THE BENNETT BANNER archives
**BeIievw£ that an informed cttmpus is a Key to DctnocrMcy**
Bennett College
weensbofo, N. c.
NOVEMBER 18, 1971
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
VOL. XXXVII
HATCH LEADS FRESHMAN CLASS
“Black Monday” marchers proceed to the Capitol Lawn in Raleigh, N. C.
(SOBU News Service)
Church Proposes More Aid
On November 5, 1971, a
promotional meeting for the
Western North Carolina Con
ference of the United Metho
dist Church was held on the
college campus to discuss the
proposal of raising money fot
Bennett which could amount
to nearly $75,000.
The United Methodist
Church is undertaking a drive
to raise funds for twelve pre
dominantly Negro colleges.
The Negro Colleges Advance
seeks to raise $4 million dol
lars annually for the institu
tions of which Bennett has
yet to become a legal mem
ber, The money raised is
used for improving libraries,
modernizing laboratories, de
veloping curriculum, increas
ing faculty salaries, and stu
dent aids.
The Negro College Advance
is an interim effort geared
to operate through 1972 after
which a new fund-raising
drive may be undertaken.
Bennett hopes to become a
full-pledged member, as stat
ed by Dr. Miller; “Other col
leges receive annual appropri
ations from the conference
while Bennett does not have
the legal basis for such a
philanthropic undertaken.”
Bishop Earl G. Hunt spoke
on the intrinsic value of Ben
nett College, which is why
the conference should support
it.
“There is a need for black
colleges. This is the way in
which black identity, aware
ness, and the community
equip themselves. Black col
leges serve as strategic way-
stations along the way to the
places we hope to get. . . .
Bennett is a good investment.
It will survive and develop
as one of the distinguished
church - related institutions.
Black youths deserve and
must have the best education
al opportunities.”
In closing his speech,
Bishop Hunt stated that the
Conference has an obligatior
to accept Bennett into full
membership.
A question and answer
period was held during the
conference in which the pres
ident of the college answered
questions from concerned
Chairmen of Conference
Boards and Commissions,
District Directors, and Min
isters and Laymen. Several
delegates were interested in
finding out about Bennett’s
involvement in the United
Negro College Fund and its
funding from the Ford Foun
dation ($140,000) which term
inates in 1974.
Before adjourning to lunch,
Dr. Miller ended the Con
ference by reading excerpts
from a piece he recently
wrote for a church-related
magazine.
“Black administrators, ig
noring the logical dollars and
cents realities, succeeded in
educating generations of
blacks who would have other
wise been by-passed by the
mainstream of American
higher education. Their fac-
ulti.es were individualizing
instruction and developing in
genious approaches to stu
dent motivation long before
improvisation and compen
sation became viable con
cepts in education.
j. Send your contribution to:
g United Negro
College Fund
55 East 52nd Street
New York, New York 10022
or your local UNCF campaign ottice
Wide Turnout Supports
“Black Monday” March
Over 4,000 students par
ticipated in the “Black Mon
day” march held in the state
capital to protest the bUl for
Reorganization of Higher Ed-'
ucation in N. C.
Singing popular black
movement songs, the group
marched from the campus of
Shaw University to the Capi
tol Lawn. At the Capitol the
crowd heard seventeen local
prominent Blacks. The main
speaker was Howard Fuller,
MXLU President.
Fuller stated that he dis
liked the bill because while
whites claimed to be reor
ganizing higher education fot
the benefit of all, it is known
“that whites don’t do nothing
because it’s justice; they do
it because it is in their in
terest.”
Fuller (known to some
blacks as OWUSU Sadaukai)
pointed out the two reasons
whites support the bill:
1) leaving blacks alone,
they might learn som«thing
about the white system and
gain an education in the pro
cess.
2) the war costs enough
money to run two separate
systems.
In concluding. Fuller stated
that the rally was the start
of a political and economic
movement among blacks
where they can learn all that
has to do with being black.
The Mayor of Chapel Hill,
Howard Lee, insisted that
many Black leaders in posi
tions of authority were assist
ing in the movement. Lee
feels that a continuation of
the present system may be
damaging and that there
must be some "plan to safe
guard the existence of Black
institutions.”
Among the other speakers
were Maurice Carter, Chair
man of the Youth Organiza
tion for Black Unity; Nelson
Johnson, National President
of SOBU; Dorothy Johnson,
representative of Greensboro
Association of Poor People;
Leon White, Executive Di
rector of the North CaroUna
Commission for Racial Jus
tice; O. A. Dupree, President
of the N.C. District of SCLC;
and Ben Chavis, activist
leader from Oxford, N. C.
Bennett College’s SGA vice
president, Sandra Neely also
spoke before the students.
The Freshman class have
organized for the year and
have announced their planned
calendar of events. The of
ficers for this energetic class
offer much optimism and en
ergy for a good class of varied
personalities.
Janice Hatch, president, is
from Atlanta, Ga., and is
part of the Interdisciplinary
Studies Program with an
Early Childhood Education
major. Janice, who toured
Spain teis summer, has a
sister in the senior class,
Joyce. “I am really optimis
tic about this year at Ben
nett,” says Janice. “The class
of ’75 has so much potential
Once we get together, we
will be super bad!”
Serving as vice president
is Renee Simpson who is from
Salisbury, Ma. A Physical
Education major in the 13-
CCP, she sees room for great
improvement and wants more
unity from the freshmen
along with more activities on
campus. Renee is also dorm
president of Barge Hall.
Jackie Hemphill, class
treasurer, hails from Buffalo,
N. Y. A music major of the
Interdisciplinary Studies Pro
gram, Jackie says, “Some
times an environment is what
we make it. With a little
more love, hope, determina
tion, confidence, and faith,
the class of 1975 will be the
most triumphant example oi
sisterhood and developed po
tentials Bennett has ever pre
pared.”
Class parliamentarian is
Gwen Johnson who is a Biol
ogy major from Augusta,
She is a member of the col
lege choir and sees “great
hope for Bennett.”
Valerie Tillm^an, a student
of the Interdisciplinary Stu
dies, is secretary of the class.
She is from Buffalo, N. Y.
Her assistant secretary is
Perdita Jay who is from At
lanta, Georgia and is a mem
ber of the 13-CCP.
'This class has pledged it
self to making worthwhile
contributions toward the
betterment of Bennett and
“to become the best class
ever.”
>^5.35
Backrow left to right: Trheta Pollock, Jackie Hemphill,
Renee Simpson, Perdita Jay; seated, Gwen Johnson, Valerie
Tillman, and Janice Hatch.
“A Rewarding Experience”
“It has enough discourag
ing, disheartening moments
believe me, but 1 wouldn’t
trade the experiences and the
kinds of insights that I’ve
gained for anything. Not only
has the challenge itself been
meaningful to me, more so
the opportunity to get to
know and constantly interact
with so many members of
the Bennett family has proven
to be one of the most reward
ing and satisfying experiences
I’ve ever had.”
Student Government Pres
ident Connie Hammond dis
cussed her office and the ex
periences she has gained from
it since last year when she
had to step into replace Carla
Friend.
Connie, who works in the
toy department at Sears and
Roebuck, is also involved in
a field studies project with
the Greensboro Association of
Poor People (GAPP). “My
general duties include assist
ing the Director in dealing
with some of the problems
faced by Blacks in the com
munity,” says Connie.
“I have been assigned to
head a clothing bank which
is part of a community pro
gram being initiated. I enjoy
the work, but I don’t have
much time to put in at the
agency.”
Connie’s main concern at
this time is revising the SGA
constitution which is a time
consuming task. She has al
so been working on a Clean
up Campaign. This will en
tail working to improve the
general campus appearance
(hedge trimming, leaf raking,
etc.) With a look of serious
ness Connie added, “We
think such a project will not
only serve the purpose of
making our campus look
better, but we also view it as
a continued effort to pro
mote a sense of UJOMA
(familyhood).”
Connie feels strong about
promoting loyalty and unity
on the campus. She sums it
up by stating, “I’d like to
feel that I had some small
part in promoting a sincere
sense of loyalty and sister
hood here at Bennett.”