IS NCCU STILL A BLACK SCHOOL
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
VOLUME 1, N0.1
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
SEPTEMBER 16, 1971
LOOK
ANO
YOU
SHALL
SEE
It seems that every fall
semester as most students return
to campus from the preceding
spring we see many changes have
been in the making over the
summer.
Many of us, no doubt,
remember returning last fall
(1970) and seeing many of the
paths which we had tracked
across the grass had been paved.
Then there was the adding of
color to our surroundings when
the curbs of parking areas were
painted different colors to
indicate parking areas for faculty
and students. And of course
some turn over in faculty,
administrators, and the like.
Again this year we see
changes. There are even more
pavea walkways. Dean Butts is
holding down the Dean of
Students office while Dean Blue
seeks his doctorate. And so on...
Most of these changes seemed
to have no major effect on
students and we were not for the
most, part desiring or in a
position to Attempt to revert
back to the pas\ situations. Few
students felt walkways were an
inconvience, and none sort to
break up pavement and remove
it.
But there has been another
change over the past few years in
the appearance of NCCU’s
_ campus. There is a rapidly
growing white population on our
campus.
In some earher years NCCU
had a few (very few) whites
running in and taking one or two
courses (mostly graduate
courses) and running back out
again. We didn’t worry about
those few. And then the number
increased and many of them
were attending day-time
undergraduate classes. And well,
we didn’t worry.
So they began to move into
our dormitories. And began to
get special privileges (they didn’t
have to stand in long registration
lines). And, of course, they
began to teach us.
They have become chairmen
in many of our departments. But
now we question their increasing
numbers. We want to know why
they are here. How many are
hereTWhy more and more come
every year (by the hundreds)?
This situation exists on our
campus to the extent that it
does for two reasons; (1) NCCU
is not a private institution, but
rather a state supported
institution and, (2) and foremost
because students here at NCCU
have made our white “fellows”
(and I use the term loosely) feel
comfortable.
Yes, comfortable. I don’t
think black students on this
campus, by any means,
appreciate their presence, v/hich
in essence tells us that some of
our brothers and sisters were
turned away because their places
are occupied by some white
folks. I think we recognize the
fact, that their presence
indicates again, what we saw last
spring in the state legislature,
that is that “our” (and I use the
term loosely) institutions are
being taken away from us. BUT
I THINK THAT THE REASON
WE WILL BE TAKEN OVER
SO QUICKLY AND SO EASILY
IS OUR FAULT.
Black students on this
campus have never made it clear
to those people that we are
indeed separate from them, in so
many ways, and wish to remain
so. And until we assume the role
of a strong, proud people we will
continue to be co-opted. Until
we choose to make this clear,
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY,
this same thing will continue to
happen and our younger
brothers and sisters will have
even less to hold on to than we
have had. And who will we
blame? We will have to ask
ourselves, where was my
manhood, my pride, my love for
my brothers and sisters?\Wll we
have an answer?
I maintain that we must pick
up the cry of Frantz Fanan who
has said,“Each generation must
discover its mission, fulfill it or
betray it.” And the words of H.
Rap Brown, “I do what I must
out of the love for my people.
My will is to fight. Resistance is
not enough. .Aggression is the
order of the day.” And more
over that we take nothing from
the oppressor, but only in turn
get that which is ours.
Now will you tell me, whose
institution is NCCU?Theirs?Or
Ours?
NELSON JOHNSON, National Chairman of the Student Organization for
Black Unity, analyzed the purpose of Black people during the fifties and the
early sixties at North Carolina Central University. See related story on page
4.
In an effort to alleviate the
problems of the Core
Curriculum, North Carolina
Central University
administrators have developed a
General Education Program
(GEP) for incoming students.
The Core Curriculum, which
had specific individual
requirements for past and
present students, has been
replaced with the GEP which is a
system of liberal distributive
requirements.
Under the GEP a freshman
must complete 3 courses from at
least 2 departments of the Social
UNIY. ADMINISTRATORS DEVELOP NEW PROGRAM
Science, 6 courses from at least
3 departments of the Humanities
and Fine Arts, 4 courses of
Science with not more than 2
courses to be taken in the same
department. Foreign language is
no longer required, but if a
student elects to take a foreign
language, he must complete the
entire sequence. No minor is
required in the GEP.
However, upon viewing both
the Core and the GEP from a
Black prospective, neither
program prepares the Black
individual to be of maximum
effectiveness for Black people.
Black students are in need of
a Black institution we will be
better able to help our brothers
and sisters here in racist
America, on the continent, and
any other place tliey may be.
Many times in the past
students at NCCU have asked for
a field study program. Here, now
and again we repeat that request.
When will this program be
instigated?Will it be instigated??
Black students are waiting for an
answer.
So, the books, bills and
registration have gotten you all
fouled up? Well it might be
interesting to note that this
happens' quite often around
here. It definitely happens every
orientation and registration
period.
NCCU has never been what
you might say, perfect, at
organizing or pohcy making.
Trough NCCU is considered a
small university, it is not a small
job to handle 1500 students
during registration. It is no small
job to check in 400-600 people
in a dormitory in one day.
But let us wait before we
(Continued on Page 3)