Black Students Meet with Administrators
This article describes meetings between administration and black students during 1969. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.Citation for this article is: "Blacks meet again with administration to regard progress on student demands" The East Carolinian, March 25, 1969.
A committee of black students met for the third time last Thursday with administrative officials, as sides squared off to consider programs on the black demands. The eleven students walked away less than satisfied, after hearing that the only effects since their first talks with President Jenkins at the beginning of the month was the creation of new committees headed by the appropriate school officials that would normally handly such individual matters.
As one black student, Roosevelt Morton, noted, "It makes a brother restless to know that the quick action promised before has dissolved into the usual double-talk and creation of committees for 'study'. They can act just as quickly as they want to on at least part of the demands."
WASTED DIALOGUE
Daisy Albritton added that, "some concrete evidence of action on their part could have gone a long way in easing tension and establishing some trust in their words. Now - I don't know. If a committee is all they can come up with 'quickly' in three weeks and three meetings, then perhaps our dialogue is too unmeaningful to waste time on."
President Jenkins' comments on the study committees centered around the fact that major interests could best be served if various activities were directed to people immediately responsible for them. Repeatedly reiterated was the nominclature, "requests, not demands." Jenkins noted that only the citizenry of North Carolina could make "demands" on this school.
NO TAME REQUEST
Black student Bill Owens took issue with Dr. Jenkins' terminology. "These are not 'requests' as President Jenkins has stated," he said. "These are bona fide demands." We are no longer begging - nor asking the administration to take necessary action, as we requested of them last year. No action was taken then. We are now 'demanding' that some immediate action be taken on the part of administration."
Jenkins noted that some of the demands were out of his hands. Future action on the demands will originate in the committees, i.e., the black studies program is now in the hands of the Curriculum Committee.
Comments on the possibility of getting black instructors here were not encouraging. Declining to give names, Jenkins reported that he had met with the presidents of several major black school in N.C. at N.C. Council of Presidents of States-Supported Colleges and Universities. The word seems to be "great demand, short supply." Further elaboration paralled this non-encouragement, as he spoke of the shortage of Black Ph.D's and the "disservice of going in to said someone's school." Similarly, East Carolina finances, or the lack of abundance thereof, was pointed out.
SENSE OF IDENTITY
Conversation of SOULS members labeled this demand a necessity. As William Lowe said, "When you see your race being cast in the role of invisible people, it give you a feeling of inferiority. One of the most important reasons for black professors is a sense of identification. If you see a black man in the front of the class, you are proud of your color."
Johnny Williams further pointed out that there was only one Ph.d. in America who has his Ph.D. in Black history, which, he said, "might indicate that the administration ought to talk less of Ph.D. recuitment and 'robbing' black school and spend more time looking at the market just graduating from these schools."
BAN ON 'DIXIE'
Evidence of tension didn't begin with the third meeting. The present preoccupation on campus with the ban on "DIXIE", according to Audrie Daniels, was "certainly not the leading issue when the demands were first presented to Jenkins the beginning of this month."
According to the Black student committee presenting the demands, Jenkins encouraged the Logic of SGA Channels rather than an administrative decree. Acceptance was tendered after their understanding of his succeeding statements on final veto power over student acts as an implication that "DIXIE" would be banned in the final analysis.
In the recent interview with Jenkins, he claimed, "I never promised anyone we'd ban 'DIXIE.' They've evidently twisted their words. This is a matter for students to decide."
NET PLEASURE VS' NET PAIN
Jenkins continued in explaining his reluctance in entering the field of censorship. "The thing we must strive for is to understand that in affront to the least of us is an affront to all of us. We must carefully weigh our pleasure against the pain it may cause."
Jenkins might well have been echoing the black students in this point.
'NIGGER'
Last Thursday's meeting was considerably tense when Jenkins suggested instances and names of faculty practicing overt racism.
Dean Tucker of Student Affairs was singled out at that time. He later commented, "I don't remember saying it. If I did, it was not meant in a derogatory manner. If I have offended anybody, then I would apologized along these lines."
GRAPEVINE TRUCE
Daisy Albritton, interestingly enough revealed a positive approach to his position. She related, "I heard it through the grapevine that Dr. Tucker has extended an apology for his unintentional slurring of the word negro to nigger, in reference to the black students. I would like him to know that I wholeheartedly accept his apology without any reservations whatsoever."
UNCHECKED TENSION
Dissatisfaction with the last meeting has heightened tension on the black side. According to William Lowe, "I must quote an American more feared than Communist China and the USSR: "If America don't come around, damn if we won't burn it down"-- H. Rap Brown. Maybe the students at ECU won't burn it down, but negative racial practice won't go unchecked."
