ITATURES
DECEMBER 14, 1992
1
Black Greeks^ Series:
SIGMA GAMMA RHO
By Tia Webster
Ink Staff Writer
On November 12,1922, Vivian
Maibury, Bessie Martin, Cubena
McQure, Nan Johnson, Mary Lou
Little, Hattie Redford, and Dorothy
Whiteside, seven black teachers on
a predominantly white campus, es
tablished an organization that would
provide ‘greater service and greater
progress.’ As a result of their en
deavors , S igma Gamma Rho Soror
ity, Incorporated was founded.
Sixty-eight years later on No
vember 16, the Lambda Psi Chapter
of Sigma Gamma Rho appeared on
UNC’s campus for the first time.
LaSonya Goode (Basileus),
Zanetia Vaughn (Anti-Basileus),
Beverly McFadden (Anti-
Grammateus) and Sonya Reddick
(Tamiochus) are this year’s offic
ers.
Shelley Romero, LaShonda
Brown, Patrena Benton and
LaTricia Henry are the newest in
ducted chapter members of the
youngest black Greek letter soror
1
BLACK INK/COREY BROWN
The ofTicers of Sigma Gamnui Rho recently inducted four new members, not shown.
ity m the nation.
Goode believes that a smaller
organization can create a tighter
bond and greater demand of sister
hood.
“A small number has proven to
do just as much as an organization
with fifteen or more people,” Goode
said. “Quality, not quantity, makes
a bigger difference to an extent”
De^ite their small size, this so
rority has continued to become one
of the most active organizations on
campus. It was recognized as the
chapter of the year at the regional
and national level, and hopes to
gain this honor once again.
This year already. Sigma
Gamma Rho has sponsored several
activities. A hair care show with
Arnold’s Beauty College, a book
raffle to covct $200 of book ex
penses for the spring semester, and
an African fashion show during
Kwanzaa are just a few of the many
activities in which they have been
involved. In celebrationof their 70th
anniversary during FoundCT’s wedc,
Sigma Gamma Rho sponsored two
woitshops concerning “The voice
of the black moman in leadership
andsCTvice.” Thesetwoworicshops,
“Women in Leadership” and “The
Evolution of the BlackWoman”
were moderated by Judi Barter and j
Maigo Crawfcffd, respectively. |
Not only does Sigma Gamma I
Rho work with the campus commu-!
nity, but they also devote their time ■
to helping the elderly. Every sec- i
ond Friday ofeach month, they visit:
the elderiy at Hill Haven Convales-;
cent Home.
Along with winning chapter of
the year, the women of Sigma
Gamma Rho has set goals because
as Goode said, “...there’s always
room for improvement.” This year
they are striving to win ch^ter of
the year once again, provide more
hardwoiidng campus-oriented ser
vice and focus on the community-
at-large, especially with the youth.'
When they search for new mem-
bCTS, they are looking for young
ladies who want to educate them
selves, and to give service back to
the community, especially the Afri
can American community.
The History Behind Old Chapel Hill Cemetery;
By Latrida Henry
Ink Contributor
What do you think of when
you see accmetcry? Death, funer
als, sorrow, and all that sad stuff.
I’m sure. While walking through
the Old Ch^l Hill Cemetery on
my way to Carmichael Gym, I
noticed several broken headstones
along the path. I didn’t pay much
aaention lo the v.emetery then,
because I figured. It’s only white
people buried there.’
As interest began 10 grow COT-
ceming who was acoially buried
there, I found out that there were
slaves buried there as well. This
didn't surprise roe either, seeing
as though Uackpeople, Le. slaves,
built this University brick by brick.
I proceeded to contact Rebecca
Clark, a Chapel Hill native and
resident authority on the Old
Chapel Hill Cemetray, to find out
more informadon. Clark told me
that there is actually a black sec
tion of the cemetery ffitd it is prob-
^lytfiesections you think ffle white.
“There is a black section and a white
section,” she said. ‘The rock wall
divides us.”
The cemetery, which dates back
to the 1700s, is composed of six
sections, the first two being black.
The black sections are located next
to Connor an Winston dorms and
extends to a stone wall aligned by a
path. The cemetery itself faces South
Road and Carmichael gym and it
extends to Country Qub Road.
Clark’s involvenient with the
cemetery began in the eariy 1980s
and climaxed on Nov. 5,1985 dur
ing a UNC-Clemson football game.
Before the game faithful UNC fans
were allowed by Chapel Hill Police
to park in the black secticm of the
cemetery. This caused several bro
ken headstones and footstones,
sunken graves, and vandalism in
general.
Clark and several other con
cerned citizens formed the Old
Chapel Hill Cemetery Task Force
in order to get the town to repair ffiid
renovate the cemetioy, e^)ecialiy
the black sections. The Cht^ Hill
Town Council decided that there
was nothing they could do about it,
because they didn’t formally own
theconetery land.
Under an agreement between the
city and the University, it was agreed
that the Univosity would retain
ownership of the cemetery but the
town would maintain it The town
only maintained it as far as general
upke^ is c(»cemed because they
felt that it was the re^xnsibility of
the families to care for the graves of
their family members.
The problem with that is that
the fiamilies cS most of the blacks
buried in the cemetery have passed
as well. In 1986, Clark went to the
Town Council and asked them to
ask the University to deed the prop
erty to them and the deed formally
went through in October of the same
year. The town agreed to have a
study d(H)ec(mcaiung whatneeded
to be dcme to improve the condition
of the cemetMy.
This study, performed Iqr Hunter,
Reynolds, Jewell, P.A. Landscape
Architects of Raleigh, highlighted
dK need fcH* the repair of broken
headstones and footstones, sunken
graves, poor irrigation, and the up-
rorting of trees.
The town agreed to spend
$250,000 over the c(»trse of five
years on renovating the cemetery.
The renovations were to be com
pleted by this year and accwding
Clark, it hasn’t changed much since
1985.
The town has recently infixed
Clark that it will take four more
years to comptete what should have
been fijnished this year. “Since the
study was done in 1987, ail I’ve
seal is sand-like gravel out there on
South Road and a sprinkler system
installed. I’m not even sure if they
tain diatthingon,”Claik said. “They
have only repaired one headstone
that jsee. My pointis let’s^t
pick than up and fix (riie cem
etery) up.” Clark does not think
th« it is too much to ask for the
town to respect our ancestors.
Ihc Collegiate Black Caucus,
a political (xganization dedicated
tocommunity service and the pres-
ervttian of African-American cul
ture, is heading a movement to
demand that d)e town live up to
it’s agreement The Collegiate
Black Caiais is kx^dng for dedi
cated (H-gaiizations and persons
willing to organize together in yet
ancMha- struggle for etpiality as
“Students few the Impiwement of
our Ancestry” (SIA).
If you or your cffganization is
interested in woddng with tfie Col
legiate Black Qmcus and SIA
please feel free to attend jmy Cd-
l^iate Black Caucus meeting on
Nfondays at 5:30 in the Sonja
Haynes Stone BCC or owtact
Lafiicia Hatty at 914-5007.