Newspapers / Black Ink (Black Student … / Feb. 22, 1979, edition 1 / Page 3
Part of Black Ink (Black Student Movement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 3 VIEWPOINT Blacks headed toward self-destruction Apathy and Antipathy-genocide at UNC By COOKIE SHEPARD Staff Writer Blacks are often made to feel some sense of obligation to attend a Black university. It is there among other “brothers” and “sisters” that their heritage is maintained and i their cultural ties are heightened. Blacks that choose a white university over a Black one obviously believe themselves to be “overly” intelligent or just down right too good to degrade them selves by affiliating with the latter. No doubt, they are much more white-oriented (betcha them niggers got cheese running oura their toenails) adn they’re assinine enough to actually believe that the white man can do anything for them. At least that’s what some people think. However, pride in the Black heritage is not necessarily reflect^ by the institution of. learning that you attend. There exist practical reasons for choosing Carolina over a Black university. Has anybody con sidered the academic challenge UNC presents to its students? As far as the white man is concerned if anything can be done (like bribery, deception, cheating, and manipulation), then, the white man can do it. Even though Blacks constitute a minority on UNC’s campus, I emphatically deny that our capabilities for unity are any less attainable than those on A&T’s or Central’s campus. Then, where does my skepticism lie? Precisely in my choice of the word, “at tainable.” The resources for a unified Black population on this campus are undeniably_exis^ent but, like a precious mineral, remain un tapped and unrefined. The Black man insists on being his own worse enemy. Among the Blacks at UNC, I’ve observed a discouraging apathy and a disgusting antipathv Gah you lead the BSM By ALLEN JOHNSON BSM Chairperson Black Student Movement elections are coming soon. Some new faces and some old ones will unite to navigate the campus’ biggest, best organization into its twelfth year of existence. And, despite the glowing campaign platforms and promises at “Meet the Can didates,” some people wiU be genuine about their commitment while others will be trifling. If you are planning to run for a Central Committee position, please bear the following in mind before and after the elections: —You have to set priorities. If BSM canes last on that priority list you should pack up your campaign promises and take them elsewhere. In this administration and SMTie earlier ones. I have been amazed at how s«ne Central Committees hated meetings, didn’t keep office hours, but always found time to party and attend block shows. —Make certain that you are serious about assuming and maintaining the respon sibility that you assume. Talk to the person who currently holds the position and determine how much time the office requires. Don’t get mid-way into your term of office and resign. Although a resignation is an honest, straightforward way of ad mitting that you simply are unable to carry out your duties as you would like to or are supposed to, try to figure your limitations out earlier. In the current administration, 12 Central Committee members resigned and one was impeached. Obviously, it bogs the organization down when you’re constantly replacing and re-introducing people to fill positions. The sense of continuity and rapport among meml>ers is seriously affected by this “musical chairs” way of doing things. —Write your campaign promises down, file them away, and, if you’re elected, look back at them every now and then and see if you’re keeping them. —Use your imagination. Don’t be afraid to try new things. And don’t be afraid to add new twists to old traditions. —Don’t let any rf your fellow CC members get away with not doing their Jobs. It’s unfair to you and other CC members who are doing their jobs if you do. It’s al» unfair to the general body. If necessary, ask slack people to shape up. If they don’t, call for their resignations or impeachmoit. —Keep lines of communication with the general Ixxly open, before and after the elections, See what they feel, what they want to do. —Do your hcKnework. Before advocating a certain action or policy, make sure you know the facts. Don’t support Dean Renwick because he’s Dean Renwick. Support him because your research says some questions have to be answered. Ignorance of the issues wiU make you look mighty foolish—especially if you take a stand about. —By all means, CAMPAIGN. Sell yourself as a viable candidate. Let the people that you are serious about the office you seek. Let them know what you want to do. Let them know you’re sincere. Campaign time is no time to be cool. not directed at our white ad ministration, but rather toward each other. Let us first examine apathy. Blacks are always complaining about how other Blacks believe anything the white man tells them. Yet, I know of some individuals who dedicate themselves to ob taining a DTH and reading it every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during Math 31 and every Tuesday and Thursday during English 2 but begrudge even looking at the Black Ink once a week. (No, they probably don’t even know I’m talking about them now). And the BSM—that’s just a group of radical Black segregationalists, so don’t even bother to join or even to leam what the letters stand for. By the way, is that Better on Sunday than on Monday? As if that weren’t enough, some Blacks appear pre-engaged in a cut-throat, back-stabbing warfare. Somebody PLEL^SE tell me that it’s only my imagination leading me to believe that some college students continue to enjoy the elementary practice of forming cliqutes to enrage and taunt persons they dislike. Some of my so-called “brothers” and “sisters” parade around with their behinds on their shoulders gasping for enough breath to open their mouths and enunciate a one-syllable “hi”— their very attitudes destroy the possible appearance of a per- sOTiality. They don’t realize that no matter how cute they believe themselves to be, they’re as ugly as their personalities make them. Some even have the audacity to come smiling and sing-songing a friendly “Yo girl, what have you been up to lately; would you like to buy one of these tickets I’m selling?” And courtesy alone keeps one from telling them where they can go back to—when last semester they couldn’t even turn their heads your way. 1 would not dare go so far as to say that all Blacl^ or even a majority of them possess this antipathy. However, this small group potentially influences the entire population. Apathy, on the other hand, is analogous to a communicable disease that threatens to destroy us from within. Above all, Blacks desperately need to be concerned about each other. As a minority displaying division within our selves, UNC’s Blacks leave themselves open for criticisms of betrayal and misplaced iden tification. And if this myth becomes a truth, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. A white-oriented structure cannot remove a people from themselves if the people do not allow for it. BMCK INK Hie essence of freedom is understanding Vol. U No. 14 THERESA WILLIAMS News Editor LINDA BROWN Features Ekiltor TERESA BURNS Associate Editor DAVID R. SQUIRES Eklitor-tn-Chlef RICKY BRYSCW Business Manager JAMES ALEXANDER Sports Editor JAMES PARKER Photography Editor LOVE MILLS Arts Editor VANESSA SIDDLE Managing Editor PAMSVIITH Subscription Manager Features: Edna Brown, Linda Brown, Toi Carter, Deborah Houston, Carol Lewis, Beverly Shepard. News: Mjrra Blue, Deweese Gilyard, Sharoyn Marshall, Patricia Rushing, Frances Silva, and Donna Whitaker. Photography: Keith B^^seiy, Jody Clement, Kurt Garrett, Deweese Gilyard, Bill Lawson, James Mebane, Allen Patterson, David Squires, Beatrice Taylor. Sports: Ronnie Chapman, Gregory Clay, Jeff Faulkner, Lllo Hester, Rosalind McGhee, Ray Perry, Arcliie Shaw, Karen Smith, and Kim Turner
Black Ink (Black Student Movement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 22, 1979, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75