CAMPUS
AUGUST 31,1992
1
ALUTA CONTINUA (The struggle continues. . .)
By Ren^ Jacqueline Alexander
Ink St(^ Writer
As the struggle for a free
standing Black Cultural Center
wages on, another battle will be
brewing in the press — the fight
between myth and truth. Before
another move is made, or another
word is spoken, let us differentiate
between the two. “ Aluta Continua”
is a column devoted to delivering
the history and facts of the struggle
for a free-standing Black Cultural
Center. Its mission is to stop
misinformation and untruth before
they have time to spread. The
following are answers to commonly
asked questions and popular myths
concCTning the Sonja Haynes Stone
Black Cultural Center.
Myth
Student fees would fund a free-
standing black cultural center.
Fact
A free-standing Black Cultural
Center would not be fimded by UNC
students ot by the UnivCTsity. Its
funding would come from various
outside sources. Since January of
1991, the BCC’s Facilities and
Space committee chaired by Trisha
Merchant has been cultivating
strategies to target leaders in the
entertainment, sports and
philanthropic arenas.
rhe Black Ink will be
holding its first
interest meeting on
Wednesday,
September 2nd in
Upendo Lounge
directly following the
6SM meeting.
Anyone interested in
joining the staff is
welcome to attend.
No prior writing
experience is needed.
How long has the struggle for a
Free-standing Black Cultural
Center been going on?
• AjmtI 1984—Vice Chancellor
Boulton helped create a Black
Cultural Center Planning
Committee.
•April 19, 1984 — The first
planning meeting took place in the
Carolina Union.
•September 1989 — Members
proposed a center that would
encompass 23,000 square feet
housing a library, a meeting room,
lounge, music room, gallery, dance
studio, and office space.
•July 1, 1988 — The Black
Cultural Center was established as
a department within the Division of
Student Affairsandanin/mm space
was made available in the Student
Union. At that time, Kenny Perry
along with other concerned
supporters, refused to allow the
room to be called “The Black
Cultural Center.” They wanted it
made clear that this space, which
formerly served as a snack bar, was
a step towards a center, not the
center itself. For that reason, the
room has been denoted as “The
Black Cultural Center Office.”
Why is a Black Cultural Center
needed at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill?
As early as 1969, African-
American students expressed a need
for a refuge from the “tolerant” but
less-than-accepting racial climate
of UNC. As the racial climate has
shifted from one of overt to covert
racism, the job of the BCC has
broadened. The Black Cultural
Center is qqI a place for African
Americans to “get away” from
European Americans. It is a place
that welcomes all students,
regardless of their ethnic
background, to become educated
and enriched by the diversity and
complexity of African American
Culture and History.
Though most European
Americans at this University come
in direct contact with African
American students on a daily basis,
most know bttle or nothing of our
cultural background and (xientation.
Therefore, the existence of a free
standing Black Cultural Center
equipped with its own hbrary and
cultural programs would be equally,
if not more beneficial, to the
European-American majority as to
the African-American minority in
terms of eradicating cultural
illitCTacy.
Why should we have a black
cultural center instead of a
multicultural center?
The question is not “should” we
have a black cultural center — the
Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural
Center already exists. The
individuals involved with the
coalition for a free-standing BCC
are seeking space on the main
campus of the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill to build a
structure that would allow the goals
of the Black Culuiral Center to more
adequately be met — period.
The creation of the Black
Cultural Center was partially a
reaction to a need that was expressed
by the professors in the African
American Studies Curriculum.
Before its birth, the professors of
this department found themselves
dealing with not only academic
concerns, but also various needs
specific to African American
students. One of their original
visions was that the center could
provide for some of those needs. It
was not until the late 80’s that the
multicultural movement immerged.
The shift toward multicultural
centers was more of a reaction to
the emergence of Black Cultural
Centers on college campuses than it
was a gesture of good will or the
promotion of cultural awareness.
As far as the Sonja Haynes Stone
Black Cultural Center is concerned,
there is no issue of a multicultural
center vs . a black cultural center.
The idea of a multicultural center is
a completely different subject and
deserves to be discussed in its own
context. The issue at hand is where
and when a free-standing Black
The Beginner’s Guide to UNC Politics
Did you know that of the four
Executive officers in student
government, three of them are
Moreheads and all four are Gredi
with the tc^ two officers in the same
fraternity?
Did you know that in the Judicial
Branch of Govemmoit, both the
Attorney General and the HcMXjr
CoiHt Chair are both Moreheads
and both Greeks? Did you know
that in the Legislative branch of
government, the Speaker of the
House is a Greek and a Morehead?
Did you know that the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court is a Greek and
a Morehead? Did you know that of
all of the top positions in student
government that have been
menticHted, only two are Black?
What’s up with this?
WhCTC is the diversity in student
government? How doestheavmge
student make a breakthrough into
govemmwtt? Does cme have to be
a Greek or a Mwehead, or possibly
be friends with a Greek or a
Morehead? These are the types of
questions that we will be answering
in our yearlong report on the
activities of student govemmenL
We plan to do investigative
repwting and keep you informed
about YOUR govmunent You
have the right to know whCTe YOUR
student fees are going, how they are
being spent and who is ^)ending
them. This column will be an
unbiased, no holds barred critique
of the pcditical cliques on campus.
Stay tuned throughout the year for
the answers you want and for
information guiding you into an
active role in student government
Peace Y’all,
Stormie Forte and Mark Fleming
Cultural Center will be built.
Myth
A free-standing Black Cultural
Center would segregate campus.
Fact
One building cannot possibly
segregate the campus more than
ignorance already has. This
statement insinuates that only
African-American students would
be benefitted by the existence of a
free-slanding Black Cultural Center.
Additional segregation results
from the establishment of an African
American cultural and historical
storehouse designed to educate the
masses, the blame would most
definitely lie with various
individual’s dogmatic ignorance
and not with a building.
♦Historical information taken from
resources available in the Sonja
Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center
and from the Director of the center,
Margo Crawford.
peoiNe. pmm witii
writing,
!mplm design, m
wants to
pmsQtneim s()oui(j
come to the
organizational
meeting onTues.
Sept. t at 2 p*m,
in Suite loeof tM