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The North Carolina Alumni and Friends Coalition
The North Carolina Alumni and
Friends Coalition was founded in 1973
to strengthen the historically black
state universities and to improve the
access of black citizens to higher
education in North Carolina.
The Coalition is made up of
members of the national alumni
associations of the five predominantly
black state universities, educators,
administrators, student leaders,
representatives of civic and com
munity groups, and other concerned
black citizens.
Lawrence Cooper, president of the
NCCU Alumni Association, is
chairperson, and Garrett Laws is
director. The Coalition maintains an
office at 229 South East Street,
Raleigh, North Carolina.
In unity Power prevails
The North Carolina Black Student Coalition is the rebirth of a con
scious nnove toward improvement and stabilization of black affairs.
Created in December of 1977, it is now a unified body of 14 black student
organizations across the state serving more than 18,000 black students.
Our Motto, “In Unity Power Prevails” is the basis for which our goal
of full participation in society will be achieved. The present alternative
to this goal, black tokenism, is unacceptable.
It is most unacceptable that black students make up less than 7
percent of the largest state-supported schools when blacks make up
over 25 percent of the state population. In an investigation by Associate
Dean Hayden Renwick it was revealed that less black students are
being admitted now than in 1974 despite the larger pool. Yet the general
administration has pledged to increase the number of black students.
This is not an isolated event. We don’t expect the same people who
fought desegregation to properly implement it.
'Hius the NCBSC is presently putting together research teams to
investigate the affirmative action programs on individual campuses
and check their results against stated goals and guidelines for
desgregation set forth by HEW this year.
In addition to the research effort the black student coalition has
intervened on the side of the defense in the case of Bostic vs. Byrd, a
case similar to the Bakke case, in which Lynn Bostic has charged the
UNC Law School with reverse discrimination.
The Coalition also plans to press for Black Studies programs at all
the state’s universities. These were promised everywhere in the six
ties, but they failed to materialize at many universities, and where
they do exist, they are weak or even disappearing. As a result, black
students learn little of their own history and culture, and white
students know nothing about blacks. The Coalition is preparing a
proposal to the General Administration to fund strong programs at all
16 state campuses, and black student groups on individual campuses
are being encouraged to go to their administrations for support. We
have found that access to education on paper is not enou^. Black
students want full participation in education and in the society.
A finjl program planned for this year is a statewide tutorial program
to help high school juniors and seniors prepare for the competency
tests to be instituted in November.
It is time for all black people to demand full participation in society.
The survival of our nation hinges upon our freedom to exercise that
right.
Challenge 78
Black Ink Needs You
933-8345 933-4602
The Committee on Established Lectures
announces the Fall 1978 Weil Lecture
on American Citizenship
JULIAN BOND
“A View of American Citizenship"
in Memorial Hall, 8 p.m. Monday November 13
Organized in Decemtx?r 1973, the
Coalition’s first major activity was
the preparation of a comprehensive
document describing North
Carolina’s continued discrimination
against blacks and predominantly
black institutions of higher education,
and calling for specific actions to
upgrade the black state universities,
increase the percentage of blacks in
all undergraduate programs, and
bring greater equ.'ii'* ; ii integration
of students, faculty staff at both
black and white in 'ons
This lengthy doi;uii.onl, entitled
“Dismantling the Dual System of
Higher Education in North Carolina:
The Black Perspective,” served as a
basis for building awareness in the
black community of the issues and
problems confronting the black
universities, and as a basis for
monitoring the state plan for
desegregation of higher education.
When in 1977 HEW was required by
the courts to order six southern
states, including North Carolina, to
develop new and improved plans for
desegregation of higher education,
the Coalition was one of the groups
consulted by HEW 4n drawing up
guidelines for acceptable plans.
After North Carolina submitted its
revised plans for the university
system and the community college
system, the Coalition held a three-day
retreat at which educational, political
and lay leaders from all over the state
analyzed the state plans and proposed
specific measures and programs to
improve them and bring them closer
to HEW guidelines.
A major analytical document was
developed out of this meeting and sent
to HEW', state and university of
ficials. It received extensive press
coverage and was viewed as a strong
support for HEW in its efforts tci
negotiate improvements in the Nortt;
('^rolina plan
Other major activities of the
Coalition over the past five years
have included unsuccessful efforts to
locate the new School of Veterinary
Medicine at NC A&T in its ac
crediation crisis, review and analysis
of the shortcomings in the budget for
higher education submitted for this
biennium, and other efforts to support
the predominantly black state
universities and build awareness of
their situation in the black com
munity.
In addition to informal monthly
meetings, the (Coalition sponsors a
statewide annual banquet, and
regional meetings to discuss issues
facing particular black state
universities
The alumni associations of
Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville
State, NC A&T State, North Carolina
Central and Winston-Salem State
Universities are officially members
of the Coalition, and other supportive
organizations include the Black
Political Caucus, Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, and the N.C. Black
Lawyers’ Association
In all its activities the Coalition, has
received the support and en
couragement of the NAACP l^gn\
Defnese Fund and the Southern
Education Foundation,
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