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The Age - Old UNC Problem Of Human Relations Revisited
i:
BernaDine Ward
Features Editor
Perhaps the most awesome and
long ranged project of not only stu
dent government, but the Universi
ty administration, is that of improv
ing human relations on campus.
“If there is a place in this state
anywhere in the South or anywhere
in this nation or world where peop
le should exist as people as closely
as possible to the ideal,” Bill Moss,
Student Body President, stated,
“then it is on this University camp
us. This should exist but that’s not
the way it is now.”
He believes that the first step to
improving the situation is realiza
tion that conflict is not limited to
Black and white issues but between
other races, zind homo-heterosexual
situations as well.
Moss added that the race rela
tions problem was difficult because
“There are various forms of racism
and various ways of ignoring it.”
A large Human Relations Com
mittee has been formed to work
with the union, housing association
and student government. This com
mittee is composed of any interes
ted persons and is headed by Brian
Delany; smaller groups will be
formed from The Human Relations
Committee.
When asked about the feasibility
of trying to change values that had
been ingrained over a period of
years. Moss replied, “We hope this
program will develop with the
freshman class. We realize there
isn’t much you can do with people
already in college. You can’t say
you must behave this way, but on
the other hand, you can’t be pa
tronizing to minorities. We want it
to be realized that minority rights
are infringed upon, sometimes bla
tantly, sometimes quite accidental
ly.”
elitists would like to believe that it
is.”
Along with committees, this
year’s student-faculty conference
will focus on breaking down social
and racial barriers. Moss said he was
concerned about the KKK and
Last year's chairperson of the Human Rights and Relations Committee, Roland Staton.
“What you can do is create an
atmosphere so that people who are
behaving in a way that they don’t
mean can begin altering their beha
vior.”
“A lot of people aren’t racist,
they just don’t realize that what
they are doing is racist. That’s the
person we want to tell ‘Look, you
need to be more careful and open
up.’ ”
A cultural awareness week in
which various cultural and racial
groups on campus can be discussed
and represented may be held. Moss
hopes this will be one way of de
stroying what he cidls “the myth
that this is a white elitist campus.”
According to Moss, “A lot of white
water ballooning of Black students,
but that he was even more con
cerned about voluntary segregation
on campus — a problem he attri
butes to both races.
Elaborating, Moss explained,
“I’ve seen the letter. I can only
assume that if it (KKK) is an orga
nization it keeps well hidden. My
speculation is that it’s one or two
people; I know it’s not a common
feeling among whites on campus.”
“With the percentage of Blacks
being so small as it is, it puts an aw
ful burden on Black students and it
makes it easier for white students
to just ignore the situation. It will
be difficult, but beliefs can be
changed.”
AVERY INCIDENT
(Continued from Page 1)
or nine or ten bags of water and
throw it on someone.
“How many people pass by there
after 12:00, coming from the libra
ry or whatever? Definitely not
enough to hit with such a large
quantity of water.”
Avery residents involved in the
incident contend that the water-
throwing was a mere prank and not
racially motivated, although some
admit to the fact that racial obscen
ities were directed at the Black pas-
sersby.
Wrote Avery resident Scott
Young, who admitted to being in
volved in the water-throwing from
the start: “This incident was not at
all planned toward the Blacks but
anyone that walked down the side
walk. I am not a racist or KKK
member as neither was anyone else
involved.”
“The Blacks totally blew this
thing out of proportion and just
wanted some added attention. Be
cause of the Blacks’ falseness, etc.
of the facts concerning this inci
dent, my opinion of the Blacks is
considerably lower.”
Added another Avery resident,
David Osnoe (also in a written de
position submitted to the Univer-
.sity police): “There is no need for
a BSM (Black Student Movement)
because it is a separate (sic), dis
tinct, racist organization. ’
“It should be changed to be
cedled (sic) ASM (All Students
Movement) to promote brother
hood and friendship between all
races here at the University.”
Black
Life
On
The
Hill
iS'