r i c a n American s have done w e l l .
are n o t an athletic superstar o r a s u p p o r t
i n I X7f>, the e d u c a t i o n o f new K freed
easily a n d u n c r i t i c a l l y accept these c a m -
I'erhaps this friendliness is due t o edict
p e r s o n, there's n o o b v i o u s role t o r y o u
slaves w a s a c o n c e r n . In a c c o r d w i t h the
pus c o n t r a d i c t i o n s as the m a n d a t e a n d
and d i s c i p l i n e , but it sets an a m i a b l e
a m i n o place t o just he yourself.
separate-but-equal p o l i c y o f the d a y ,
legacy o f h i s t o r y a n d t r a d i t i o n . O f course,
tone. Despite the conservativ e dress a n d
I he concept o f v i s i b i l i t y has a h i s t o r i -
I'rairii \ lew [ u u t i a l b called Alia Vista
A g r i c u l t u r a l College] was established for
some m i n o r i t y students a n d f a c u l t y m e m -
lifestyles o f must students, there are rela-
cal d i m e n s i o n . W h i l e statues a n d m c m o r i
bers, i n c l u d i n g myself, also come t o
tively few rebel flags i n sight in c o m p a r i -
als to European-American male alumni
A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n s the same year. Even
accept the o l d - l i n e A W I t r a d i t i o n s , b u t
son t o o t h e r Souther n campuses I have
are visible t h r o u g h o u t the c a m p u s , n o
1 h o u g h it w a s n o t u n t i l 1947 t h a i the
they d o so at a psychologica l price. W h y
visited. M y theory is that m a n y students
s i m i l a r r e c o g n i t i o n exists for A f r i c a n -
school o f f i c i a l l y became p a r t o f the I ex,is
is ihis acceptance an issue? T r a d i t i o n s are
here are f r o m r u r a l a n d s m a l l - t o w n areas
A m e r i c a n s at A t f c M . Perhaps this is a task
A & M system, it has, 111 practice, been
i m p o r t a n t at A & M , a n d m a n y of t h e m
a n d wear t h e i r usual a t t i r e — jeans a n d
f o r an A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n o r g a n i z a t i o n , b u t
part o f the system all a l o n g . T h e separate-
began l o n g before A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n s stu-
w o r k shirts — a n d thus have less need t o
some c o m m e m o r a t i o n o f the A f r i c a n -
dents were legally a l l o w e d t o e n r o l l . T o
m a n u f a c t u r e a s y m b o l i c tie to the r o m a n -
A m e r i c a n presence o n c a m p u s s h o u l d be
some, p e r p e t u a t i o n o f t r a d i t i o n s is equat -
ticized O l d S o u t h . M o s t o f the C o n f e d e r -
o b v i o u s t o casual a n d f i r s t - t i m e visitors.
ed w i t h r e t a i n i n g o t h e r values o l those
ate flags I see are o n the T-shirts o f Frater-
W h o w a s the first A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n stu-
limes in regard t o race. I lence, a presnp
nity members w h o l o o k affluent a n d f r o m
dent at A & M ? W h o w a s a n o t a b l e
p o s i t i o n a b o u t A S c M is t h a t racial p r e j u -
s u b u r b a n areas. A n d yes, there are < <MI
A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n athlete? O t h e r u n i v e r s i -
A&M
dice is r a m p a n t a n d i n g r a i n e d , but that is
lederate Hags o n p i c k u p t r u c k s a r o u n d
ties, even in the S o u t h , have taken steps to
sinipl 1stu a n d not c o m p l e t e l y accurate. It
t o w n t o o . It A c x ' M is t o be .1 w o r l d J.iss
recognize a c c o m p l i s h e d A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n
is a f r i e n d l y c a m p u s . L o t s o l people speak
university, then some aspects o f r e g i o n a l -
a l u m n i : James M e r e d i t h .11 Ok- M i s s ,
t o me as I w a l k a r o u n d c a m p u s , especially
ism must be dispensed w i t h .
t l i . i i l a y n e I l u n t e r - C a u l t at the U n i v e r s i t j
members o f the C o r p s o f Cadets.
A l t h o u g h some o f m y Caucasian liber-
This c o n u n d r u m comes u p w i t h such
Aggie t r a d i t i o n s as B o n f i r e . Astut e m e m -
o f G e o r g i a , a n d O . |. Simpson at the U n i versity o f S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a , f o r e x a m
b u t - e q u a l strategy m i g h t have w o r k e d it
equal facilities had actualK been p r o v i d e d , h u t the concept w a s h y p o c r i t i c a l l y
a n d even c y n i c a l l y i m p l e m e n t e d , f a c i l i t i e s
were never equal a n d never meant to be.
N o w , the idea o f a system is a n a d m i n i s t r a t i v e f i c t i o n . Prairie V i e w receives few,
if any, benefits f r o m being p a r t o l the
A & M System. |-"or e x a m p l e , in the academ i c a r c h i t e c t u r a l r e a l m , there is n o formalized exchange o f faculty, resources,
students, o r guest lecturers. Students a n d
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faculty at the main campus are only dimly
aware ol Prairie View and probably have
never been there. Faculty and students at
Prairie View are afraid of being absorbed
by A & M and then not treated well. The
credibility of A & M system officials with
Prairie View people is minimal due to
years of neglect. This is sad, because both
architecture programs are good ones, but
they have different areas of strength, Both
would be stronger with a cooperative,
complementary strategy.
But in terms of architecture, the two
campuses share much, especially at their
older cores. Both campuses have BeauxArts and Art Dcco buildings that have
been neglected. Both went through building booms in the r ' s l K , 1960s, and
l l '~(k, and new construction at the outer
edges ol each campus during the I'JNOs
and 1990s has not been well integrated
with the rest of the campus. Both campuses have parking and traffic problems, even
though each has large amounts of land,
and new Rightist- buildings are exacerbating parking shortages.
Although A & M has regarded its stewardship as benevolent, it has also been
paternalistic. Even though some of the
pre- I'J.sll buildings were designed and
built by African-Americans, the system
chose majority architects during the building boom that lasted from the 1950s to
the |y~IK. lh.it was a sore point with
Prairie View graduates and contributed to
the erosion ol trust in the A & M system.
Contemporary buildings by African-American architects at Prairie View did not
come until Wilhclmiiu Dclco, a Prairie
View alumna, obtained access for Prairie
View in 1l'S4 to the oil-rich Permanent
University Fund, which since the 1930s
have financed extensive building programs
at both Texas A & M University and the
University of Texas.
It is practically impossible to ascribe
differences in a building's design to the
ethnicity of the architect; architectural students m the United States have pretty
much [lie same education, \lthough
Prairie View buildings appear, like those
II i ollege Station, tequisitely institutional, they are used slightly differently from
those at A & M . Ar Prairie View there is
more of a communal sense in dormlounges and a different sensibility about
background music. Too, the colors are
stronger. The landscape at Prairie
View is also subtly altered. Outdoor
plazas are used for Creek Step Shows,
and fraternity members gather ar specific
painted trees, artisricall) individualized
for their fraternity.
African-American architects may be
more sensitive to these ust patterns. Some
points follow this logic, but they are contentious: Would Prairie View be a better
environment if more buildings were
designed by African-Americans? Rather
than try to answer that question, my ideal
solution here would be the same strategy
proposed lor the A & M main campus:
more majority and minority firms should
undertake projects as joint ventures.
Another, more obvious question is.
Why not merge Prairie View and A & M ?
Prom A & M ' s viewpoint, a merger would
be benelici.il, long-term demographic
trends do not favor A & M . In the past,
the typical A & M student has been a
white male from a rural area or small
town. Although some small towns arc
growing, most population growth in
Texas is now in the suburbs of the larger
cities. These suburban students are not
quite the same as those Irom more homo
geneous farm towns; they are a more
diverse group, and they have different
college expectations.
Current enrollments in Texas elementary and secondary schools show that
minority college students will soon be die
majority. Can A & M as it currently exists
attract them? Probably not. In the I'WOs
other Texas universities are attracting
higher percentages ol minorities in their
freshman classes than Texas A & M is.'
Why? For one thing, compared to the
Prairie View campus, the main A & M
( ollege Station campus seems cold and
iiiiperson.il and does not provide a supportive network lor an average AlricanAmerican. A few individuals with strong
constitutions can take it and make it, but
evidence ol African-American and even
Latino culture is not visible on campus.
Musi, il not all, responsible officials at
A & M genuinely want more minoriu students. But again, contradiction arises.
Administrators and many EuropeanAmerican students at A & M might have a
hard time dealing with a large number of
African-Americans. These students would
make up a diverse group, but there would
surely be an attempt to treat this group in
a monolithic way, inevitably leading to
awkward situations. Several scenarios are
possible: African-American students
would be spread all over the campus,
negating the possibility ol an effective
support network. Or they would cluster,
potentially creating a small ghetto or
series of ghettoes. An ideal cluster might
consist of African-Americans from rural
areas and small towns, but that proportion ol people is shrinking faster than the
S p iin •
percentage of small-town EuropeanAmericans. Another cluster could consist
of cultural nationalists, but problems
associated with such a group are exemplified by what happened in Jester dormitory at the University of Texas, where a
lounge was renamed the Malcolm X
Lounge, and photos of radical and controversial African-American leaders lined
the walls. Non-African-American students
felt uncomfortable there. The most problematic duster might be an enclave of hip
hop, urban rap culture.
Conservative A & M now just barely
tolerates such a cluster for its athletes,
and this presents another contradiction.
A predictable misunderstanding occurred
ar a January party sponsored by an
African-American organization. The party
got our ol hand, and it was described as a
"riot" in the campus newspaper.- The
result of such an overreaction is that
African-Americans vote with their feet
and go to Prairie View, where such parties
are routinely handled with much less fanfare. If Prairie View closed any rime in the
near future, African-American students,
those both brilliant and marginal, would
be the losers,
But is it possible for A & M ' s officials
to devise another, more satisfactory SCO
nario that will work? In the l l 'f>(K the
\ & \ l president, |. I ail Kudder, realized
that A & M must change. He steered the
university in a radically different direction, admitting women and making military studies optional. Enrollment grew,
and new buildings rose, if Texas A & M
today is compared to Virginia Military
Institute or The Citadel, it is clear that
Rudder helped A & M ease into the
inevitable. A comparable caliber of leadership and vision is now needed to recruit
and educate members ol minority groups.
It would be immensely helpful il a young
African-American alumnus could be identified to serve as a role model for potential African-American students. Such a
person would need to have a comfortable
media presence and be able to work with
politicians and state legislators to keep
funds flowing.
Lastly, many people equate Aggieland
with the whole Bryan College Station
area. But I do not, Aggieland is a conceptual space as well as a physical one that
exists in the minds ol students, faculty,
M.ill. and community members. \ n inch
cator of where Aggieland really is can be
found on business and shop signs. Near
the campus, references to Aggies abound.
but on the north side of Bryan, a predominantly African-American area, you see
T 99 8
none of this. To a European-American
student who stays mostly around campus,
the north side of Bryan is pretty much
invisible. Equally invisible are the
African-American neighborhoods ol
Park Place and Eleanor Street in
t ollege Si ition.
Aggieland is physically awesome. But
not everyone understands the diversity of
ways in which this physical setting is perceived and used. Is that a problem? N o ,
for the majority; yes, for the minority.
There are no easy solutions for alternative
modes of the social construction of space.
Most residents ol Aggieland proKihlv do
not want it to change and would actively
resist rapid or extreme change. The ultimate contradiction is that Aggieland is
changing anyway, but in seemingly gradual and unplanned ways, in reality, the
changes are not so gradual and would be
far more successful if managed. But who
could manage fairly. .^\u\ what mandates
would new leadership need? Leaders must
actively foster diversity and inclusion.
Such a position is not politically popular
at the moment, but the coaxing of public
awareness should be a goal. Architects,
via their architecture, have an opportunity and a responsibility to help bring about
a more inclusive, less regional environment in which both Prairie View and
Texas A & M can be considered worldclass institutions. •
1. Klin Schmidt, "VandiviT Unveils Minority
Plan," Ww Battalion, [anuary 20, 1983, and Courtni'v Walker, "I as I ban i lull <>i Accepted Minorities
Enroll," Tbt Battalion, October 4, I''1'!'. See abo
"Minorities,* vertical file-, U-XJS A&M I'rmrrsm
Archive*, i mains. 1 il>r.in
2.1.ymkiv Naiux, *< unpin Disturbance Prompts
Mi-i-niitu" rite Rjit.ilion. huuiary to. I^S. Robert
Smith. "Task him- to t nick Down on Party Guide
Inn-.." Tht Battalion, February 1, ll<m.
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