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March, 1975
BLACK INK
BLACK STUDENT MOVEMENT OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Freedom
Justice
Unity
POWER
Vol. 6, No. 5
BSM promotes
community action
Mrs. Gaitha Lassiter, Buddy Ray, and Walter Davis at the Multi-Purpose
Center.
By Bernadlne Ward
Feature writer
Cars followed each other much like
a funeral procession, only this was on
occasion for fun and good times, not
sorrow. After parking, everyone
hesitantly, but expectantly entered
the Multi-Purpose Center here in
Chapel Hill. This February 14 meeting
was a chance for students and senior
citizens to become acquainted.
Lunch hour was just coming to an
end when students entered the room,
cluttered here and there with dishes.
After dishes were pushed aside, the
get acquainted session began.
From the start humor prevailed.
When Mrs. Gaither Lassiter said that
the men preferred young ladies and
women young men, one man
clapped and said, "Mrs. Lassiter, you
alright."
Buddy Ray, Off Campus Coor
dinator for the BSM spoke to the
group saying that this would be a
learning experience tor all involved.
The Ebony Readers presented
poetry selections.
When the senior citizens learned
that the BSM Gospel Choir and
Drama Group were included on the
schedule for a later date, many
became so enthused about hearing
the choir that they asked any
members present to sing. Besides
entertaining at the center, students
are to call their citizen every day and
visit them at least every two weeks.
"You con call me everyday," and
"Give me a very young man," could
be heard among peals of laughter as
Mrs. Lassiter made introductions.
One worfian mistook BSM member
Walter Davis for basketball star
Walter Davis, but she was quickly in-
formed,”HE AIN'T THE ONE."
(continued on page 8)
Ik
Participants in BSM program for the aged.
NCCU Law School
Accreditation may cause problems
By Ethel Johnson
Lay out editor
Accreditation could pose a
problem for North Carolina Central
University Law School, according to a
committee report of the American Bar
Association (ABA). In a February 12
confidential report, the committee
told NCCU officials that it would
begin proceedings to strip the law
school of accreditation if a com
prehensive improvement plan is not
submitted by June 1 The report
called for a new law building, and
improvements in the instructional
program and school management.
An article in the Durham Sun
stated that on February 19, University
of North Carolina President William
C. Friday announced that an overall
supplemental request which included
funds for the new law building,
would be submitted to the
legislature. Monies for the new
building and improvement of the
school's library had been cut by the
Advisory Budget Commission in the
original UNC budget proposal, Fri
day said.
Eventhough steps are being taken
to maintain the law school's ac
creditation, many who know its
history are skeptical. A fact sheet dis
tributed by the law school, which was
chartered in 1939, states that the first
attempt to close the school occurred
when the Supreme Court rulings
abandoned the concept of "separate
but equal" facilities. In 1966 an effort
was made to omit support for the
school by Governor Dan K. Moore's
state budget. In 1969, a report of the
state Board of Higher Education ad
vocated merger of the school into the
UNC school system; NCCU rejected
both alternatives. The fact sheet con
tinued that the ABA accreditation
body viewed the school's facilities in
March '74 and warned that ac
creditation may be withdrawn if ad
ditional space resources, and funds
were not allocated to the school.
Dean of North Carolina Central
Law School, LeMarquis Dejarmon,
stated that "although the $2 million
for the new law building was our
number one priority, the state Ad
visory Budget Commission cut it from
the original UNC budget proposal."
Dejarmon added that the com
mission's usual procedure is to give
strong consideration to each of the
sixteen universities first priorities and
cut the least important items.
“The denial of meaningful support
to our Law School by the State of
North Carolina is a matter of
historical record. President of NCCU
Student Bar Michael Lee said. Lee
said, however, what bothered him
most was the ABA report inference
that individual students were
incompetent. "The ABA inspection
team did not attempt to measure stu
dent ability, nor do their procedures
exhibit any real yardstick by which
they might test individual ingenuity,
motivation, and desire," Lee stated.
Students at NCCU law school
shared various opinions on the ABA
report, but most agreed on the
necessity of a new law. building.
Second-year student William Dudley,
expressing concern over the state of
the present building said, "How do
you expect me as a student to com
pete when I am subjectto such inade
quacies. At present, this building has
no "john" and there is no heat except
small portable heaters." Dudley add
ed that approximately 300 students
are enrolled, but the school's reading
room has only 30 chairs to ac
comodate them.
Another student, who asked that
his name not be disclosed, stated that
some of the professors at the school
would '•ank with any in the notion;
however, other professors appeared
less interested because they were
transient.
The only reason the school in not up
to par in its instructional program in
the mind of Professor of Property and
legal Writing, Ernest Fullwood, is due
to lack of money. "The quality of
teaching has been good and the
faculty has done admirably well,"
Fullwood said. He added that he
really wasn't sure what the ABA
(continued on page 8)