THE BLUE BANNER I WEDNESDAY, SEPT, 10, 2014 1 THEBLUEBANNER.NET 3
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EDITOR: CORY A. THOMPSON I CORYETC@GNAIL.COM
Faculty urge students to examine racism at forum
AMANDA CLINE
acline@unca.edu
Staff Writer
As national ten
sions surrounding
the strife in Fergu
son continue to grow,
UNC Asheville host
ed a discussion panel
titled “Black Lives
Matter; Forum on
Ferguson, Michael
Brown, Racism and
Structural Violence
In America” last
Wednesday,
Before the fo
rum began, people
piled into UNCA’s
Highsmith Student
Union, forcing many
to stand against
the wall, shoul-
der-to-shoulder. As
the starting time grew
closer, the crowd re
quired more room
as eager attendees
arrived. Staff turned
people away at the
door, but allowed
them to listen in from
the hallway.
“What’s happening
in America is social
suicide,” said Keith
Bramlett, a lecturer
in sociology and an
thropology.
He further ex
plained the problem
as too many police
with the perception
they can use unnec
essary force on the
young and poor. The
problem lies in insti
tutionalized discrimi
nation, Bramlett said.
According to
Bramlett, a re-exam-
ination of how police
work in their commu
nities was vital. He
offered the Idea of
police, beginning to
use a social approach,
focusing on knowing
a community rather
than the outdated law
and order approach.
“Why must po
lice maintain sus
picion?” Bramlett
said. “Why are
there no regulations
against war artillery
funded and provided
by the Pentagon?”
Dwight Mullen, a
political science pro
fessor, continued the
forum and shardd his
personal experiences
from the 1965 Watts
Riots in Los Angeles.
The biggest issue,
Mullen said, lies in
the ways of commu
nity policing.
“Why don’t police
know the neighbor
hood and people it’s
patrolling,” Mullen
said.
He urged listeners
to read further on
the riots and the fear
of rule in Thomas
Pynchon’s “A Jour
ney Into the Mind of
Watts.”
To bring the forum
back into the cur
rent day, Mullen ex
pressed his concerns
of exploitations of
minorities.
“As a minority I
still fear for the lives
of my sons, even in
little oP Asheville,”
Mullen said. “There
needs to be a resolu
tion of tension of be
ing black and being
American.”
Branching off of
Mullen’s comments,
Marcus Harvey, as
sistant professor in
religious studies,
urged listeners to
frightfully re-exam
ine history.
“We talk nonthreat-
enlngly about race.
Minorities are the
victims of domestic
terrorism,” Harvey
said.
He further ex
plained the subject
and discussed what
he called the domi
nant narrative of the
mythology of Ameri
can acceptance.
“We’re Americans.
We’re acceptable,”
Harvey said. “Why
do we need to tell
ourselves this?”
Harvey discussed
the past and ad
dressed the Civil
Rights Act of 1866,
the first U.S. feder
al act affirming the
equality of all citi
zens under the law.
Harvey concluded
the forum urging par
ticipants to consider
and examine other
occurrences similar
to those in Ferguson.
It should not be an
other passing phase,
he said.
“How will we not
allow Ferguson to
dwindle away?” Har
vey said.
Photos by Amanda Cline - Staff Writer
Students, top, cram into participate in the Ferguson forum last Wednesday.
Professor Dwight Mullen, bottom, speaks on racial violence in America.
Jew
TINA LANGFORD
dangfor@unca. edu
Staff Writer
H&M, one of the
world’s largest fashion
retailers, moves forward
with plans to open this
fall at the Asheville Mall.
“I have been waiting
for this moment forever,”
said Madeline Hirsch, a
habitual shopper at the
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t po- and discussed what
opening at mall spurs student and community interest
3FORD Asheville Mall. “I love and Mauritz, which can their first store on New tomers. quality, while at the sams
Asheville Mall. “I love
how they offer high-fash
ion styles for such a low
price and for the whole
entire family. The only
time I used to shop there
was when I was on va
cation, but now you can
guarantee my family and
I will be regulars,”
The brand’s name it
self stands for Hennes
and Mauritz, which can
be translated to “his and
hers” in Swedish. They
target both genders and
have styles for all ages.
The store will include
collections for men, la
dies and juniors, with ad
ditional selections in ac
cessories, lingerie, sports
apparel and plus sizes.
Since the opening of
their first store on New
York’s Fifth Avenue 13
years ago, the company
grew to approximately
300 locations nationwide.
According to officials,
H&M plans to expand
greatly throughout the
Southeastern market in
2014, while also seeking
out the best locations and
properties for their cus-
‘ Photo by Tina Langford - Staff Writer
Currently under construction, H&M plans to open a store with 20,000 square feet in the Asheville City Mail.
tomers.
Many see this retail
expansion as a positive
thing not only for the
Asheville Mall, but for
the entire community.
Marie Louise Ramsey,
store manager of Mori
Luggage in the Asheville
Mall, views the open
ing of H&M as a great
compliment to the city of
Asheville.
“I truly think this is go
ing to revitalize the mall
and make it much more
vibrant and trendy,” Ram
sey said.
Ramsey said she grew
up in Switzerland and
remembers shopping at
H&M as a teenager.
“I’ve seen the compa
ny grow to be a world
renowned retailer. I’m so
glad to hear they chose
to come to Asheville —
It seems they are always
located in cities where
the fashion and retail
business is thriving, and
that says a lot about what
is next for Asheville,”
Ramsey said.“When a
company provides its
customers with great
quality, while at the same
time ensuring they don’t
break the consumer’s
bank. I think that’s when
you know they truly val
ue their clientele.”
Molly Smithsou, a se
nior at the UNC Ashe
ville, views H&M’s style
of fashion as both classic
and trendy at the same
time. ^
“What’s great about
H&M is that they offer
staple pieces of clothing
that can really spice up
your wardrobe,” Smith-
son said. “You can find
affordable clothes that
basically mirror what you
see in fashion magazines
and often times H&M
makes it into fashion
magazines anyway.”
H&M recently ranked
the second most ethical
company by the Ethi-
sphere Institutes, a con
sulting firm, which helps
companies with appropri
ate corporate conduct.
“They are one of the
only brands I can think of
that offer such bold styles
at such a low price point,”
Smithson said.