Commentary
4/ Black Ink
When Will UNC-CH Get Its Black Cultural Center?
September 4
By Terrence E. Garrison
Contributor
On December 9,1988, nearly two years ago,
the UNC Board of Trustees voted 11-0 to support
a Black Cultural Center, but failed to appropriate
any specific funding for a BCC. With few
exceptions, the majority of UNC students and a
lot of faculty seem to support this idea. Accord
ing to a report that same year, one problem
which hinders the building of the proposed
10,000 to 15,000 square feet (as proposed by the
BCC Planning Committee) building is funding.
Given the fact that we have waited for 2 years, 1
think it is time the student body, especially the
Black Student Movement, resurrect this important
issue with even greater emphasis and initiative. It
is apparent that many faculty members do not
really support the BCC, but say they do in order
to appease the BSM and the student population
at large. They use funding as a cop-out. We must
take upon ourselves as African-American
students to raise the necessary funds. The rest is
up to the University. We should do this by
mobilizing the entire African-American student
body (and miscellaneous supporters) to solicit
funds from private sources, especially African-
American alumni. An organized effort on the part
of African-American athletes (Why? Why Not!!!),
the Black Student Movement, Black Greeks,
African-American faculty, and all others who
realize the importance of this issue could provide
some of the necessary funds. The burden of edu
cation, which is that of the university, is the
purpose behind a BCC. Therefore, part of the
responsibility falls on the University.
Some argue that a multi-cultural center would
not benefit the students of UNC or that African-
American students and the university have no
use for an expanded Black Cultural Center. In
fact, one member of the BOT who was strangely
absent during the 11-0 vote supporting the BCC,
reportedly made a comment that students who
want Afrian-American culture should go to a
black college. Perhaps this is true! I suspect that a
boycott of Pre-Orientation, Decision Days,
Summer Bridge, and Project Uplift and all other
minority reauitment programs would be a great
service to aspiring, minority UNC students who
do not wish to attend a university that is insensi
tive to their needs and ignorant of their culture.
Especially given the fact that there is a legal
“mandate” issued by the federal govemment
requiring certain universities to put forth reason
able effort to recruit minority students. With this
in mind, it is important that we continue to lobby
student congress for a bond referendum, raise
private funds and quiet the seemingly ignorant
(maybe even racist, ouch !) attacks on the
obvious need for a BCC. I think it is a disgrace
for the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, the flagship university of the UNC system to
Black Periodicals- They
Do Satisfy^ A Definite Need
By Teresa Jefferson
Contributor
Ebony, Jet, Essence, Black Enterprise-What is
the need for these so-called black magazines?
What purpose could any magazine serve that
openly caters to one specific race? It could only
succeed in damaging already fragile relations
between blacks and whites. If whites began pub
lishing such discriminatory chronicles in white
America, the black community would be up in
arms. Yet it is okay for blacks to wrap themselves
in a blanket of indignities and self-righteousness
in the pages of these discriminatoty periodicals
and dare non-blacks to attempt to enter their
world.
These are just a few of the false assumptions
many people have about black periodicals and
their goals. These assumptions prove false to
anyone who takes the time to examine any of the
past or current black magazines. They satisfy a
definite need. The lack of representation in both
quality and quantity that black America receives
in the mass media produces the increasing de
mand for specialized periodicals catering to the
black community.
Black America finds in these magazines an in
creasingly well-rounded picture of itself. Not
only does it learn of its unpublicized, but impor
tant contributions to the world, but it also leams
of the many positive aspects of black life.
America, as a whole, is asked to realize that the
world is not entirely white and that what is nec
essarily right and accepted by whites (jiay not
always be right for blacks.
One of the main intents of black periodicals is
to accent the positives of black America. They
offer alternatives to the general-market periodi
cals, which generally ignore the positive aspects
of black life. There is a definite need in blacks to
see themselves pictured beautifully, to view on
the printed page something other than slums,
and to learn that at least some black men and
women can be successful in this highly competi
tive world. Black periodicals fill this void with
articles as inspiring as the success stories of black
businessmen to the rare eye-catching advirtise-
ments of attractive, happy, middle-class black
families.
Throughout America’s history blacks have
been portrayed as inferior in all aspects of
everyday life. In all facets of American mass
media blacks are depicted as dmg-pushing,
ignorant, lazy welfare recipients. These rigid
stereotypes set by the dominant white culture are
both demoralizing and demeaning to all blacks.
Blacks, especially the children, view these
negative images of their race day after day in the
headlines and photographs of practically all
forms of media. A message that blacks are tmly
subordinate to their white counterparts is
continuously hammered into the hearts and
minds of black youth. After years of receiving this
subliminal message, this youth begins to believe
see Filling the Void, p. 9
deprive its students of the educational and
cultural opportunities that a BCC would provide.
We should look at U.-Penn., Cal.-Berkeley,
Cornell and Purdue as examples.
To address the issue of a multicultural center,
what makes anyone think African-American
students will be satisfied with a small space in a
multi-cultural center when Black students are
already dissatisfied with the small space we have
in Frank Porter Graham Student Union. It’s that
simple. African-American students at UNC have
been victimized by the lack of understanding of
African-American culture. Black Greeks, for
instance are continuously harassed by the
campus police during their pledge process
although they are not engaging in any illegal ac
tivities. They are told not to sing, and are asked
why they are not permitted to speak to white
people, when in fact, pledges do not speak to
anyone, black or white. Black Greeks are
criticized for the use of alcohol in their pledge
process which is not even a part of the process.
African American studies is a curriculum when it
should be a department. There is a shortage of
African-American faculty (Housing, Academic,
Administration, etc.). African-American athletes
do not participate in activities designed for Afri
can-American students. Why is this? These are
the results of the cumulative effects of a lack of
cultural awareness on the part of whites and
blacks.
In 1989, Predominantly white schools enrolled
80% of Black college students, but only produce
60% of black college graduates. There is a real
problem. Also, according to an August 1990
survey in Black Enterprise magazine, 57.5% of
African-American parents prefer that their child
go to a black college; 86.8% think black colleges
serve a purpose that mostly white schools cannot
serve; and 40.3% think it is worse for a African-
American student to attend a white college
versus a black college. This constitutes a definite
public image problem.
If the faculty, administration and students at
UNC really support the university, they will see
how a BCC could help solve the problems of
minority reauitment and retaining of students
and faculty, racism in general, public image and
lack of cultural awareness. The burden of
education rest on the shoulders of the university.
O
Terrence E. Garrison is a Political Science
major with a minor in Afro-American
studies from Henderson, NC
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