Freedom
Justice
Unity
POWER
March, 1973
BLACK INK
BLACK STUDENT MOVEMENT OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Volume 4, Number 7
Black
Studies
Needed
by Mae Israel
Staff Writer
On this university campus the
existence of Black professors
and Black-oriented programs is a
necessity. We, as students and as
Blacks, need a solid base.
That is, Black students at a
predominately white university
need a curricula that examines
the Black experience and the
cultural heritage of the
Afro-American. Supposedly,
there is a program here that
offers this opportunity.
However, its effectiveness is
questionable.
Organized in 1969 in the
College of Arts and Sciences, the
Afro-American and African
Studies program was intended to
help Black and white students
understand the relationship and
history of the Afro-American
and African cultures and the
form and meaning of the artistic
expression of Blacks.
Ironically, this intention has
not materialized as it should
have. In some ways the program
has been somewhat successful
(according to a white professor)
and in others, it has failed
miserably.
Dr. Gordon B. Cleveland,
chairman of the program, agrees
that it needs a “fresh start”. “I
don’t think the program has
been a complete failure or a
complete success,” he said. “We
are as well off as most
universities.”
Dr. Cleveland explained that
the program has been most
successful in organizing a library
collection of African materials.
Yet, they have failed to really
recruit and increase the number
of Black professors.
Blacks Refuse
This failure has been
attributed to the lack of
“qualified” Black faculty and
the refusal of some to accept
positions here at UNC. I
propose, however, that the fault
lies with the various departments
because they are not really
interested in recruiting more
Blacks. A traditional answer is
always offered by departments
as an excuse, “We tried”.
Assuming perhaps that a few
of the departments have
honestly worked trying to
recruit Blacks, a number of
reasons can possibly influence
their refusal. First of all, jobs at
Black universities offer higher
rank and higher pay. Many
positions offered at Carolina
carry neither rank nor tenure.
Naturally, a qualified Black will
go where the advantages are
greatest.
It can be argued, however,
that the number of Black faculty
has increased here in the past
(See Studies, p. 5)
Ruby Fuller portrays Baby Girl and Wayne Welch portrays Bambi in “Clara’s Old Man.” The play is one of the many planned activities
for the BSM Cultural Festival.
Festival Begins
by
Doris Stith
Managing Eidtor
The BSM Cultural Committee
has finalized its plans for the
second annual Black Arts
Cultural Festival which will be
held April 1st through the 8th.
Festivities for this week will
include the fam.ous poet Don
Lee, Owusu Saudaki, and Mayor
Howard Lee.
According to cultural
chairman, Algenon Marbley, the
week is planned to show all
facets of the Black culture. This
week’s program includes singing,
dancing, poetry, speeches, and
drama.
“It is really a celebration of
the past, present, and future,”
explained Marbley. “We are
trying to depict a cultural
survival.” -
The theme of the week is also
indicative of the purpose of the
Nixon Axes Blacks
festival. “Message from Africa”
was selected to substantiate the
cultural link between African
people and Blacks in America.
All events are free except the
ones Friday and Saturday. Most
of the events will occur at night
so that more people will be able
to attend.
Perspectively, the week will
start Sunday, Aprii 1 with a
performance by the Gospel
Choir at 2 p.m. and the Opeyo
Dancers at 8 p.m. in Memorial
Hall, the two groups, who are in
their second year of existence,
are composed of BSM students
at UNC.
The Gospel Choir is under the
direction of Miss Francine
Randolph a sophomore. Miss
Randolph, the reigning Miss
BSM, is also the pianist for the
choir which has given several
concerts in the triangle-area.
The dance group under the
direction of Herman Mixon, a
graduate student, has given
several performances also. There
are approximately 15 students in
the group.
On April 2, the BSM drama
group will perform in the Great
Hall of the CaroUna Union along
with the “Ebony Expressions”
from the Chapel Hill
community. The two drama
groups will give three one-act
plays.
The first two plays will be
rendered by the “Ebony
Expressions”. Mrs. Londa
Norfleet, a graduate drama
student, is director of the plays.
The two plays are “Happy
Ending” by Douglas Ward and
“The Owl Killer” by Philip
Hayes Dean.
Miss Karen Dacons is director
of the third play which will be
given by the BSM drama group.
“Clara’s Old Man” by Ed Bullins
is the first play ever to be
presented by the drama group.
Student Aid Shaky
by Emma Pullen
Associate Editor
Richard Milhous Nixon has a
new plan that will eliminate
Black students from, not only
predominately white insitiutions
of higher learning, but Black as
well.
In his budget to Congress,
Nixon did not appropriate any
money for the Educational
Opportunity Grant (FOG) or the
National Direct Student Loan,
which includes the National
Defense Loans. Instead, he
increased the amount for Work
Study and proposed the Basic
Opportunity Grant (BOG) and
the Guaranteed Student Loan
(GSL) to replace the other two.
Unlike the EOG, the BOG is
not a poverty-based program and
is not designed to increase the
number of Blacks in higher
education.
According to Thomas
Lang.ston of the UNC Student
Aid Office, the new program is
an attempt by the government
to do away with all
campus-based federal aid. Under
the new proposal a student
would apply to a designated
centralized office, submitting a
statement of his parents
financial situation. He would be
notified of the amount of aid he
is eligible to receive and be
assigned a serial number.
No money will be awarded
until the government has proof
that the student is actually
enrolled in school for that
semester. The student would
report his number to the
Student Aid Office, which
would in turn submit a list of
numbers to the government
office. A check would be mailed
directly to the student.
The biggest problem
concerning the BOG is the
amount of aid that the student
may receive. First, the
government determines how
much money the student’s
parents can contribute, then it
awards a BOG which only covers
one half of the remaining
expenses, that is, up to one half
of the total expenses needed to
attend the chosen university.
For example, it costs
approximately $2100 to attend
UNC for one year. Suppose the
student’s parents cannot
contribute anything toward his
education, the BOG would only
cover up to $1050. The
University must provide the rest.
But the catch is that the
University will not receive any
other federal aid to cover this
other half.
A predominantly white
school like UNC, where only
about 30 per cent of its total
student population is on any
type of financial aid and which
is also supported by its rich
alumni, will not be as greatly
affected as a Black university.
Up to 90 per cent of most Black
university students depend on
financial aid. Their source of
private funds is almost non
existant.
(See Aid, p. 4)
Tuesday’s entertainment will
feature the band from “Project
Breakthrough” in Durham. The
group consists of three band
members; “Funk Train”, and
four singers, “Four Fellows”.
They will perform in Hamilton
Hall at 8 p.m.
Bob Spencer is director of the
group. He is also director of the
project.
Don Lee will be speaking on
Wednesday in Memorial Hall at 8
p.m. Lee is a contemporary poet
who has written several poetry
anthologies. “We Walk the Way
of the New World” is one of his
most recent.
A discussion is planned for 8
p.m. Thursday in Memorial Hall.
Guest speakers will be Owusu
Saudaki and Mayor Howard Lee.
The two men will speak on the
“Role of Education in the
Cultural Survival of Black
People.”
This night is significant
because these two black
spokesmen are enlightening
speakers and are well versed in
their fields of work. Saudaki is
chairman of the Youth
Organization for Black Unity.
The African Cabaret is
scheduled for Friday night, April
6, at ten o’clock in the Great
Hall of the Union. Music will be
rendered by “Chocolate
Buttermilk”, a band from
Fayetteville, N.C. African attire
has been specified as the dress
for that night. However, other
respectable attire is acceptable.
Admission to Friday’s dance
will be SI per person. Tickets
can be purchased at the desk in
the union during the week of the
festival.
“The Barkays”, a renowned
band will perform in Carmichael
Auditorium on Saturday at 8
p.m. The group is popular for
their “Son of Shaft” record.
They recently appeared in the
movie “Watt Stax”. Tickets to
their performance will cost $2.
They may by purchased at the
union desk.
A consortium of the Gospel
Choir, Opeyo Dancers, drama
group, and the Ebony Readers
will culminate the week of
festivities. It is tentatively
scheduled to be held in the
Great Hall of the Union.