Us Tokens are Denied Respect and a Black Studies
Department, Garrison Says
from page 7
(unless the shoe fits of course)
because to me it is an attempt to
downplay the legacy of 300 years of
slavery, a burden which most
homosexuals, handicaps and white
women do not carry.
I am mad because what I thought
was an academic reputation turned
out to be a system which is
hopelessly biased against women
and black peq)le. I am mad at this
system because it is void of an
African/African-American Studies
Department. I am mad because the
Afri-Afam Cirriculum is acoUection
of TA’s and a lot of well meaning
white folks who often spew out
psuedo-intellectual, eurocentric
hog-wash. I’m even mad at the fact
that there are zero Native American
professors, or Native Americans
period. I am mad because the
administration does not tolerate
blatant racism, although other fcHms
of racism arepurposely over-looked
(just the housekeepers and female
police officCTs).
I am mad at those who are
perfectly willing to believe pseudo
intellectual, eurocentric hogwash,
and participate in tokenism. These
“colorblind” people sport green
contacts and prefer the lighter
members of the African-American
community; these are the
steroetypical tokens, the kind that
the University welcomes with open
arms smiling and singing the
assimilation blues. Sometimes I
wish I had gone to Morehouse,
Howard or Hampton. Carolina
seems to be
a place
where
liberal
whites come
to purge
themselves
from the
guilt of
racism and
conservative
whites fine-
tune their
skills of
covert
racism.
Sometimes,
I feel like a
homeless
black man,
put at UNC
to provide
white
students
with a new
sociological
experience;
that’s
diversity,
that’s why
I’m here,
that’s why I’m a token. I for one am
not willing to participate in pig
pickin’s and square dancin’ just to
accommodate the intolerant,
ignorant and misguided.
I’ve been here for almost four
years, and I’m now beginning to
realize what my father, a successful
graduate of North Carolina Central
and North Carolina A & T
Kelly GreentJBIack Ink
Among things that anger Garrison are the teaching
assistants and the well-meaning whites in the AFAM
curriculum who “spew out pseudo-intellectual,
eurocentric hogwash.”
Universities meant when he asked
me:
‘‘Why don’t you apply to
Hampton? You’ll realize around
your junior year whether you really
feel at home at Carolina or not”
Now I know what he was trying
to say. I just hope my education will
provide me with valuable
experience in dealing with racist
and sexist institutions- the
cornerstones of American society.
For those who say, dammit, you
should not have come here in the
first place- you know what you can
do for me (even if
you are not here
tonight). In fact,
during my
freshman year, a
member of the
UNC Board of
T rustees reportedl y
made a comment
that blacks should
go to a black school
if they want a black
culture. This is
typical of UNC, as
are; l)Statues at
Davis Library
which portray
student life,
supposedly; 2)The
“No nigger”
homecoming
queen incidents of
‘90-‘91 and ‘91-
‘92; 3)The “No
niggers” in the
Senate incident,
during Harvey
Gantt’s campaign.
Four various acts
of ignorance and
stupidity among
other too numerous
to recount.
A lot of people on this campus
and in this world don’t respect me
as ablackperson-that’s how Iknow
I’m a token and I’m mad. I’m mad
because in 1989, predominately-
while schools enrolled 80% of black
college students but produced only
60% of black college graduates.
I‘m mad because according to an
August 1990 survey in “Black
Enterprise” magazine, 57.7% of
black parents prefer that their child
go to a black college- mine did;
86.6% think black colleges serve a
purpose that white schools cannot
serve and 40.3% think its worse for
African-American students to attend
a white college versus a black
college.
You all know what I’m talking
about when 1 say I’m mad. You
know what I’m talking about when
1 say I’m a token. I’m a token
because I don’ t have the opportunity
to study in the black studies
department at this, one of the best
schools in the nation (ha). I’m a
token because of federal law, i.e.
diversity. They overlooked the fact
that 1 am qualified to be here just
like they did before 1954. 1 know
1 ’m a token because I ’m meant to be
seen and not heard, so I apologize if
I’ve offended anyone- I’m still
young and I’m still a token. But my
responsibilty as a token is to dispel
the notion that I don’t belong here
and that is my challenge to you. As
William Gray, CEO and president
of the UNCF said, “Young black
professionals who attended majority
insitutions, who are the beneficiaries
of the push for freedom and equality,
they more than anyone else have an
obligation to help develop a new
generation of leaders out of the
underprivileged and the underclass.
If the “TalentedTenth”isnot willing
to get involved in the empowerment
and liberation of the rest of their
people we will never be free.” So in
closing, if you must be a token, be a
talented token. Thank you, applause,
clap, hallelujah.
ppT=—
^hink Black Ink
Kat s The Best Way to Reach a Fat Part
I of the Campus Community? If you said,
Black Ink, you get props; otherwise, you
get the dills. Seriously, the Ink has a
stable readership among students, faculty
y and staff, and advertiseing rates are
(^unbelievably low. Just call 962-4336 or
lop by Suite 108-D of the Student Uni^
for more information.
IjriTTTTTTrmTTTTTTrrTTTTT^^
Epps, First SBP to Sit on Board, Wants to Bring Back
Experience as an Adult from page 12
D. G. Martin, secretary of the
University and principle liaision
with the governors committee, said
while the position can be filled at
any lime, a decision will be made by
the Board of Governor’s in early
March.
Although there are no specific
qualificiations for the position,
Martin said the board will be looking
for a commiunent to education.
“The trustee has to be very
active and supportive of higher
education,” he said.
Both Amie Epps, Black Student
Movement president and a cousin
to Richard Epps, and Vice-
Chancellor of Student Affairs
Donald Boulton said Epps fits the
bill.
“He brings aconviction of being
really concerned about positive
education for everyone,” Amie Epps
said.
Boulton, who came to the
University the same year Richard
Epps was elected student body
president in 1972 and 73, said Epps
was the type of person he would
like to work with.
“I would know that I have
someone who has the student body
at heart,” Boulton said about the
prospect of Epps being elected.
While Epps was the first student
body president to sit on the BOT,
he looks forward to returning as a
voting member.
“1 think that coming back as an
adult member, I can bring a fairly
broad depth of experience across
the board,” he said.