I OCTOBER 5, 1992
FEATURES
7
ii — —
Jordan Reflects on Football, Looks Toward Graduation
only two schools
that I thought
about going to
besides Caro
lina. I chose
Carolina be
cause this is
somewhere that
I always wanted
to go. It’s a great
University as for
academics, and
I’ve made
friends here that
I will cherish for
a lifetime.
That’s two main
reasons I think
it’s been a
healthy decision
on my part”
Butalthough
Randy Jordan heads for daylight
roommate at
the time, and
they were
friends. She
didn’t pay me
any mind, and
plus I kind of
igged her every
time she would
come to the
room. But wc
ended up just
talking one af
ternoon, and it
took off from
there.”
But for
now, Jordan’s
main objective
is to “graduate
like 1 said I
would.”
By Tia Webster
Ink Staff Writer
It all started with a group of
little boys playing backyard foot
ball. Later, one of those boys,
senior Randy Jordan, joined his
first organized football team in
the seventh grade at Norlina
Middle School in Manson, N.C.
as tailback, and has played the
same position since.
With a little help during his
earlier years from his Uncle
Johnathan Valentine, Jordan has
become one of the leading
tailbacks at Carolina.
“When I started off, heused to
try and encourage me and coach
me and just sit me asicfe and give
me pointers aboutfootball. I think
that had a real big influence on
my football career.”
But Carolina was not the only
school thatwelcomedthisyoung,
talented tailback. “I visited Wake
Forest and that was one major
school that wanted me, and I also
visited Alabama. Those are the
COMMUNITY Cont.
from page 14
bur behalf. We must use our jobs in
the various classrooms and offices
across this campus as a means of
expression on behalf of what is right.
IWhen we “knock” like this, in our
jown way, we awaken those who are
psieep and encourage those who are
demoralized regarding racial injus-
pce at Carolina.
For those of you who may mis-
^enly think that the purpose of
Elis appeal is to engage in some sort
f anti-white, anti-administration
latribe, here is something that must
be said to Carolina’s African-
lAmerican community that surely
^' ill be labeled by some as anti-
plack:
Because all of us (particularly,
African Americans) have a respon
sibility to participate in the struggle
f' lr racial injustice at Carolina, all of
lis must have the freedom to express
bur views without fear of threat,
Jordan has made many friends, there
is one special friend that secures a
space place in his heart He is en
gaged to Romonda Baxter, who Uke
Jordan, is a Senior majoring in
Speech Communicaticms.
“We met in summer school and
sanction, harassment and either be
ing labeled “too black” or “not black
enough” because of our views. The
responsibility to speak out must be
free to us all, and yet, the freedom to
speak must be used responsibly by
us all as well. You see, just as long
as we share the same end goal —the
attainmentof racial injustice—then
let us accept our minor differences
on strategies and tactics. In so do
ing, we refuse to engage in the ulti
mate “Black on Black crime” of
oppressing each other as others have
so often oppressed us.
Therefore, it is dismaying to note
that Carolina’s African-American
community is more and more com
ing to resemble Los Angeles’ Black
community before and during the
insurrection/riot of this past Spring.
In Los Angeles, justifiable anger
about the ideology of White su
premacy often took on unfocused
and irresponsible forms of expres
sion that were not functionally re
lated to attaining the goal of racial
justice. Here, the same thing is hap
pening within Carolina’s African-
American community also. Right
it look off from there. In actuality,
it’s funny because when I think
about it, she didn’t like me the first
time she met me because when I
don’t know you I’m a very moody
person. She used to come and visit
Chuckie Burnette, who was my
now, ideologues, hale-mongers, and
the emotionally unstable are engag
ing in the lowest forms of dema-
goguery, terrorism and character
assassination against other Black
folks for the crime of (allegedly)
holding divergent points of thought
about how (not whether) to achieve
racial injustice. Of course, all this is
done in the name and cover of “lov
ing Black people”. If White people
attacked members of the black com
munity in this same way, we would
be justifiably outfaged. Yet, we cast
a blind eye when the crime is “Black
on Black”. Blacks who love other
blacks do not assassinate one an
other. Instead, they seek direct dia
logue and understanding with the
brother or sister with whom they
have a disagreemen t and U7 to mo ve
on. To those who struggle with this
idea, please (re)read the lasi few
chapters of The Autobiography of
Malcolm X.
Insidiously playing this game of
“system-beating” as an inappropri
ate coping response to the ideology
of white supremacy allows irrespon
sible behavior in our community to
Many students recall the crucial
year in 1990whenJordan wasforced
to miss the entire season due to a
shoulder injury.
“It was a setback when it first
happened, but now that I look back
at it, and I ’ ve gotten a year under my
go unspoken to and unchecked. For,
if the “system-beater” and his/her
behavior is confronted by whiles,
the whites are AUTOMATICALLY
accused of being racist, manipu
lated by feehngs of guilt or fear, and
dismissed. End of discussion. If the
same behavior is confronted by
those in the black community, the
confronlerisREJT^EXlVELY writ
ten-off as an “Uncle Tom,” made 10
feel guilty or fearful and similarly
dismissed. End of discussion. Thus,
the perpetrator has it both ways.
They are accountable to no one,
and, by definition, cannot be a truly
responsible speaker or leader, no
matter how well they are able to fan
our fears or pander to our pain. Let
all of us in the Black community
commit to putting a stop to this
behavior NOW!
Ultimately, we must hold the
leaders of the black community
largely accountable for our collec
tive rise or demise. If our leaders
foster undue division within the
community or “sell us out” to other
communities, we must remove them
and replace them with those who
belt, and I’m playing now, the
injury made me appreciate foot
ball more. I realize now that at
any time, atany point when you’re
on that field, football can be over
within the blink of an eye.”
This may be the reason why
Jordan does everything in foot
ball for the crowd. He gets a rush
from being in front of a large
crowd and playing ACC teams.
“But I think the biggest rush I get,
and I haven’t done it yet this
season, but I hope it’ll come soon,
is scoring,” Jordan said. “ Last
year when I scored, I would just
run in the end zone and lay the
ball down. Usually there’s a
crowd in the end zone and 1 ’d just
high five the first person I could
get to just to let them know ‘thank
you for coming to the game.’”
“When 1 score, 1 try to do it for
the fans because 1 think the fans
arc real crucial in football.”
can do better. When they do right by
us, we also must give them our full
support and insist that they be lis
tened to and rcspected by those
within and beyond the black com
munity. Remember, our leaders
need to be a refiection of our best
selves and we alone are responsible
for holding them accountable to this
standard.
In closing, it is clear that each
member of this campus commu
nity—administrators, faculty, staff
and students of all races— must
seek racial justice and redemption
from the impact of the ideology of
white supremacy. Through a pro
cess of intense introspection and
mediation, contrition, dialogue and
action, we can rise above the insan
ity that currently grips this campus
and move with honor into the sun
rise of the 21 St century.
Dr. Clifford II. Charles is chair
of the Black Facuity!Staff Caucus
here on campus.