Octobor 28, IWI
News
Stone Task Force Mobilizes
BSM President Epps Harrassed for Involvement in Group
By Scott Johnson
Ink Staff Writer
Black Student Movement Presi
dent Amie Epps said recently he
has been the victim of continual
harassment fw his role in the honor
ing of the late professor Sonja H.
Stone.
The BSM, trying to keep the
legacy of the popular i»x)fessor of
Afro-American Studies alive, has
pursued three goals on her behalf:
the naming of the Black Cultural
Center after Stone, the establish
ment of an endowed chair in her
name, and achievement of depart
mental status for the African/Afro-
American Studies curriculum.
But harassment of Epps began
almost as soon as the S tone celebra
tion kicked off on August 20th.
During the two weeks of events,
which were designed to celebrate
the philosophies and ideals which
Stone brought to Chapel Hill, Epps
received several threatening phone
calls.
The caller told Epps his life
would be in danger if he did not stop
the BSM drive for the three objec
tives. The phone calls consisted of
profanity and repeated warnings
threatening the BSMpresident’s life
and safety.
Beginning on August 29th
and continuing into the latter part of
September, Epps received phone
calls in his Mangum Residence Hall
room and the BSM office. The
phone calls, occurring sometimes
as soon as he stepped foot in the
BSM office or dorm room, implied
that someone was watching him,
Epps said.
On Aug. 31, Epps and his
roomate were awakened at 6 a.m.
by loud knocking on their room
door that caused their message board
on the door to fall. After a couple of
minutes, Epp’s roommate went out
and confronted the individuals who
were responsible. He repeatedly
asked them to leave the premises,
and after a short while, they left the
Mangum hallway.
A few minutes later, Epps and
his roommate were disturbed again
by the pounding of rocks on their
window. This time, Epps called the
campus police, but the assailants
had a chance to escape before po
lice arrived.
The harassing phone calls have
diminished lately, Epps said.
Epps’ case has not been the first
involving Mangum Residence Hall.
Last year, a Harvey Gantt cam
paign poster was defaced with ra
cial slurs prior to the Senatorial
election between Gantt and Senator
Jesse Helms.
BCC Named for Stone; Task Force Realizes First Goal
Task force members remove the first "stone" Friday
By Tonika M. Tillman
Ink Stcff Writer
As 50 members of the Sonja
Stone Task Force waited outside,
the UNC Board of Trustees voted in
a closed session Oct. 25 to rename
the Black Cultural Center after late
professor Sonja Haynes Stone.
During the meeting, task force
members held aloft posters with
Stone’s picture on them and slo
gans demanding the renaming of
the Black Cultural Center.
Before entering the Carolina
Inn, task force demonstrators were
charged by their leaders to “con
duct themselves in dignity and in
complete silence” in order to main
tain peace and unity in the proceed
ings.
UNC Chancellor Paul Hardin
spoke before the board and noted
the dignity and determination of the
student demonstrators. He ex
pressed his “respect and apprecia
tion” for the showing of the stu
dents and the exemplary way in
which they carried themselves. The
Chancellor added: “They have my
support.”
During the first of two execu
tive sessions, the task force demon
strators quietly talked among them
selves in an air of anticipation.
Trish Merchant, a task force
member, said the major implication
behind the renaming of the BCC
was that it would be the first build
ing at the University to be named
after an African American. She said
it would become part of a “continu
ing the legacy.”
At the conclusion of the first
executive session, task force mem
bers filed quietly back into the full
meeting where routine BOT mem
bers conducted routine business.
William Darity.oneoftwoblack
members on the board and Chair of
the Academic Affairs Committee,
noted the repwt of UNC Student
Body President Matt Heyd at the
meeting. Heyd, a non-voting board
member, gave a very in-depth re
port strongly supporting the renam
ing of the Black Cultural Center and
the other goals of the task fwce.
Shortly after the committee
reports, the BOT held the second
executive session and voted to re
name the center, with only one
member voting against the meas
ure.
Denise Matthewson and Scott
Wilkens, co-chairs of the S tone Task
Force, said realization of the first of
the group’s three goals would give
added momentum to the push for
the other objectives, an endowed
chair named for Stone and the con
version of the African/Afro-Ameri
can Studies curriculum into a de
partment
“We are in the jwocess of formu
lating a nationwide committee to
raise funds for the endowed chair
and we are working with the faculty
in the African/Afro-American Stud
ies Curriculum to help achieve
departmental status,” Wilkens said.
‘Trudier Harris, chair of the
African/Afro-American Studies
Curriculum is formulating a pro
posal to submit to Stephen Birdsall,
Interim Dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences, for consideration.”
Following announcement of the
BOT decision, the demonstrators
walked to South Building where
they picked up one of the three
Styrofoam “stones” which serve as
a memorial and reminder to the
school’s administration of the three
demands. They then marched to the
Dr. Sonja Haynes Stone Cultural
Center for a victory reception.
Friday. November 1st at 7p.m
BRiNG YOUR PARENTS
to the Union Cabaret's
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and let Soul Expression
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Sponsored by the Union Performing Arts
Committee & the Biack Parents Alliance
-r-