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The essence of freedom is understanding
Black Student Movement Official Newspaper
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Vol. XV, No. 3
October 19, 1984
What do you think about
Jesse Helm? pg. 3
Profile of Upward Bound
pg. 7
Media Manipulation or
what??
pg. 2
Black Ink Symbolizes
Ideas and Concepts
by Laurie Denise Willis
Staff Writer
■
In November 1969, UNC-CH had 70 Black students, the Black Student
Movement v^as two years old and the first Black fnk editor called himself
"Head HNIC".
It was a time of strife, recalled Cureton Johnson, the first HNIC of the
Black Ink. Now 35, Johnson currently lives in Adelthi, Md., and said he often
looked back on those turbulent days when the Black Ink began.
"At the time, we Black students strongly felt we needed an identity to ex
press who we were and what we were about," Johnson said in a recent
telephone interview. Conceived during the Black liberation movement which
was sweeping the country, the Black Ink was as attempt to express that identi
ty-
"We didn't always know how we were moving, where we were moving,
whether we were moving right or wrong, but we knew it was a movement
beyond ourselves, reaching not only Blacks at the University, but in other
parts of the state as well."
The brainchild of BSM officials, the Black Ink was dropped into Cureton's
lap during his junior year. “I thought of the name Black Ink... I felt it was sym
bolic of Black ideas and Black concepts," he recalled.
But the paper was not entirely a campus paper. He said: "to be honest, the
paper was not oriented very much to campus news in the beginning. The focus
was primarily on events surrounding Black culture with the major focus being
on the liberation movement."
"At first, the University (CGC) said it would provide the money for the
paper, but the first two issues were so radical, they withdrew the funds, he
said.
The first two issues of the paper in November and December 1969 carried
headlines which read "Black Brothers Down New Draft System," "Students
Blast 'Police State' Action By Chapel Hill Rednecks" and "Chancellor Needs
Math Course."
Johnson said he personally authored "Chancellor Needs Math Course."
"The early 70s was a time when the University's Black admission policies were
being scrutinized," he recalled. "Naturally, Chancellor (J.C.) Sitterson
wanted to make the University look good, so he combined the undergraduate
figures with the graduate figures to make it appear as if there were more
Blacks in the undergraduate school.
"We corrected the misleading information and told the correct numbers.
Johnson said he knew the Chancellor read the article, but never received
word from him directly; but added, "The Chancellor may have tried to ignore
it, but he was more careful about his statements in the future."
However, the burning issue on campus in November 1969 was the food
workers strike, according to Johnson. Black cafeteria workers were striking
against SAGA Food Services because of unfair wages, split shifts and the lay
off of more than 50 workers.
"That had the eye of the whole state-the governor, the administration and
civil rights leaders," he explained.
"The cafeteria was in Murphy Hall then and the Black students would run
in while white students were trying to eat, turn over the tables and spill food all
over the place," he said. "They'd turn the tables up right and we'd go back in
there and tear the place up again. They'd finally go set up a food serving line
somewhere else and eat."
In addition, Johnson and other BSM members walked the picket lines with
the workers during the two month strike and were arrested guite freguently.
Johnson said, "Julius Chambers, a Black attorney up in Charlotte, would come
down to Chapel Hill and bail us out if necessary...or represent us in court if
necessary."
Finally, the BSM designated Dec. 8, 1969, "Black Monday," a full day of
protest by Black students from around the state, but on the eve of Black Mon
day, SAGA and the food workers met and reached an agreement.
(continued on page 7)
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The largest line on campus Alpha Phi Alpha's Sphinx-
men standing in front of Lenoir Hall. They have been on
line since September 23, 1984.
Will the Upendo
Serve the Needs
the BSM?
by Lisa Y. Henderson
Contributing Writer
Despite a long renovation and
much controversy over its use, Upen
do Lounge and the South Campus’
Union in Chase Hall have reopened
this fall. The lounge has moved from
the first to the second floor, and along
with its move has come another
change.
According to Archie Copeland,
associate director of the Carolina
Union, Upendo will no longer be ex
clusively earmarked for use by the
Black Student Movement and other
Black campus organizations.
Such groups will have priority
status for use of the lounge, Copeland
said, but they must submit a schedule
at the beginning of the school year to
reserve it.
The new scheduling procedure
also forbids parties after 2 a.m. in the
lounge. Copeland said when Upendo
fell under Union jurisdiction last spr
ing, it also fell under Union regula
tions.
He also said the 2 a.m. parties
posed security risks.
Johnny Smith, president of the
Black Greek Council, said the policy
would cut heavily into Greek
organizations' fundraising.
The new system will also effect
the economic resources of the BGC
system by requiring that we have to
pay for security at our parties," he
said.
Keith Cooper, a senior from
Greensboro and BSM vice-president,
said he will set up the BSM's
schedule. He said he saw the new ar
rangement as a good one if black stu
dent organizations have the same
amount of time to use the lounge as
they did in years past.
Cooper also said that black
students should use the facilities to
show that they need them. Because
the scheduling arrangement is tem
porary, such support may be impor
tant in making it permanent.
The South Campus Union has a
long history behind its renovation
and use. In 1972, the BSM first gain
ed access to Upendo Lounge when
Dean Donald Boulton, vice
chancellor of Student Affairs, promis
ed the organization space for
meetings and other activities.
Plans for the renovation of the-
South Campus Union were discussed
(rontmiied ot: /'i.’i/r '''