DECEMBER, 1974
BLACK INK
BLACK STUDENT MOVEMENT OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Freedom
Justice
Unity
POWER
Volume 6, No. 3
I
' i; 111 ^
11
f
Book Co-Op to save
Black students cash
Participants in Black Student Congress chat informally after a meeting.
(Photo by Phil Geddie)
Coalition aims for power
by Tonya Widemon
News Editor
A 25-year-old Black woman waits
for her trial in a North Carolina jail
charged with the murder of a white
jailer who she says attacked her.
The inmate's safety and defense
has prompted concern among many
Black students in colleges and univer
sities who feel there must be
something they can do to aid her. A
unified body of students pressuring
officials on behalf of such cases
makes evident their concern to make
things happen quicker in defense of
Black people.
Students are investing that power
into a newly formed organization
the North Carolina Black Student
Congress.
''We want to hove some organiza
tion to bring together into one group
representatives of Black colleges in
North Carolina and bring together
Black student organizations on
predominantly white campuses,
says Leonard Lee, one of the early
organizers of the Congress.
The Congress began to take con
crete form during the weekend of
Nov, 8-10 when UNC and NCCU
hosted an organizational workshop
conference on campus. Here, ideas
tor the proposed Congress were
given the backing of representatives
frohn 14 colleges and universities in
North Carolina. In workshops, they
contributed suggestions for the
provisions of their constitution.
"The organization will be a
politicol force lobbying in the state
legislature," soys Lee who also serves
on the correspondence committee.
State desegregation actions will be
watched closely by the group, as well
as policies drawn up by the UNC
Board of Oovernors which affect
Black schools. The Congress will also
seek interaction with the Blac;k com
munity.
The idea of establishing a Black
Congress has been tossed around for
years, Lee says. "A few years ago, a
group of students made a similar
attempt but it never got a solid foun
dation.
"We want this to be a more sound
organization structured with a con
stitution and working committees such
as for policy and communication,
Lee says.
This fall, the BSM has often discuss
ed hosting such a group here where
there are facilities that can accom
modate the conference activities, he
says. UNC drew their plans and took
them to NCCU students who agreed
to help organize the November
statewide conference. At the con
ference students decided definitely
to establish the Congress and they
created the constitutional frame for
the organization.
Owusu Sadakaui, an organizer for
the Workers' Union at Duke Universi
ty, addressed the group at its open
ing meeting before they began to
lobor through five hours of motions.
Eva Britt, from Elizabeth City State
University, was elected the North
Carolina Black Student Congress' first
president. Her executive committee
includes: Vice President of Com
munication, Carol Mitchell at St.
Augustine and Vice President of Cor
respondence Sherry Meadows, a
graduate of Durham College who is
now secretary to Harold Wallace in
the UNC Division of Special Affairs in
the Student Affairs Office.
Other Vice Presidents ore: Finance,
John Moore, UNC-G; Political Affairs,
Debra Swann, NCCU; and Research,
Sam Miller, UNC-G.
To encompass greater strength
and unity among Blacks, the Con
gress is extending membership not
only to college students, but also to
college alumni and high school
students. Their schools may join os
charter members for a predeter
mined number of years.
Lee hopes to see 25 North Carolina
schools eventually represented with
two delegates from each institution.
By spring, 1975, he says the group
will be ready for its first Block Student
Congress Convention and will be
prepared to work as an active opera
tion in matters concerning Black
students and the community.
Bond: ^
\..an honest man'
by Evelyn Dove
Staff Writer
”l'm glad to know 1 belong to the
finest group of men money con buy."
These were the words of Georgia
House Representative, Julian Bond,
who described himself as a politician
by profession.
Obviously stated as a cut on the
nature of many current politicians,
the above statement was one of
many anecdotes used to describe the
profession which he called un
popular but important.
Bond, in describing his role os a
traveling lecturer, explained that the
Georgia legislators are paid $7,600
per year, a substantial increase over
their previous salary. Most of the
legislators ore lawyers or
businessmen and have additional
sources of income. I m not a lawyer
I'm an honest man; I earn my
money making speeches," he said.
Bond criticized the United States
government for its insensitivity to the
needs of the people, "The
government's attitude has changed
The Black Student Movement
and the Black Business Associa
tion are co-sponsoring a book co
op to begin during exams.
Students should take books to
the Upendo Lounge December 10-
19 from 2-6 p.m. to set prices for
their books. After deciding on
prices, students will receive
receipts.
No money will be transferred
during this semester. The books
will be kept in Upendo, according
to course titles, and during the
first weeks of next semester, the
student will receive his money. To
get his payment the student must
present the receipt along with his
ID card.
This system was initiated
because of the low buy-back and
high re-sale prices of books at the
Student Stores. For example, the
Student Stores may buy a $12
book back from a student for $3 or
$4, and then re-sell the book for
$7 or $8.
The BSM-BBA book co-op is not
designed to make a profit. It is
designed for the benefit of the
buyer and the seller of the books.
The system will be o "clearing
house" for the students' books.
The students are reminded that
the APO Fraternity operates a
similar exchange, but it also
seeks to make a profit.
The users of the system should
be reminded that the BSM-BBA
cannot afford to reimburse
students for stolen books. Also,
there will be no refunds if a stu
dent buys a book by mistake. Any
tronsoctions made afte' ihe sale
will be nc.ndia;; '•■n an individual
basis frcm buy-v tc- s.*ii«^r.
A's&rnon Morbley, chTitm:.:! of
the 3'Sh/‘, and Oe’'.- '- PiKnian,
chairman of the BBA hope there
•A ill be a i?t of participation by
students. "It will t>«^'iiiit them,
Marbley stated.
Valkyries
Induct
Among the 15 women inducted
into the Order of the Valkyries, UNC's
highest women's honorary society,
are three Blacks.
Evelyn F. Dove, Mae H. Israel and
Edith M. Elliott were recognized Nov.
7 for outstanding character and
achievement.
Evelyn Dove, a senior English and
pre-law student from Kinston, was
cited for her work with the BSM and
with student government as publicity
chairman.
Editor-in-Chiet, Mae Israel, was
recognized for her work with the
Black Ink. The senior journalism ma
jor also actively participates with the
BSM.
Edith Elliott, campus YWCA direc
tor, was named among three
honoraries for her assistance with
campus race relations.
The number of women inducted in
the Valkyries does not exceed two per
cent of the enrollment of women.
from benign concern to malignant
neglect," he said.
"In the past half decade, the reins
of government have been seized by
a massive coalition of the comfor
table, the callous, and the smug who
closed their minds, their hearts, and
their ranks to the claims and calls to
conscience put forth by the forgotten
and unrepresented elements of
American society."
Bond added, "This has quite
naturally resulted in the national
nullification pt the needs of the needy
and the gratuitous gratification of
the gross of the greedy, of victory for
the politics of the penuriousness, of
prevarication, impropriety, pious
platitudes and self-righteous
swinishness."
Bond's opinion of the speed with
which things change was exhibited in
his description of the nation's change
from Nixon to Ford for president. He
described the former president as an
continued on page 8
Julian Bond (P*’®*®