The BCC Gets A Gift
By Jonathan Friday
The dream of a free-standing
Sonja Haynes Stone Black
Cultural Center came one
large step closer to becoming a
reality on Thursday, Sept. 23, when
it received part of a $28.6 million
gift donated to the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill by
the estate of alumnus David
Beniamin Clayton, who died in
1978.
Of the $28.6 million going to
the University, the interest from an
$11 million bequest (approximate
ly $250,000 a year ) will go to the
BCC —the result of allocations
that Michael Hooker, former chan
cellor of UNC-CH, outlined in his
discretionary fund before his death
on June 29.
Carol Ben-Davies, program
coordinator at the BCC, was elated
to hear about the gift. “When I
first heard the news, I cried. After
all these years, we finally have a
free-standing BCC, “ she said.
Acting Director of the BCC,
Harry Amana said, “We’ve had a
dream of a free-standing building
since Sonja’s death in 1991, and
this is the first time that it will be a
reality.”
The new center will be built
between the Bell Tower and Coker
Hall on South Road. The 40,000
square-foot building will contain a
library, an art gallery, a media cen
ter, performance space and class
rooms. The center will also hold
the Institute of African American
Research and the University’s
Upward Bound Program. Since
1988, the BCC has been located in
the Frank Porter Graham Student
Union.
“This is an opportunity to
showcase hour heritage,” said
Lorie Clark, program coordinator
and publicist for the BCC. “A lot
of people have put in a lot of hard
work and this is the payoff. It has
been a long struggle, but the strug
gle really isn’t over yet,” she said.
Ben-Davies also commented on
the struggle for a free-standing
BCC. “People were arrested for
this,” she said.
Despite the hard work of past
students and staff, many still ques
tion the need for a Black cultural
center. Allison McKamey, a 1996
alumna said: “I think there should
be a cultural center, but I don’t
think you should single out one
culture. They’ve worked really
hard to get the funding for the cen
ter but I hope they take into
account the total diversity of the
campus.”
But the BCC staff claims the
center and its programs are
diverse. “I think we are very
inclusive,” said Clark. “We are
preparing a Cuba Conference and
an Arab Conference, and that
should serve as an example of how
open-minded we are.”
Amana addressed the claims
that the BCC was lacking diversity
in a Sept. 29 letter to the “Daily
Tar Heel.” He noted that the BCC
has sponsored dialogues on Native
American identity, homosexuality
and gender, for example.
The letter also stated; “It would
not be an exaggeration to suggest
that the BCC may be the most
diverse and inclusive institution on
campus. Indeed, the DTH would be
hard-pressed to match us. In fact,
maybe you guys at the DTH
should drop by sometime. Pick up
a copy of last year’s annual report
or this year’s program guide before
you write your next editorial.”
Lorie Clark said that there
should be a Black cultural center
on campus because “it’s an oppor
tunity for us to share our heritage.
It’s an opportunity for people out
side our race to embrace our cul
ture.”
“We’re the first public universi
ty in the nation, and to have some
thing like this on campus would
add to this great university,” Ben-
Davies said. “History books are
exclusionary and everything is so
Eurocentric, and until we can get
past that, a Black Cultural Center
and other cultural centers will add
to our personal growth.”
“1 want to hold on to Dr.
Stone’s legacy,” said. Clark.
“We’re just saying that we want to
be here.”
Dr. Sonja Haynes Stone was
director of the Curriculum in
African and African American
Studies from 1974 to 1979. In
July 1988, the BCC was founded
and Stone served on the Advisory
Board. She also remained an
Associate Professor until her death
in 1991.
Black Ink
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