Frftdom
Justice
Unity
POWER!
BLACK INK
BLACK STUDENT MOVEMENT OFFICAL NEWSPAPER
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
S-21
Volume 3, Number 5
P
'V-.W*-/, ,
Blacks sponsor week
of cultural festivities
Carson^ Lacewell
claim BSM posts
by Mitzi Bond
Associate Editor
Warren Carson and Mary
Lacewell are the newly elected
Chairman and Minister of
Information of the Black
Student Movement.
Of 157 votes cast in the
election March 7, Carson, a
sophomore frojn Tryon, -N.C.,
received 110 and Lacewell, a
sophomore from Kinston,
received 125.
Larry Mixon, a junior from
Greensboro, was cl :^ctcd
On-Campus Co-ordinator (128
votes), Larry Williams, a
freshman from Fayetteville,
Off-Campus Co-ordinator (135
votes), and Willie Wilson, a
junior from Elizabeth City, N.C.,
Cultural Chairman (117 votes).
Run-off elections on March
Brown:
21 netted the following results:
Secretary-Margaret Blackman, a
sophomore from Clinton (177
votes), and Vice-Chairman-Mil-
ton Gunn, a freshman from
Durham (123 votes).
Only two campus
representatives have been
chosen: Cheryl Willerson, a
freshman from Fayetteville, and
Armelda Bracey, a junior from
Hillsboro, will serve from South
Campus. Carson will appoint
representatives from North
Campus, Granville Towers, and
Off-Campus at the first Central
Committee meeting in April. He
will also then fill the posts of
Parliamentarian, Treasurer and
Sergeant-at-Arms.
“My major goal is to create
more unity among Black
students. I plan to do this by
Continued on Page 6
by Michele Alston
Staff Writer
“Moving Toward Blackness”
is the theme that set the pace for
the BSM’s first Black Arts
Cultural Festival during the
week of April 2—8, 1972. Poetry
reading, song, and dance —
significant of Black culture —
were the categories used in
preparing the program. The
week of festivities began Sunday
night with poetry reading in the
Union Coffee House.
The poetry read dealt with
Black identity, Black
consciousness and Black love(s).
Many poems were written by the
readers themselves — apparently
after a day of facing frustrations,
hardships or racism. One original
poem that appeared to especially
touch the audience was
“Niggers” written by Miss Karen
Dacons. The poem was written
to niggers — “who aren’t worth
the time of saying ‘fuck you.’ ”
The walls of Memorial Hall
rocked Tuesday night as Miss
Francine Randolph and the BSM
Gospel Choir performed.
Dressed in colors symbolizing
Black Liberation — re.d. Mack
and green — the choir set the
atmosphere of the “old Black
Baptist Church Revival.” Songs
that appeared to especially
please the audience were “Lord
Don’t Move That Mountain”
with Warren Carson as soloist
and “Peace Be Still,” soloist
Wallace Peppers. Mona Simmons
sang the solo “Precious Lord” in
memory of the death of the late
Dr. Martin Luther King.
Black people again showed
their ability to capture the mood
of the music Wednesday night
when the Opeyo Dancers
performed. Under the direction
of Herman Mixon, the Opeyo
Dancers moved to the rhythm of
different forms of music as
varied as “Ode to Billie Joe” and
Issac Hayes’, “They Long To Be
Close To You.” The group wore
simple costumes to fit the
different mood of each song.
The most effective performances
were “Ode to Billie Joe” and
“Inner City Blues.” A solo dance
entitled “Please Don’t Let Me Be
Misunderstood” was done by
Miss Veneita Washington. Miss
Washington, who is not an
Opeyo dancer, dedicated the
song to all Black maids and
janitors on UNC’s campus.
Miss Karen Dacons, Miss
Barbara Nesbitt and Miss
Deborah Mayo justified their
talents Thursday night in their
performance of Sister Sonji by
Sonia Sanchez under the
di-rection of Bob Spenter
Explicative of the play are the
lines: “Today I shall bring back
yesterday as it can never be
today; as it sl'ould be
tomorrow.” The play depicted
the struggle toward Black
awareness and an unprecedented
nation. This was accomplished
drug abuse increases among
by Doris Stith
Managing Editor
The problem of drugs is a
desperate problem in the United
States, but becomes even more
desperate when attention is
turned to its influx in the black
community-family, school, and
community.
In discussing this problem, Ed
Brown, brother of H. Rap
Brown, told a Black audience at
the Black Communications
Society Conference that the
steady increase of drugs in the
black community has made it
the number one problem.
“A psychological and
economical strain is imposed on
people by the use of drugs,” he
said. “Think about your
school.”
He labeled high schools as drug
stores and • said nine- and
12-year-olds are going around
with habits on their backs.
“We can’t control the
problem of drugs in America,
but we can control it in the
Black community,” said Brown.
“The energy of the Black
youth should be put into ridding
the drug problem rather than the
‘free Rap Brown’ yells.”
He briefed the audience
about the alleged incident in
which Brown was accused of
trying to rob a night club. “What
my brother was really trying to
do was fight the drug problem
and assess its cause,” said
Brown.
Brown accused the press of
oversighting the real problems of
the Black community and
distorting articles submitted by
Black reporters.
“You have to hold someone
accountable,” he said.
“Newspapers and television say
don’t use drugs, but they don’t
say who’s responsible.”
He said that the selling of
drugs is the quickest way to get
rich and is financed by respected
persons who pump it into the
Black community. “This three
billion dollar American industry
is protected more than Black
people by the FBI, police and
some of our own people’, ’ Isaid
Brown.
Asserting that drug
rehabilitation only reached one
out of five addicts. Brown
related the availability of drugs
in the community to the use of
them.
Brown said that drugs were ah
obstacle to Black unity in
finalizing the desperation of the
problem.
wh
''riei’ds had a chance
and mii-gJe, In ?.
Blacks
W
through the memories of
transition by an old lady. The
last lines of the play appeared to
be directed at young Blacks,
especially Blacks in college: “We
dared to pick up the day and
shake it by its tail until it
became evening — a time for us,
Blackness, Black people. Anyone
can pick up the day and make it
stop. Can you? Can you my
friend? Or maybe it’s better if I
ask, wUl you?”
Friday night, many party
goers were dressed in beautiful
African attire. The 'Great Hall
was beautifully decorated with
African table cloths and fruit
center pieces. The fruit ranged
from pineapples and cantalopes
to oranges and grapefruit. Music
for the African Cabaret was
supplied by Ronnie Mudd and
the Soul Vibrations.
Black parents from all parts
of North Carolina came to
Chapel Hill Saturday to join
their children in ending the week
of festivities. After registration,
they were entertained by the
BSM choir, the dance group and
M iss Karen Dacon’s acting
perform.ance They appeared
pleased with the acnonplish-
'.nei)t« of Blfa'c'cs op
rfcc ’tion fclk.wec a".ing which
par * i o
to
sch.;duled business meeting iatc;
that day headed by Mr.
Ashely Davis — parents were
informed of many on-campus
incidents. The apparently eager
parents formed a Parent’s
Committee to support the Black
students on campus. Reverend
Walter Alston was selected as
chairman\ and Mrs. Beatrice
Smith was selected as secretary.
Dr. Reginald Hawkins spoke at
the banquet that afternoon using
the topic “Tender Warriors at
the Crossroads.” He recognized
Chapel Hill as the most
“hypocritical place in North
Carolina” and pointed out to
Black students the apparent plan
for the extinction of Blacks in
North Carolina. Remarks by Dr.
Hawkms which are well worth
the consideration of all Blacks
on campus are, be Black ’cause
their “sugar ain’t sweeter, their
ice ain’t colder.” During the
banquet, Gregory Strayhorn,
chairman of the parent’s day
committee, recognized old and
new BSM Central Committee
members.
Saturday night the Persuaders
performed in Memorial
Auditorium captivating the
audience with their popular song
‘Thin Line Between Love and
Hate.” The 8th Avenue Express
from New York served as their
back-up group. They appeared
well appreciated by the large
audience.
The theme “Moving Toward
Blackness” was chosen to denote
the progress of Black people.
This progress was personified in
the success of UNC’s first Black
Arts Cultural Festival. The
success of the BSM’s first Black
Arts Cultural Festival was the
result of the support and talents
of Blacks on campus.