ARCHIVES
Wise reminisces
nui-G TE LIBRARY
^gnnett Collage
rensboro, W. C.
by Debra Hodegs
“We never thought about being
‘trailblazers,’ ” Gloria Brown Wise
said of the students 20 years ago.
Mrs. Wise was the first black
woman to join the Woolworth’s
sit-in that sparked a nationwide
student protest movement ^
Jim Crow.
Mrs. Wise spoke
memoration service
participation in the%ixnes’
movement on ar
of the originalJait-iruB
3m-
ennett’s
/ersary
|ter the
convocation she sjjjji^ejj^formally
to students and newspTen in a class
session and at a luncheon in her
honor.
At the convocation, Mrs. Wise
called the protester’s course non
violent direct action with clearly
defined goals. She recalled the
level of excitement, enthusiasm
and discipline as very high. Ben
nett students were “on the scene”
from the very beginning, she said.
“A lot of planning, organizing and
meeting” took place before the
sit-in began, she recalls. Although
all the details are not fresh in her
mind, she said the group decided
the men would be the first to sit-
in because the students “didn’t
know what to expect.”
Before she participated in the
protests, Mrs. Wise said she had
to search herself to determine if
she could withstand the pressure.
She realized that, although excite
ment, enthusiasm and an impor
tant cause were there, there was
also the risk of physical and emo
tional abuse.
As SGA president, she also had
to decide if she could lead the
Bennett students in the protest.
She said she knew the Belles
would follow her because they
trusted her. The SGA president,
she said, must do a lot of “soul-
searching” to see if she is com
mitted enough to lead the people
who will hold her responsible. Her
decisions made, she started to
meet with A&T students.
Mrs. Wise applauded the Ben
nett students as they stood togeth
er at that time. She said she rep
resented Bennett College and all
the Bennett women in her activi
ties. All Bennett women were rep
resented at the sit-ins, she said,
although not all actively partici
pated in the protests. Some
worked silently behind the scenes,
she said.
She thanked the black and white
Greensboro community for its
support. She pointed out the risks
were greater for residents than for
students who planned to graduate
and leave the city. She also
thanked the white students from
neighboring colleges who, she said,
were very evident in the protests.
Bennett administration, faculty
and staff were very supportive of
the students, Mrs. Wise said. Dr.
Willa B. Player, the president of
Bennett, played a “quiet, unas
suming” part, according to Mrs.
Wise. Dr. Player was very con
cerned about the safety of her stu
dents and urged careful planning
to ensure their safety. “She never
questioned our motives,” Mrs.
Wise said, “. . . and she would
do anything in her power to aid
us.” Mrs. Wise and the other SGA
officers kept Dr. Player posted on
their actions and told her how she
could help.
Mrs. Wise challenged today’s
black youth to keep moving for
ward. She said the “shared en
thusiasm, energy, and sense of
purpose” held by the students in
’60 should also be held by today’s
students. Don’t look back,” she
said, unless to gain inspiration
from the past. She urged students
to take a stand now or “all the
work done before you will be for
nothing.” Those involved in the ’60
movement are depending on to
day’s students to continue to move
further, she said. “We’re not there,
yet,” she said, “we have a long,
long way to go.”
Priorities, goals and methods
that fit today must be found, she
said. She stated, “Now may not be
the time for picketing or march
ing.” If not, other methods must
be found to further the fight
against injustice.
Mrs. Wise expressed her joy at
being back at Bennett. She hoped
that she had challenged all to “do
more yet, to move forward ... to
do more in Greensboro.” She
urged Bennett students to use
Bennett as a “training ground” so
when they left they will be “ready
(Continued on Page 5)
Gloria Brown Wise, the first Bennett woman to participate In ttie Woolworth’s
Sit-Ins, returns to campus for the twentieth anniversary of the event. She was
former SGA president here.
Photo by Davis
Friday, February 15, 1980 BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. 0.
VoL XLI, No. 7
Hunt stresses cPiange for 80’s
by Debra Hodges
“What are the challenges of
North Carolina in 1980?” was the
topic at the North Carolina Gov
ernor’s Reception Jan. 26. Honor
ing Gov. James Hunt and former
Governors Luther Hodges, Sr.,
Robert Scott, and Terry Sanford,
the six-hour Democratic reception
was well-attended by area Demo
crats and the press.
A two-hour reception at the
Carriage House at Blandwood be-
ban the evening. Next, a cham
pagne reception at the Carolina
Theatre led up to the main event,
addresses given by Hunt, Scott,
and Sanford. Congressman Rich-
¥
2*' ,*
9^ -
Andre Tayir, eminent dancer and choreographer, assists hopefuls auditioning
for the upcoming production of “Purlie.” Tayir appeared on the Bennett and
Greensboro College campuses as a result of a consortium grant.
Photo by A. Garrett
ardson Preyer presided over this
part of the program with Hugh
Morton, one of Hodges’ “closest
friends and associates,” according
to Preyer, who gave highlights of
the Hodges administration. The
evening closed with a showing of
the 1940 film classic “Casablanca.”
A new agenda for progress is
needed for 1980, Hunt said, and
the people must help to develop
it. Election time is the opportunity
for people to determine which way
and how fast the government
should go, he said.
Hunt said the Democratic party
in North Carolina is in “strong
shape.” He believes the people feel
they have been “well served” by
the party. He stated the nature of
Democrats was not to focus on the
past but on the future. The party
must, he said, look ahead and fig
ure out what it takes to make
things better.
Hunt urged his party to work
hard in the precincts. He promised
to give everything he has to insure
the Democratic Party “from White
House to court house.” He stressed
the importance of the district in
the Rockingham, Guilford and
Alamance counties. He pledged to
help elect Democratic candidates
in his district.
“Republicans can’t beat us in
North Carolina,” Hunt stated, “we
can only beat ourselves. Republi
cans are hoping for a split in the
Democratic party,” he said. He
pledged a “positive campaign full
of total loyalty and support to the
Democratic Party.” Hunt is run
ning for re-election against fellow
Democrat Robert Scott.
Education was another concern
Hunt expressed. More skill and
technical training are needed in
the state. Smaller classes and
stronger discipline are needed in
public schools, he said. He also
said more concern for the “aver
age child” must be shown. More
must be done for the exceptional,
but education must also be better
for every single child, he said. A
method of reducing the one-third
drop-out rate must be found, he
said.
(Continued on Page 4)
Achievers on campus
The Omega Nu Chapter of Sig
ma Tau Delta National English
Honor Society is in the process of
publishing its annual literary mag
azine in March, 1980. This literary
magazine will consist of short
stories, poems, and essays.
The members of Sigma Tau
Delta are Linda Anderson, Sandra
Brown, Shelia Purnell and Mar-
chelle Boatwright. The adviser of
this organization is Dr. Georgie
Latimer.
« ^
Valerie Littlejohn, Pamlico Mil
ler and Margaret McDowell were
special guests at the monthly
meeting of the Guilford County
Home Economics Association Feb.
5. As a part of the dinner meeting.
the three Belles spoke on special
departmental emphases at Bennett
and some of the special programs
and professional involvements of
the students during this school
year.
* * *
Mrs. Vaughnetta Carr, a grad
uated Home Economics Education
major, has recently begun a two-
year stay in Sierra Leone, West
Africa, where she looks forward
to meeting and working with sev
eral other departmental graduates
who are now working in their
homeland.
* * *
Valerie Bendolph , a junior ma
joring in Food and Nutrition, has
returned for the second semester
at Bennett after spending the fall
as a food program specialist
trainee with the United States
Department of Agriculture in
Washington. Part of her experi
ence involved visits to various
school lunch programs on the east
coast.
* * «
The second Home Economics
mini-course, “Food and Your
Health,” starts Feb. 18, and the
final mini-course, “Food and In
flation,” will begin March 17. Ac
cording to Chairperson Louise G.
Streat, “if you missed the first
mini-course from the Home/
Family Life Center, you missed
a treat.”
College uses arts grant
Bennett College is fortunate this year to be a part
of a Greensboro Consortium Artist and Residence
Grant. The grant was awarded this academic year for
the purpose of bringing to the campus outstanding
artists in the field of music, visual art and drama.
Mr. Andre Tayir, who has just completed dance
demonstrations with Bennett College and Greensboro
College, was enthusiastically received by students in
various workshops.
During the month of March, Mr. Willis Patterson,
concert artist from the University of Michigan, will
be on our campus for four days. A portion of that
time will be spent in master class workshops with
faculty. He will perform a concert of classical music.
Mr. Patterson sings bass and is one of the outstanding
artists in the country in that voice range.
He will spend some time on the campus of Greens
boro College. For further information, contact Dr.
Alston, chairman of the music artist and residence
grant.