Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / April 4, 2002, edition 1 / Page 2
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Black women say there is a lack of black men on campuses BY MEGAN SCOTT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - The strip through the campus of Clark Atlanta University looks like a fashion runway, even at 8 a.m. Young women walk by in tight skirts, designer tops, high heels and makeup - looking like they're going to a club instead of calculus. But when you're at a school with near ly 3,600 women and only 1,500 men, some women don't want to miss an oppor tunity to look their best and catch the eyes of some of the campus' high-demand males. Around the country, colleges are becoming increasingly more female, but the imbalance is even greater at historical ly black colleges such as Clark, which is 71 percent women. Some students say it creates a campus culture in which women desperately try To attract college-educated black males, and men act like commitment-phobic "dawgs" because they can pick and choose from a surplus of women. "The girlfriend thing is cool but it's not going much further than that," said William Noble, a 29-year-old who will begin graduate school at nearby Georgia State University in the fall. "Men are out there to see what's what." Clark students find out early about the female-to-male ratio. "During orientation, they had us in the multipurpose room," said freshman Chantel Runnels. "They had males sitting on one side and females sitting on the pther side. The females were going all the way back. The males went to like the fifth row. "That was scary." she added. "What are black men doing?" Black males are graduating from high school at rates equal to whites, but many are choosing not to enroll in college. Many join the military or go straight into the work force. And others get caught up in the criminal justice system - where they make up 47 percent of the prison popula tion. That makes things tough on black female college students and graduates who are looking for mates with those of similar educational backgrounds, said Robert Billingham. an associate professor of human development at Indi ana University. In 1996, nearly 28 percent of black college-educated women over the age of 25 had never married compared with 16 per cent <Jf white women, according to a 2(X)0 study published in the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. When the freshmen males arrived on campus last fall, they went wild when they saw so many females. Taylor said. She overheard guys talking about being able to "pretty much have any girl I want." "It's just that there are so many girls," she said. "I've heard guys say, 'I'm going to be moving. I'm going to have girls in and out of my room.'" Ryan Russell, a fifth-year student, admitted he was happy when he first arrived on campus for his freshman year, saying he had never been around so many beautiful black w?men. Russell said hawas greedy - talking to more thin one female at a time and "playing the field." "I remember at induction standing in a line with the guys next to the girls line," Russell said. "The guys were pointing at the girls saying. 'There's my eight right there."' That atmosphere doesn't necessarily bode well for those seeking long-term relationships. Freda White, a Georgia State junior, said she hasn't been out on a date since September and her last boyfriend was more than four years ago. The attrac tive. petite political science major said she spends most Fri day nights in her dorm room. "I'm confused," the 21 year-old said. "What is it they don't see in me that turns them away from me? I feel like some thing may be wrong with me." Billingham believes col leges need to place more emphasis on recruiting black males - outside of athletics. Homes 1 year and older need to be checked for termites ".4 flea circus is a vtZs good act but it takes termites to bring a ' home down." Caii Triad Pes! Control 1535 S. Martin Luther King Drive Winston-Salem. NC Otherwise, he said, the discrepancy between college-educated black men and women will become even more problem atic. And once a black woman graduates from college. Billingham said, it only becomes harder to find a mate, especially if she ends up in the white-dominated cor porate world. Doris Derby, director of the Office of African-American Student Services and Programs at Georgia State, said black women need to understand that they can have much in common with men who have not gone to college. She said there are plenty of successful black men without degrees, including con struction workers, mechanics, military personnel and small business owners. "I think that young girls have a certain view - idealistic. They're thinking the young man not only has to have an educa tion but a higher education and a better job and so forth." Derby said. "If they don't have some flexibility and some realization in their life, they'll end up single." Gwen Grant, an advice columnist for Essence magazine, said educated black women should also consider dating out side of their race. Otherwise, their options are going to be extremely limited. But White said she will date only black men. And Patrice Lee, a black Georgia State doctoral student, said she has dated foreign men but the cultural differences created problems. Grant lectures black women not to set tle for just any black men because they are worried about the gruesome statistic*. "I think our horizons cannot be limited to the campus we live on." she said. "Our limited thinking has limited our options. There's a world out there." Many black women say they will not lower their standards. "I feel like I'm a very focused individ ual and I'm not going to settle for any thing." said Clark freshman Naqwanna Taylor. "If I want something. I want some thing that's up to par." Photo by Courtney Gaillard Black men are becoming rare on college campuses, some say. Jeb Bush says conflict prevents FAMD commencement address TALLAHASSEE. Ha. - Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday a scheduling conflict will prevent him from speaking al Florida A&M University's graduation, which some students said they wouldn't attend if he did. Students front the predomi nantly black school have been heavily involved in protests against Bush's order ending affir mative action in state hiring and university admissions. Bush had been invited by interim President Henry Lewis to he the commencement speaker at the April 27 ceremony. "I probably am able to only accept one out of 20 invitations." Bush said while speakMg to reporters at a business openinc in Bush Macclenny. "I had a previous commitment on that day." Bush said he didn't know what the qjpimitment was. but he thought it was something in northeast Florida. "It was handled by the scheduling people," he said. Bush's schedule is only publicly released one day in advance. At a March 6 rally commemorating the second anniversary of a large march in Tallahassee protesting the governor's affir mative action policies. FAMU student government president Andrew Gillum drew applause when he said students "will not sit through a ceremony adorned by a governor who doesn't believe in our institution." Bush said he wasn't avoiding the school. "I'm not particularly worried about protests," Bush said. "I was inv ited by the president to speak and hopefully sometime in the future I will be able to do it." African Methodist Episcopal Bishop A.J Richardson will deliver the school's commencement address. "Being that this is an election year and Gov. Bush is not the most popular person with this class, 1 think it's much more acceptable to have Rev. Richardson," Gillum said. Mural with Klan images to stay up Indiana University will not disturb a mural that includes the Ku Klux Klan in its depictions over the objections from the Black Student Union. Last week. Sharon Stephens Brehm, the university's chancellor, told reporters that removing the mural would be akin to hiding part of the state's past. c Thomas Hart Benton painted the mural in 1933 for the Chicago World's Fair. Indiana was a Klan nerve center dur ing this period and a section of the mural shows hooded Klansmen burning a cross. The university has taken actions, including installing a plaque by the mural. It explains that the mural is not intend ed to glorify the Klan. Also, all professors are required each semester to show students in their classes a video explain ing the mural. "If you are African-American, if you don't know your ? history of the mural, if you have no context in which to interpret it. and if you have no choice about seeing it, it's quite likely this will be an unpleasant and discomforting experience." Brehm told reporters. Students have said that the video is rarely shown and have complained that the mural is a distraction. "Our bigger issue was diversity on campus, but we real ized that we had to start small, so that was the mural," said Shannon Walden. political action chairman for the Black Student Union. Magic Johnson tells university crowd that open-mindedness can end racism ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson told 3.0(H) people at St. Cloud State Uni versity that open-mindedness can help eliminate the school's growing reputation for intolerance. "Every community is going to have blacks, whites, Hispan ics. Asians, and you're going to encounter all kinds of people through school, through busi ness." Johnson said Wednesday at Halenbeck Hall. "We've got to learn to work together. That's what it's all about." A federal report released in February concluded that faculty and staff members believe insti tutionalized bias, sexism, racism, and anti-Semitism exist Johnson at lhe school. Johnson, a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, was asked how a community like St. Cloud could deal with racial tensions. "I'm from Lansing. Mich.^t town about this size with a university - I'm just like you,' said Johnson, 42. "I grew up with no money, had one suit and two pair of pants. ... Don't let anybody shatter your dreams. I was once you." Johnson has become a successful businessman since he retired from basketball. He is the chief executive of Magic Johnson Enterprises and it's estimated he is worth between $300 million and $400 million. While Johnson has hinted that he might run for mayor of Los Angeles - where he starred for the Lakers - he said Wednesday he is not sure he "wants to give up all the things I do now and that's a full-time job." The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty Street, Winston Salem, NC 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Win ston-Salem, N.C. Annual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636 INDEX OPINION A6 SPORTS B1 RELIGION B6 CLASSIFIEDS BIO HEALTH C3 ENTERTAINMENT C7 CALENDAR C9 NOTICE MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is seeking minority and women-owned firms (MAVBE) to bid on upcoming highway projects throughout the State. The Locations of the projects are: O > - r ? <11 o E t; 0> 3 3 Q, O 0 0 > ? O 0C h 6.172001R Craven Closed Loop System 6.269002T & Onslow Paving & Structures 8.1261402 7.2811138 & Sampson Widening. Resurfacing & Pave 8.7328003 ment markings 8.1290701 Edgecombe Grading. Drainage. Paving & Structure 8.1321202 Halifax Pavement Rehabilitation, Signing & Rail Retrofit 8.2290801 Edgecombe Grading. Drainage. Paving & Structure 8.2290901 Edgecombe Grading. Drainage. Paving & Structure 8.1360801 Franklin Grading. Drainage. Paving & Structure &14U25Q5 Wake Grading. Drainage. Paving & Structure 8.2405101 Wake Grading. Drainage, Paving & Structure 7.3811332 Person Resurfacing. Shdr. Reconst. & Pavement Markings 8.1494502 Alamance. Milling. Resurfacing & Pavement Guilford Markings 8.2496503 Guilford Grading. Drainage & Paving 6.622001R Forsyth Closed Loop System 8.2732401 Caldwell Grading. Drainage. Paving & Structure 8.2750601 Watauga Grading. Drainage. Paving & Cul-1 vert 8.2970401 Macon Grading. Drainage, Paving & Cul vert 8.1402210 Wake Grading. Drainage, Paving & Structures c ? GOALS BY B O OT PERCENT TO 'C - O * 01 HI m I1J O i c m m m -I 5 UJ Q s 5 From Hickman Hill Rd to English 0% 0% McCotter Blvd. in Havelock Jacksonville Bypass from US- English 10% 258/NC-24 to NC 24 West, of , Jacksonville US-13 from the Cumberland English 9% County Line to US 421 Bridge over Town Creek & English 10% Approaches on NC-43 1-95 from North of SR-1524 in English 10% Nash County to South of NC 481 in Halifax County , Bridge over Tar River and English 10% approaches on SR-1252 Bridge over Fishing Creek & English 8% approaches on SR-1500 Bridge over Cedar Creek & English 9% approaches on NC-39 ** NC-98 (Wake Forest Bypass) Metric 10% from West of US-1A (S. Main St.) to East of SR-2053 (Jones Pair) Road) Bridge over Norfolk Southern English 5% Corp. & approaches on SR 1564 (So. Wilmington St.) 1 Section of NC-57, 1 Section English 5% 3% of US-158 & 6 Sections of Sec ondarv Roads 185/40 from E of SR-3056 English 99} (Rock Creek Dairy Rd) to W of SR-1158 (Huffman Mill) SR-1112 (Wolftrail Rd) from English 10% SR-1104 (Old Randleman Rd) to SR-1007 (Randleman Rd) CBD Closed Loop System in English 0% 0% Kernersville Bridge over Blue Creek and English 6% approaches on SR-1552 RC Box Culvert at Boone English 9% Creek & approach on SR-1547 ( in Bcxine . SR-1659 (Depot St. Ext) from Metric 9% US-441 Bus Bias (Main St) to SR-1323 (River View St.) US-64 from 1-440 (Raleigh Metric 11% Beltline) to New Hope Rd. MUINDAY, April 15,2002 6 PM - MIDNIGHT *** North Raleigh Hilton ? 3415 Wake Forest Road ? Raleigh. N.C. LETTING DATE: April 16, 2002 Prime contractors will be available to receive quotes for trucking, sub-contracting and materials. M/WBE's needing more information and/or technical assistance may come to Room 522 to meet with representatives from the Bennington Corp., NCDOT's Supportive Provider. (919)832-6027 Nl'DOT Office of Civil Rights & Business Development 1 ?800*522-0453 Cenification of highway contracting firms: Richard Chrisawn (ftif Certification of supply/service/engineering firms: Robert Mathes Comments or concerns: Delano Rackard: Director
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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