Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / April 12, 1989, edition 1 / Page 5
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IFocu The Daily Tar HeelWendesday, April12, 19895' n a me stands t foir ome atttittiuidles ' By CHERYL ALLEN and LEIGH PRESSLEY Staff Writers Almost every day there was a march on Franklin Street. Students and teachers would lie face down in the street singing "We shall overcome," only to be dragged away by Chapel Hill police. Black citizens could not enjoy a movie at the Carolina Theatre or sit down and enjoy an ice cream cone at the local parlor. "Whites only" signs in certain stores on Franklin Street kept them out. This was the civil rights movement in Chapel Hill, . according to Jim Shumaker, a UNC journalism profes-.- sor who was the editor of The Chapel Hill Weekly in the early '60s. Today the protests are over, but many minority stu dents at UNC feel the progress has only just begun. Thoughts that count ..; Many minority students feel that they are perceived and treated differently on campus, said Carolyn Can non, director of UNC's summer Bridge Program, an , orientation program for incoming black freshmen. For example, the only black student in a Class of otherwise entirely white students may feel as if he has to prove himself to the professor and other students. Minorities such as American Indians and Chinese are 1 more easily accepted because their attitudes reflect the dominant culture, said Granette Trent, a senior from Hertford. "Many of them adopt American ways. They are made to feel welcome and comfortable." Sean Lyles, a freshman from Charlotte, said people , tended to shy away from admitting to racist opinions because it would incriminate them. "Of course at a pre dominantly white university there will be a race rela tions problem. A lot of people say there isn't one because they don't see it . . . but avoiding something because you don't want to believe it's there is ignorance." Chanda Douglas, treasurer of the Black Student Movement (BSM), said ignorance about other cultures was where the problem began. "I think the problem is that people don't know enough about each other. It's the people who are ignorant about other races that cause the problems." Louder than words "Racial tensions are not so much overt as covert, but they are clearly there," said Margo Crawford, director of the Black Cultural Center (BCC). Tension shows itself daily in the form of the separation of the black and white students on campus, she said. Blatantly racist things do happen on this campus, Crawford said. She said students came to the BCC to tell her that in classes their comments are met by white ' people's amazed stares, as if shocked that blacks actu ally have anything to contribute. "The tension that black students are under may be something white students can't even imagine." J; Trent said: "You're conscious of being black 24 hours a day, seven days a week; You're a target for racism. You're constantly on the lookout." Because the black culture at UNC is so small, she f said, the white culture tends to dominate, while the black culture disappears. Racism does not have to be an actual thing done to someone; many times racism is felt, Trent said. "It's underneath. You can feel it." "As a black person, you tense up in certain situa-"- tions," said Raquel Bushnell, a freshman from Gasto ' nia. She emphasized, however, that you cant react to ' racial comments. "You just pass it off as the way they were raised. "Regardless of what happened in the '60s and that we && -c ? . - ' J 4 ' V " l 'K' ; J! I - ' ' - y -- - - - ' 1 s , j? i - - x; ; t fe.i ...ii 1 w i 3 DTHFile Photo Students march from the Pit to South Building in a BSM-sponsored rally in April 1987 have equal rights, there are certain areas you just don't go. As black girls, walking through frat court on a Fri day night is one of the most intense situations we could ever put ourselves in. You just know something is going to be said." , Separate by choice Self-segregation is one of the biggest problems on campus, said Chris Mumford, RACIAL chairman and coordinator of Race Relations Week. Many people believe that blacks group themselves together and do not mingle with others. "I think when people come here as freshmen they perceive either a white social life or a black social life." "I think there are divisions in the things we do on this campus in our housing and in our social life," said freshman Lisa Abbott of Millbrook, N.Y., publicity coordinator for Race Relations Week. "Though it is not blatantly racist, it certainly creates a dividing line." Voluntary segregation happens naturally, Bushnell said. "That's probably because we are a small group on this campus and we all know each other, so well move together when we are out." Cannon said voluntary segregation was a result of people being comfortable in their own group. "Interests and values have a tendency to pull them together." But depending on the situation, whites may also group together when they are in a minority. "We're no different from anyone else," Cannon said. "We do the same things as other people." Crawford said students didn't know how to commun icate across cultural lines. "Culturally they don't know one another. They haven't been taught to .embrace one another." She said staying separate was dangerous because peo ple could become so numb that they would stop caring about people of another color. "Black or white people who only communicate with people of their race are pathological." The flip side One of the dangers in resolving racial problems is that the majority culture may go overboard in its attempts to make up for past discrimination against minorities. Many minority students feel as if they are at the Uni versity because they are a minority, not because they are qualified, Cannon said. "Different shouldn't be consi dered less than " "Most black students feel they are here because they were needed for government funding or because they were needed to make a quota," Trent said. "There is a sense of not being welcomed and not belonging." But the idea of reverse discrimination is often manip ulated to justify someone's behavior or to deny that racism exists, Abbott said. Lyles agreed. "We have to work just as hard or harder to achieve what we want." Mumford said he thought reverse discrimination existed but was necessary to equalize the past injustices minorities have had to endure. "It (reverse discrimina tion) is unfortunate but it has to happen for minorities to catch up in the race." Opportunity for all? The Black Cultural Center, established in 1988, is the result of six years of petitioning and student advocacy. Its goals include providing for the needs of the more than 2,000 black students at UNC and allowing black and White students the opportunity to do more than bump into each other on campus, Crawford said. The BCC is used almost equally by black and white stu dents, she said. Other minorities on campus said the BCC should be a multi-cultural center instead of being solely for blacks. Carlton Mansfield, former president of the Carolina Indian Circle, advocated a minority center as opposed to a Black Cultural Center when the BCC was in the planning. Despite promises of multi-cultural involvement, there is no intent of having anything but a Black Cultural Center, he said. The name is evidence of that. There has been no administrative discussion of devel oping a multi-cultural center, said Associate Vice Chancellor Edith Wiggins. Wiggins was on the BCC planning committee. "I can't think of a group who has had it as part of their agenda as something to work on." But the multi-cultural center proposal may not be the best solution, according to Trent. "I get the picture of the United Nations being at the Union." Crawford said there was no way any one person was qualified to represent the interests of the diverse minor ity groups on campus effectively, but a multi-cultural center with different directors for each group might work. j "We have just begun cross-cultural teaching. Once we become knowledgeable we could have someone run a multi-cultural center, maybe a hundred years from now." Breaking down walls ; With the increasing awareness of the necessity for racial interaction, students have started numerous A groups and programs in an effort to change the v situation. : . -' One such group is RACIAL, a group formeda year and a half ago for the purpose of promoting interaction of blacks and whites. RACIAL is an effort to learn about prejudices why and how people are prejudiced, and if those prejudices are correct. One important thing, Mumford said, is that members should be able to go out together outside of meetings. "You can talk all you want, but interaction occurs ' when you're out having a beer." Several of the Greek organizations on campus have used this principle to improve relations between black and white fraternities and sororities participating in step shows, fireside chats and interracial mixers. In addition, this week is Race Relations Week, another effort to bring the University community together. But students can make individual contributions to ; race relations. "All you have to do is go up and start talking," Mumford said. "Dont be intimidated because they are of a different race." ' Anna Turnage also contributed to this story. ' Interracial datin brings unique kinds of cha enges By JACKI GREENBERG ' Staff Writer While romance under any circumstances is a compli cated proposition, those who try to bridge racial barriers in ; the dating scene may face even more challenges. "Most interracial relationships are kept low-key because they aren't really accepted on campus," said Vincent Person, a junior from Robbins. "We're not trying to hide the fact : that we're dating, but why display it when there's a chance people will come down on us?" said one black : male who is dating a white female. People always question your motives if you date someone from another race, his girlfriend said. "It helps you realize who your real friends are." The couple requested anonymity. In a recent Daily Tar Heel survey, 61 percent of UNC students said they would date someone of another race, and 60 percent said they would not mind if a friend dated someone of another race. Person, who is black, said, "I wouldn't date a white woman because I've seen enough beautiful black women to keep me interested in them." However, he said his black friends at home encouraged him to "Would you consider dating someone of another race?" I no I iiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiik 37 ISSSIllSlISlISffllSIIffllsl tflnRMMMHMilMHPr illllJtXIIIIIIIXIIIIIIIIIIIilJIJJ"""!"!!!"""" III"!!! p) DTH Graphic date whites. . Chris Bracey, a black freshman from Columbia, Maryland, said he dated both black and white females, but he said the dating scene for black females was basically limited to black males. "They (black women) have a right to be angry when black males are dating white females. It cuts off their supply." Jerry Edwards, a black sopho more from Chapel Hill, said there was a myth that blacks dated whites to improve their status. Bracey and Person said there was some truth to this "myth." "Some black guys date white girls because they think of it as a status symbol," Bracey said. Person agreed and said that while some black males had honest motives, others dated whites to show they could be accepted by the white community. But there is a difference between a dating relationship and marriage. Fifty-eight percent of students sur veyed said they would not marry someone of another race. Jeff Meyer, a white senior from Winston-Salem, said he would not want a mixed marriage because he thought it would be difficult for the children of such a marriage to have solid self-esteem and a strong identity. "It can be extremely taxing for children to grow up in a society that doesn't wholeheartedly condone mixed marriage." "I don't understand why people care what society thinks," said Alisia Morgan, a freshman from Philadel phia who has a black father and a white mother. She said her parents never made a big deal about the fact that they had a mixed marriage. "When I was little, I never even realized it." Morgan said it was important to teach kids that who you are is more important than what you look like. "I hate it when people ask, 'What are you?' I'm a person. What do they think? People love to put you in a group. They think you can't be both." Tanya Keene, a sophomore from Arlington, Va., also has a black father and a white mother. She said she didn't have any race-related problems growing up, but she clearly remembers the day she learned color combinations in kindergarten. "We learned that blue and yellow make green, and red and yellow make orange. Then one boy drew white on black and he asked me why I wasn't gray. "I ran home to ask my mom. She took out the crayons and drew beige on brown to make tan. That's you,' she said." Both of Keene's parents are very strong people, she said. "Anyone who was against the marriage changed their mind after getting to know them." Interracial couples are more common in the North, she added. "And they, are definitely more secretive down here (in the South)." Views on interracial dating often reflect family upbringing. Tracey Perrone, a senior from Raleigh, said interracial dating was not widely accepted by her parents' generation. "They would freak if I dated some one of a different race. I don't think my mind would even let me consider it." Junior Laura Hinkle never thought she would date a Vietnam ese person, and Chinh "Chilly" Nguyen never thought he would even hold hands with an American. H inkle's family has lived in High Point since the 1700s. Nguyen moved from Vietnam to Fayetteville when he was 13 years old. Hinkle said some of her closest friends at home were black, but it "Would you marry someone of another race?" 60 50 H 40 H 30 H 20 i 10H Yes 42 No 58 DTH Graphic would not have been acceptable for her to date a black person. "I didn't think my parents would disapprove of my dating an Oriental, but it has been more of a problem than I thought it would be. "They (her parents) like Chilly, but there is a lot of white pride involved. I don't think they like the thought of having grandchildren who look different." Hinkle and Nguyen said they were used to being stared at, especially in her hometown. "We were in a video store and an old lady kept staring and staring at us. Finally Chilly turned around and made a face at her. She was very embarrassed." Hinkle said her mother was very concerned about the differences between the American and Vietnam ese cultures. Where we found the numbers The DTH Interracial Dating Survey was conducted on March 29, 1 989. Surveys were given out in the Union, in the Pit and in front of Greenlaw Hall. There were 185 response sheets filled out. Forty percent of those surveyed were men and 60 percent were women. The class breakdown was: 1 9 percent freshmen, 20 percent sophomores,. 3 3 percent juniors, 26 percent seniors and 2 percent others. The survey was organized by the arts and features desk of the DTH and , cannot be considered scientific. ii
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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