12A The Tar Heel Thursday, July SI, 1980
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By Martha Johnsen
Although such publicity as the HEW dispute
and the Sonja Stone tenure case has given the
University a black eye in recent years, there have
been some significant gains for blacks at Carolina
in Mhe past decade, say several black
administrators and professors at UNC.
For example, the number of black students
enrolled at Carolina has increased. "When I came
sere in 1966, only about one-tenth of 1 percent of
the student body was black," says Kelly
Alexander Jr., a Charlotte resident and Carolina
alumni who now serves as vice president of the
state's National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People.
"In 1969 when I came, there was no full-time
recruitment officer," says Richard Epps, a lawyer
with the U.S. Justice Department, who became
the first black student body president in 1972.
"When Dean Hayden B. Renwick was appointed
in 1973, he made a great effort to talk with
guidance counselors at high schools throughout
the state. There was some mystique that
counselors would only recommend black
students in the top 5 percent of their class.v
Through the '70s the number of black students
increased from 844, or 4.4 percent in 1972, to
1,581, or 7.5 percent in the fall of 1979, according
to the supplement to the annual report of the
chancellor of December 1979.
This year more blacks applied to Carolina than
previously, and more were accepted; however,
less are presently enrolled for this fall, says
Renwick, associate dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences.
The slight drop in black enrollment this year is
offset by the climbing rate of retention. "In 1973,
the black attrition rate was 28 percent," says
Renwick. "Now only 10 percent of the blacks
who enroll don't graduate."
Among the programs initiated in the past
decade to keep minority students at Carolina are
the minority student adviser program, peer
counseling by academically gifted
upperclassmen, an academic tutorial program
and an academic warning system to alert parents
of students' progress, say's Renwick.
One or two more programs, like an early.alert
warning system to communicate with students
aftrr five or six weeks about their academic
progress, are planned to begin in the fall, says
Renwick.
Although other minority programs could be
established, they cannot be initiated without an
increase in staff. "This is a heavy burden for two
full-time staffers and a handful of graduate
students," says Renwick.
Outside these statistics and programs, there are
other ways life for the black student has changed
in the '70s for example, housing. "Not long
before I came, all black students lived together in
a North Campus dorm," says Epps. Now
although many blacks live in several South
Campus dorms, black and white students are
neighbors all over campus.
Curriculum in African Studies and Afro
American Studies first appeared in the catalog in
1971. Since then the program has grown from
four courses to 20.
Other specific gains for blacks have been the
establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr.
lecture series and the Pogue scholarships for
minority - students, says Charles Daye, law
professor and former chairman of the University
Committee on the Status of Minorities and the
Disadvantaged.
But perhaps the most impressive gains for
black students are seen in- their individual
accomplishment and increasingly recognized
influence in student affairs.
In the '70s black students served as student body
president, chaired student organizations such as
the Campus Y, wrote for and edited student
publications, and were elected homecoming
queen.
They have been recipients of numerous
undergraduate awards, such as outstanding
humanitarian contribution, most outstanding
junior, unique leadership in student
government, as well as most outstanding male
and female athlete. Karen Stevenson, a 1979
graduate became the first black woman ever to
receive a Rhodes Scholarship.
Collectively, groups such as the Black Student
Movement , continue to voice the concerns of
black students and play an active and influential
role in student life.
The individual gains of black students are not
entirely a product of their being. at UNC,
however. "Blacks have accomplished things
personally, but perhaps in spite of being here and
not because they wre here," says Lee Greene,
associate professor of English.
The black presence has increased not only in
the number and influence of students, but in
growing numbers of blacks in faculty and
administrative positions.
"In terms of a black faculty and staff, there has
been a considerable increase since 1972 when I
came," says Carl Smith, assistant to the provost.
The number of black faculty increased from 15
in fall 1972 to 57 in fall 1979, according to' the
supplement to the annual report of the
chancellor, December 1979.
"We are heads and shoulders above most
comparable major universities we are making
progress," says Smith. "There are those who feel
we must go faster and personally I'm one of
them."
There are presently 34 black faculty in the
tenure track and this number is projected to reach
44 by 1983, said Smith.
Blacks who, are full professors are rare,
however. "There was only one black professor in
1972," says Smith. "In September 1980, there will
be five black professors, two of whom are named
William Rand Kenan Jr. professors.
"To my knowledge, we are the only university
in the country with any black WRK Jr.
professors," Smith adds. "This year, for the first
time, a black faculty member who entered in a
junior rank was promoted to a full professorship.
"Dr. Charles Daye is the only black in the
history of the University to do this" says Smith.
"Other black faculty are waiting in the wings for
their promotions, but that remains to be seen
"Charles's appointment might serve as 'good
ink' to those who criticize this University as a
place where blacks cannot progress," Smith says.
More blacks now serve in administrative
positions than ever before. "In 1972 1 was the only
black in South Building administration," Smith
recalls. "There are those who say that when I was
hired I had the highest position of any black in
the University system."
Christopher C. Fordham's decision to place a
black in a senior administrative position is seen
as an encouraging sign. 'The chancellor's move
is a step in the right direction," says Smith. "An
example needs to be set in the upper positions."
"I feel we're on the threshold of important
improvements based on the developments in
progress under the leadership of Chancellor
Fordham," says Daye.
Although gains in enrollment and
employment of blacks have been made , a change
in attitude must take place to enhance and
increase these gains in the '80s, agree some black
faculty and administrators.
"Attitudes have changed," says Greene, "But
not necessarily for the better. As the number of
black students and faculty increases, this appears
as a threat When there's just 20 or 30 blacks on
campus, people don't mind, but when you talk
about hundreds, the resistance comes to the fore."
Handling this resistance is one thing Greene
feels needs to be done in the coming decade. "The
University will have to look at how to deal with
the built-in resistance to affirmative action," he
says.
Hayden Renwick also sees the resistance as a
problem. "Ninety percent of the people know
how to get around affirmative action and 100
percent of those 90 percent do it," he says.
Although the Drown v. Board of Education
case banning segration in public schools took
place over 26 years ago, those working to improve
the conditions of blacks at this University still see
much more work to be done.
"The only way we can succeed is by ignoring
the prejudices and biases of the alumni and state
constituents who are against the progress of
blacks at this University, and get on with the
issues at hand to provide adequate resources
and personnel for the job to be done," says
Renwick. "It has been well documented what it
takes to be successful in providing adequate
education for blacks now we need to follow
those guidlines."
"There is a lot that can and hopefully will be
done," says Smith. "It's a job that everyone has to
pitch in on and do their darnedest to bring about,
but conditions are favorable."
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South Building
New Univei
By John Royjtrr
UNC Chancellor Christopher C. Fori
outlined the responsibilities that will x rt
newly-created positions of vice chant r!!or
Affairs and full-time affirmative action oil
The affirmative action officer will have d
those of the present part-time officer. Foidl
means overseeing the University's il
opportunity in niring, promoting nu un
Fordham said the new vice chancellor's v
. i .i a- r
two main areas supervision en inr wium
student financial aid, records and
institutional research and undergraduate a
"asssisting the chancellor in wot king at the r
issue of enhancing the previue and
minorities."
Committees to assist Fordham in (i!
positions have already begun mrrtinK. Rn
the positions will be filled sometime in the
;i iheUniv-id'jiW, have m
Cv C.rc
hrown
With black ..' sun
For more than 150 years, by force of law,
the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hilt systematically exekbod blacks from
its student body.
Thus, the history of bbek students at
I "SC. is relatively shoit. It is a history of
legal t onfrontation, of a slowly growing
black .student population, of a campus
react in ; to and accepting the presence of
!,bi: - -
i enrollment
10 p cr, cd i! ,0 student body
in 1 , il 2 Univtriky h in the process cf
rcav d"g its bH:r. mibe action policies.
I'--.'. e one cm e:-;r.mdne race relations in
the n.-.: bin era, however, a brief historical
review cf the black" pT.Gr.ce at UNC is
c leaib in order. .
. On Maxell 27, 1551, the 4th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals ruled that the University
must admit black students to the School of
Law. Pursuant to that decision, four blacks
entere d the Law School on June 12, 1951.
Even though UNC was the first, white
imivcibtv in the South, to admit -black
students, the reaction of the campus was
rather quiet. There were no protests, no
national guard troops, no governors
standing on any schoolhouse steps.
. In the fall of' 1955, black undergraduate
students entered the University for the first
time..
The first instances cf racial strife in the
r;a I n i - bb. M -t 1 .'
d sit-;;
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the Clack Student Movement. Initial BSM
objectives included a full-credit bbtk
history ccune. Student Legislature
funding, scats in the Student Legislature
and mere black faculty members.
The years 1CJ) and ZZ0 were years cf
racial demonstrations and confrontation
on the UNC C3-. :
r: : ch. : cn r r-r,
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aggressive recruitment of Hack students, a
non-competitive adnimic.ns program,
more black staff and administrative
personnel, a summer school bridge
program for disadvan.vr;ed students,
creation of an administrate c josition to
coordinate minority ah.hn and a
pcrman'-nt stand-rg co
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aeatid in l ' h l :'d. aaii. ' I t' -
stul:nt-initia;rd recruit:.:' r.t g rts, 1 h.ck
student enrollment began to increase
steadily. '
This slow growth in the black student
population, coupled with dissatisfaction
with the more, conservative NAACP,
culminated in the November IDG7 birth of
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.. On Dec. 6, lSh3, the Faculty Council
accepted the recommendations cf an ad hoc
committee, appointed to Mudy minority
afhdrs at UNC. The committee found the
proportion of black enrollment (1.5
percent of the student body in 19 b
unacceptable, and recomuunchd
rnrd to
UNC, the
-: o paper
hft the
J.
i ,fs cf the
5 !: i;rr.on
., called for
African and
o;. nation of
Sue.br.iGow-n.mGU ho, h toiheDSMand
minority icprr.fntaiion on the student
COU.it .
On jam 21, 117), Sitimon rejected the
I.S'! d r-iand-v, stating, "the University
c in polic-y. or praf tier, pioudr
t .i- iieatinent fur anv jin;;le race, color.
cr alien cf a cbp ui
or tic !. To d so would be a step
bickw.mb."
Sii.ce the initial rejection of these
demands, the University hastakeniontirte
'"i t : t i a- of th' :n. A University
Commit': t on the Status of Minorities and
the )iv:d. .-:;r. -d was created in VX0. A
Qiiii- ;' i-t Abo-American Studies wa
est. h'hb' I th-.t ?. irnc j ear. Two bl.uk
"..s-.' : t d.h?tf .rs v.ric :;gxjin!fd. A
P'-c i d .;:,o u-irn program for
di-. .-!,. :: r. . h.nts b-om in VJlO,
v.i lb - j 0imd;r-g Office vai
c: ; i ; 1 . '
b ! ! ..' !. d,- C mand for ani-.n
to - . On IV,. 1, V) X W
g, 1 f -r;d:y rr.archeJ n supp-rt rJ
k'b.r r . : !-,. with eppioximitrly U?)
J-to'f .: ; ruuyb South V.'a'M'.l. ,.
,nll:x jmbmt Govctrm.rnt th--tolrui
I .' - id..! lure began appn.prbtin
fndi to th-- r.SM in llr'), atul bhuk
tp.'rsen' ii ,ri cm the sfudmt court and
1- od.iM,'c w.i ensured by irfotms vhuh
nd:ni!;i ! i;, 1771.
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