Newspapers / Black Ink (Black Student … / Feb. 28, 1985, 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
February 28, 1985 Black Ink news Black Cultural Presence Needed On White Campuses *avoidance of contact—saying there are by Kevin Washington Assistant Editor Black students attending the University from across the state may find their presence here much like being in a foreign country because of Black-white cultural dif ferences, said Valerie Batts, a psychologist at Virginia Commonwealth University. Batts, a 1974 graduate of the Universi ty, hosted a seminar called the “Black Cultural Presence on White Campuses” during Discovery which was held Feb. 23. She said cultural differences were a source of modem racism which is not as blatant as older forms of racism. “We can define racism simply as an individual or in stitutional expression of superiority of one race’s culture over another,” she said. White monoculturalism, which leads to racism, is the dominant form of culturalism on white campuses, Batts said. Multiculturalism is the ideal college cam puses should strive for. Batts said a strong Black cultural presence on white campuses could alleviate some of the problems of monoculturalism. “The dilemma for us as Black people is that we are functionally bicultural, ” Batts explained, “but that can be a trap, because we believe that there’s no reason we shouldn’t get along (on a white campus with a dominant white culture). We believe racism has decreased. “Yet, when we get papers back with a C, or we’re asked to change our writing style, or we don’t care to attend our dorms ‘Beer Blast’...or we’re shocked at finding out our roommate voted for Reagan, we don’t feel very good and we don’t know what to do about it.” Batts had the audience point out white and Black cultural norms which created psychological conflicts for Black students. Some of the white cultural norms of fered by the audience included getting to know professors personally; having alumni relatives; and competing on an individual basis. Black cultural norms included refusal to disclose weaknesses to professors; the feeling of being crushed after failure; and feeling that the group or family unit was more important than the individual. Batts said the family versus individual competition cultural norm conflict was one of the more serious problems for Black students on white campuses. “Black students feel like they are selling out if they play the game of individualism,” she said. “It’s hard to reconsile that what you do for the Black Student Movement does not get you a degree.” “When Black students find themselves in these situations of cultural conflict, they have to do something with their emotions,” she said. “So they internalize the oppres sion of their cultural norms.” Batts offered four dysfunctional ways Black students deal with such oppression; *system beating—taking the easiest classes because the student believes he is in tellectually inferior to other students. *blaming the system for everything— refusal to try to academically succeed. *anti-white attitudes-tuming hate out ward. ♦denial of Blackness-selling out one’s own cultural norms and buying into those of the dominant culture. Denial of cultural bigotry by white students is the other half of the equation on white college campuses, Batts said. Modem racism-the result-is expressed when whites give nonrace-related reasons to continue denying Blacks opportunities. “For example, whites may say, ‘It’s not Blacks, it’s buses,’ ” she said. And rather than allow blatant racist statements to be made, whites simply say nodiing. They do, however, allow racism to be expressed through several behaviors, she said. They include: ♦dysfunctional rescuing-patronizing Black students who don’t do the work by giving they as (which, when played with the system beater, results in new games). ♦blaming the victim—setting up the stu dent so he will fall down, then saying he wasn’t qualified in the first place. no Black-white issues. ♦denial of cultural differences-saying that ‘people are people’ so that one limits his acceptance of differences. All monocultural problems can be dealt with a little bit of effort, Batts said. First, groups of people must decide for themselves who they are, she said. That allows cultural groups to empower themselves about what they want, what they don’t want and what conditions must be met before they join with other cultural groups. Second, groups must learn to listen to each other so that they can validate each other in terms of similarities and dif-_ ferences. “Those sound like simple things to do,” Batts said, ‘’But it’s a process that demands some work.” UNC Launches Minority Scholars Program More highly qualified minority ap plicants for faculty positions may be the outcome of a new program at UNC-CH, according to Dr. G. Phillip Manire, vice chancellor and dean of the Graduate School. The Carolina Minority Postdoctoral Program, which began this semester, will bring in minorities for one to two years of postdoctoral work with UNC professors, then move some of them into campus facutly positions. At a recent reception for the nine 1984-85 scholars, Manire said the pressure is enormous among major American universities for the best minori ty faculty members. “For generations, large numbers of young scholars in medicine and the sciences have served apprenticeships as postdoctoral students prior to assuming faculty positions,” he said. This year’s program participants are; Janice S. Dargan, William T. Dargan, Emest C. Davenport Jr., John E. Douglass, Joyce E. Everett, Karen N. Hayes, Rupert W. Nacoste, Rose G. Snipes and Barbara A. Williams. Academic Calendar for March SYMPOSIUM ON SOUTH AFRICA INSIDE APARTHEID March 16, 1985 106 Carroll Hall Programs begin at 10;30 a.m. The African and Afro-American Curriculum will sponsor a colloquia series dur ing March and April. Most of them will be held in Room 02 in Manning hall every Tuesday at 4 p.m. For more details, contact Herman Bennett at 966-54%. March 12 Prof. Colin Palmer, Chair, African/Afro-American Curriculum, will give a presentation in Dey Hall concerning Black Studies. March 19 Prof. Julius Nyang’oro will speak on Corporatism and the African State. March 26 Prof Damell Hawkins will speak on Black-White rates of im prisonment in the United States. The Association of Women Students, the Women’s Studies Program and the Curriculum in African and Afro-American Studies will sponsoring a film festival on Women (Under Islam) in Africa. March 14 Islam; There is No God But God 7 p.m.-104 Howell Hall March 21 Some Women of Marrakesh 7 p.m.-104 Howell Hall March 28 N!ai; The Story of a Kung Woman 7 p.m.-209 Manning Hall The Shoe Doctor Designer Shoes at a Low Discount Price Stacy Adams Bally 9-West Nina Pierre Cardin Nettleton Gloria Vanderbilt Expert Shoe Repair 143 W. Franklin St. 1-2 Day Service Lower Level Repairs to Luggage, Totes, University Square Leather Accessories 8;30-5:30 929-7740 Bring in 2 pair of Ladies Shoes to be reheeled & get a 3rd pair reheeled FREE With Coupon Expires 3/12/85 _i
Black Ink (Black Student Movement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 28, 1985, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75