Featuies
February 12,1998
^\
Celebrating Black History at Elon
Giselle Pole
Features Editor
I What is now known as Black
I History Month began as Negro His
tory Week, started in 1926 by Dr.
Carter G. Woodson.
Every year during the month
of February, everyone is reminded
of blacks who struggled for the
right to vote and be seen as equal.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick
Douglass and Harriet Tubman be
come household names. But are the
names Eugene E. Perry, Bryant
Colson or Dr, Donna Hill Oliver
familiar? They should be, especially
to Elon students, faculty and staff.
These are some of the African-
American students who helped to
shape not only Black history, but
Elon’s history.
Black History Month provides
the opportunity to recognize the
legacy of pride the African-Ameri
can community has built and the
extraordinary gifts that have en
riched our nation. Following are a
few names of past Elon students
' and their significance in the
college’s history,
Eugene E. Perry (‘69)— Perry
was the first black to graduate from
Elon College, Elon, along with other
southern colleges and universities,
did not begin admitting blacks un
til 1963, Perry graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in Social Sci
ence/Secondary Education, He then
attended Andover Newton theologi
cal School in Boston, where he
received a Master of Divinity in
Pastoral Theology in 1973, Cur
rently, he is the chaplain at Ander
son College in Anderson, SC,
Gail Parker Fonville (‘70)—
Fonville was the first black female
to graduate from Elon, Currently,
she is the owner and director of the
Love-a-Lot Daycare and Preschool,
Inc, in Burlington,
Bryant Colson (‘79)— In
1978, Colson became the first black
president of the Student Govern
ment Association (SGA). He then
went on to become the first black
editor-in-chief of The Pendulum
the following year.
Mary Carroll Williamson
(‘81)— What started out as a prank
by a white fraternity became his
tory for Elon. Carroll was nomi
nated for Homecoming queen and
won in 1979, making her the first
black queen. When the yearbook
failed to publish a Homecoming
section, however, students took it
as it a sign of racism. Rumor has it
that many of the 1979 yearbooks
were burned in protest.
Dr. Donna Hill Oliver
(‘72)— Dr. Oliver was the first
black alumni to receive the Alumni
of Distinction Award, She received
her PhD from the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro;
currently, she is the Vice-Chan-
cellor at Bennett College in
Greensboro,
Tonya Taylor (‘93)— Tay
lor was the first black female edi
tor-in-chief of The Pendulum.
William Walker (‘93)—
Walker was the first black presi
dent of the Student Union Board.
He held this office for two years.
He was also elected Vice-presi
dent of SGA, making him the first
black to do this. Walker held both
of these positions consecutively.
Currently, he is the Director of
Residence Life at Methodist Col
lege in Fayetville,
David Bynes (‘96)—In 1993,
Bynes achieved two “firsts;” he
became not only the first black
Homecoming King, but the first
King, period,
Michael Rodgers (‘97)—
Rodgers became the first black
youth board of trustee member.
He is currently a Rotary Interna
tional Ambassadorial Scholar at
the University of Liege in Bel
gium,
More information can be dis
covered in the African-American
Resource Room, Moseley 221C,
on the “Wall of Fame,” It is a wall
containing a pictorial history of the
accomplishments of Elon’s Afri
can-Americans,
“African- American history is
important wherever you are, who
ever you are,” said Wilhelmina
Boyd, Associate Professor of En
glish.
“The contributions that Afri
can-Americans have made and are
still making to Elon College and
society are important; it is only
when we understand ourselves and
each other that we can create a
unified whole,” she said.
L’Tanya Richmond, Director
of Minority Affairs and Associate
Director of Admissions, agrees.
“Black History Month should
be an important experience for the
entire college community;” she
said, “We have a special history of
commitment involving the African-
American community,,, evidenced
in our efforts to expand opportuni
ties for success at the college as
well preserve and enrich life for
African- Americans,”
Black
History
Month
Feb. 15-21— Clothing
Drive for American Red
Cross Relief Fund.
Mon., Feb. 16— Speaker
on Sickle Cell Anemia.
7p.m. Covington
Tues., Feb. 17—AIDS
penny drive, followed by
speaker 8p.m. Moseley221C
Thurs., Feb. 19— Ailey
Rep, 8p.m. McCrary.
Fri., Feb. 20— Excellence
in Storytelling w/Jamal
Koram. Whitley, 6:30p.m.
Tues., Feb. 24— Speaker,
Marvin Delaney. TBA
Wed., Feb. 25— ForumTB
Thurs., Feb. 26— Talent
show emphasizing Black
history. Whitley, 7p.m.
Fri., Feb. 27— "War of the
Wits." Whitley, 7p.m. .. .,
from SMITH,
page 12
has been involved in since histresh-
man year.
high school^ I considered my
self kind of like a big fish in a smil
pond/* he said. “I didn’t want to come
to college and become swallowed, so as
soon as I arrived, I tried to make a big
splash/’ he added.
Smith became involved in as many
organizaitions as possible. Now, Smith
isconcentratingon graduating andmak-
ing sure he has a competitive GPA for
graduate school. He isn’t as involved as
he was freshman year. He spends most
of his time with his fraternity, Alpha
Phi Alpha; as a college ambassador^
and workingas student assistanttoMary
Ruth, director of Parent and Alumni
Relations,
“Basically^ Fm chillin’‘this year/’
he says with a short laugh.
Smith’s years at Elon have been
filled with experiences and memories >
and he has the resume to prove it.
“Hie more I think ^out it, I realize
that my resume is one of the most valu*
able things/’ he said. can actually
look at it and be proud, because it’s
etimulative of my experiences here.”
Smith also remembers when he
joined his fraternity, “Before I joined, I
was so naive, so... green/’ he said. ‘*My
fraternity brought out a lot of my lead-
ershipqualities thatl hadn’ttapped into
yet*
Winning Homecoming King in
1997 was something he’ll always re
member as well
"To wininfrontof so many people,
that’s when I felt that I was where I
needed to be/’ he said. '1 had accom-
pli^d all of my goals— social events,
academics and volunteering.,.. I didn’t
want to leave here not accomplishing
any of those things/’ he said.
Smith has no regrets. There was
nothing he wished he could have done
or didn’t get a chance to do.
wouldn’t change anything/’ he
said. “I can’t complain.”
Smithes ultimate goal is to get his
PhD, then teach students. Eventually,
he wants to inspire others to do what he
did.
With all of his involvement on
campus, Smith realizes the need for
more leaders, especially in the African-
American community at Elon. How
ever, he feels that leadership can’t be
forced on others.
“Once folks decide for themselves ?
that they are going to bealeader, they’ll
get inyolved/’ he said.
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