BLACK INK
December, 1974
File a legal suit for
early experience
by Fay T. Mitchell
Feature Editor
On June 13, 1974, two wViite boys reached their peck in ego building
satisfaction. On that date they filed suit against the Black Student Movement
of this campus.
Robert Lane Arrington nad Lawrence Uzzell claimed the Fourteenth Amend
ment hod been violated, and filed suit against the BSM, through Student
Government and University officials. Among those named as defendants were
President William Friday, Dean Claiborne Jones, Chancellor Ferebee Taylor,
SGA President Marcus Williams, and SGA Treasurer Tim Dugan, etc. All
charges thot were not aimed at the BSM, centered around it, so justified in
volving administrative higher ups in the controversy.
Arrington and Uzzell obviously filed the suit to impress their peers in law
school, their professors, and most importantly, to impress themselves. (Hey,
look at us, we're taking on the Black Student Movement, the Student Govern
ment Association, the North Carolina Attorney General, and UNC-CH.) Any
casual examination of their grounds for action and their fallacious reasoning
reveals that no individual of average intelligence could give their case serious
consideration.
Half of the Arrington and Uzzle team has tackled the big cor>ipefition
before. Robert Lane Arrington filed suit against the Daily Tar Heel two years
ogo. He asserted that the Tar Heel should sell subscriptions and advertising to
raise revenue and not be funded by Student Government. He lost the case this
spring.
Armed with a great case of sour grapes and wounded pride, Arrington
decided to pick a sure win topic and march back into court. He had to show his
professors that their efforts had not been in vain. He also gathered rein
forcements in the person of Lawrence Uzzell, and chose a no-fail subject — the
BSM The Daily Tar Heel had widespread campus support, but there could be
no such danger in kicking those Blacks around again.
The major accusation of the plaintiffs (Arrington and Uzzell) was the BSM
was, and by its nature must be, a separatist organization for the benefit of
blacks, and should not receive Student Government funds. They also said since
the BSM was separatist and dedicated to improving the black race, and since
the budget of the BSM came from SGA, whose budget come from student fees,
that SGA was taking their money to finance the BSM. They thought it unfair
that they hod to support something they could not join.
Messrs. Arrington and Uzzell do not seem to realize the benefits of
providing for the. needs of the entire University community, and the community
a' large. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. If any individual or group
of Individuals come to feel themselves to be that weak link, then the University
suffers.
By making more proficient individuals, more proficient societies are made.
Even if Arrington end Uzzell never participate in the BSM, they benefit from its
existence via the fulfillment it brings to its participants.
Exclusion by the BSM is and has been non-existent. Although the plaintiffs
claim that only blacks may join, this had never been included in the constitution
of the BSM, Formerly the constitution read that all black students of The Univer
sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were members, "be they segregationist,
integrotionist, or apathetic." That is all contained in the constitution on
membership.
It did not say that non-blacks were not allowed, and never has. Since the suit
started the constitution has been altered to clarify membership requirements.
The constitution now reads "anyone with goals consistent with those of the BSM
(maintoining black tradition and culture, remaining in contact with the black
community, etc.) may apply for membership. That clarification should
eliminate all questions.
Not that it matters a great deal. It seems that the true policy was never of
concern to Arrington and Uzzell. They never tried to JOIN the BSM, so they can
not claim to have been injured or excluded. Their rights could not have been
denied, because they never exercised their rights. If they had applied and
been accepted, there could be no law suit. They would not have had a chance
to shine their halos, and have their day in court.
Lockjaw hurting
Black student unity?
by Allen H. Johnson III
Sporfs Editor
It has traditionally been a common
courtesy for Blacks at Carolina to
greet one another on campus (or, for
that matter, everywhere else) when
the opportunity arises. The greeting
normally isn't an elaborate one;
perhaps a "what's hap'nin' " here or
a "yo blood" there or even a simple,
yet sincerely intended, "how ya
doin'?"
The greetings aren't difficult to
remember or say, nor are they by*
lows in the BSM Constitution. They
are simply a polite acknowledgement
of one person by another. It isn't
prerequisite to personally know the
person to whom one is speaking. In
deed, the mere fact that the person is
Black should be reason enough to
speak.
There exists, however, a group of
Black individuals who refuse to speak
to other Block students. Their methods
of avoiding such action may range
from looking at the ground orstaring
straight ahead upon approaching
another person, or being honest and
Grad sends message of advice
straightforward about the whole
thing and simply staring the person
directly in the face without uttering a
single word.
And why not? After all, it is an in
dividual's personal choice as to
whether he should speak to someone
or not. Moreover, what right have 1 to
criticize these people? Certainly an
editorial such as this can hardly hope
to compel people to speak to one
another. And 1 would be more than
foolish to think so.
Yet, an editorial of this nature
perhaps can make at least some of
you think. Perhaps it can cause some
of us to realize that unity begins on
a small, personal scale. You don't
need Angela Davis to have unity. Nor
do you need H. Rap Brown or Huey
Nev/ton. You yourself are the most im
portant factor in determining the ex
tent to which Blacks are truly unified.
Unity is not masses. Unity is you.
There exists a possibility that this
article actually has no point at all —
that whether a Black speaks to
another Black or not is a trivial item
hardly deserving the attention 1 have
given it.
Perhaps this is true. But, have you
ever realized the hypocrisy of saying,
"Black this" and "Black that" and not
even having the courtesy to greet
your brother on the street?
To The
Editor
To the Editor:
The following is in reference to an
article by Allen Johnson in which he
referred to The University of North
Carolina at Charlotte as a small
college.
"Interestingly, State won't
schedule A&T olthough they'll readily
play small-college squads from UNC-
Charlotte and heaven forbid, Atlan
tic Christian."
(1) UNCC got rid of the day (-)
four years ago. We don't go around
saying UNC-Chapel Hill. It's always
UNC. Let's be fair.
(2) The so-called small college
with an enrollment of 6,500 has been
a member of the University Division of
the NCAA for the past four years and
has played a major college schedule
finishing with respective records of
15-8, 14-10, 13-12 and last year 22-4.
Over the years the Fighting Forty-
Niners have played Kent State, North
Carolina State, Canisius, Richmond,
Appalachian State, Oklahoma, Tex
as A&M, Austin Peay, Morehead
State, Marshall, Tulane, Toledo,
DePaul, Iowa, and East Tennessee
State.
This year's schedule includes Ap
palachian State, N.C. State, Florida,
Boston University, Nebraska, Hardin-
Simmons, Northern Illinois, and
appearances in the Hall of Fame
Tournament in Springfield, Mass.
(Dartmouth, Massachusetts,
Centenary, UNCC) and the All-
College Tournament in Oklahoma
City (Niagara, North Texas State,
Oklahoma City, Xavier, Pacific,
Centenary, Wyoming, and UNCC).
continued on page 7
Graphics
Commends
To the Editor:
I wish to convey my congratulations
to the editor, the staff of fine writers,
the copy editors, and to all of the rest
of a hard-working staff for an issue
which surpasses your finest Issues
since the beginning of Black Ink.
I have worked with Student
Graphics in composition since begin
ning school at UNC'CH in 1971. 1
hove had the opportunity to observe
your progress over the past four
years and may I say that progress has
been magnificent.
The quality of your writing, your
lay-out, your editing — in short, in
every phase of your operation
reaches its zenith with this issue.
It has become a pleasure to work
with your copy and with your staff. I
hope we may continue such a fine
relationship. I certainly enjoy it.
Les W. Wagoner II
Composition
— Sfuc/enf Graphics
To the Editor:
Message to the Children
Recruitment is the nome of the
gome. We ore recruited to come to
their colleges and we are recruited to
come to their corporations.
We ore expected to sit like the
spook beside the door, to offer no
suggestions, comments, or com
plaints. We ore to sit there for the
feds to see
If we deviate from this plan we are
called arrogant and the man does
not like arrogant niggers.
We are denied advancements,
courtesies, and accorded advan
tages they give to their own.
We are expected to be super
niggers and we compete with less
than super counterparts and come
home with more headaches and less
pay.
Breaking the nigger is vogue in the
corporate world and although they
will pay you, they will ignore you until
you get bored with the scene and
split. And they look for another show
case nigger. Sometimes they find
one, but more often then not they
don't. They continue to ploy the
game, however, not realizing that
the new nigger with higher degrees,
more educotion and an identity will
not stand for this sham.
We are victims of the capitalistic
structured society of the majority. We
are poor in regards to money but we
are a strong and powerful people.
We are alone against the world.
Other people of color could care less
about the Black man's plight.
An educated nigger is useless in
the master plan of America.
We should go back to Malcolm's
philosophy and ail Black people
should migrate to the South, claim the
land on which our forefathers
sweated and our mothers gave birth
to a powerful Black race.
We should demand reparations
from America for injustices done to
our people. They would be paying
for years.
Block people are a beautiful peo
ple and left alone to cement our
togetherness, we are an even more
beautiful and powerful people. We
are alone against the world.
We must not be patient. Patience
brings us pain. We must be deman
ding. Demands bring us strength and
action.
The copitolistic corporate world is
cold and treacherous.
And we ore alone in our struggle
against this world.
Schools provide shelter. The world
provides nothing.
ADVICE:
1. Educate, qualify, and ex
perience yourself to the maximum.
2. Be a super-nigger, but never
lose your identity.
3 Hold an allegiance to no job
because no employer holds if to
you.
4. Pray for the day when we
add no egg white to our chocolate
cake. Power to the beautiful Black
race!!!
James Oscar Cuthbertson, Jr.
UNC: M.A., Journalism, 1974
Composition
by Student
Graphics
BLACK INK
Emma Pullen
Assoc/afe Editor
Sadie Copeland
Managing Editor
Fay Mitchell
Feature Editor
Ethel Johnson
Lay-out Editor
Mae Israel
Editor -in- chief
Russell Davis
Photography Editor
Rita Morgan
M;n/sfer of Information
Tonya Wideman
News Editor
Allen Johnson
Sports Editor
BLACK INK is published monthly by the UNC BLACK STUDENT
MOVEMENT. All unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the
editor. All columns represent only the opinions of the individual con
tributors. Letters to the Editor may be addressed to BLACK INK, 261 -
B Carolina Student Union, The University of North Carolina Chaoel
Hill, North Carolina 27514.