Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Lifeline

Midland senior Elizabeth Czerwinski, front, works with Bad Axe senior Brent Wolschlager Tuesday afternoon in BIO 391: Plant Physiology in Dow Science Building. The two were preparing tissue cultures to be grown in a hormone solution for a class project. [Click to enlarge]

As a college student interning with a black congressmen, Eric Freedman learned many things.

He learned of the wide range of knowledge one needs on diversity and politics when working in a government-related position, and also developed a great level of respect for those working in Congress.

Little did he know that his summer internship would provide valuable insight for projects in his professional career years down the road.

The Michigan State University professor recently co-authored a book along with Stephen Jones, assistant professor in the history department at CMU, entitled "African Americans in Congress: A Documentary History."

"There are many back stories that are not included in the standard textbook," Freedman said. "One example is of a black senator who had to ride on the segregated part of a steamship even after the Civil War was over."

The book's purpose is two-fold; the first part follows the development of black empowerment through the 20th century into modern times, and the second part educates readers on a number of issues faced by minorities working in Congress.

Students will find the personal histories of several senators and their encounters with racism the most interesting, Freedman said.

The book, published in October, is filled with more than 120 primary source documents, according to the publisher's Web site.

Jones said the book incorporates a wide variety of material, including letters to U.S. presidents from people such as Walter White, who was once head of the NAACP.

"Some of the pieces are not congressional documents, but we tried to find things that related to the exercise and assertion of political power," Jones said.

Jones said he hopes the final product will serve as a valuable research tool for students who are studying black history and political science.

"We wanted something that is accessible and easy to navigate so that people can delve into it in different places," he said.

One of the book's most notable features is an index section, which organizes the material under such classifications as time period and important people. There also is an extensive bibliography that offers further research ideas for readers who are interested in learning more.

Jones expects the level of diversity within Congress and other areas of government to continually increase during the next several years.

"People are more open to consider candidates of different backgrounds," he said. "Although diversity in the government may at times be a very slow process, minority government officials now face a very different reality than in 1965."



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