Controversy and student movement: 1991.E2.80.931992 Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History

1 controversy , student movement: 1991–1992

1.1 students state demands
1.2 students demonstrate
1.3 chancellor hardin asks negotiations
1.4 intervention of spike lee
1.5 formation of panel
1.6 panel supports free-standing black cultural center
1.7 hardin s support free-standing black cultural center

controversy , student movement: 1991–1992

from inception, black cultural center in midst of controversy. after black cultural center’s creation, university trustee john pope quoted saying, “it seems me if (black students) interested in black cultural center, maybe students should attend black university.” editorial in unc’s student newspaper, daily tar heel, called pope’s comment “appalling.” students turned out interested in black cultural center: movement free-standing center largest student protest movement unc had seen since vietnam war.

students state demands

on tuesday, march 17, 1992, hundred students assembled @ south building, center of unc’s administration, demand answer chancellor paul hardin iii 3 demands: higher-wages unc’s housekeepers, free-standing black cultural center, , endowed professorship in dr. sonja haynes stone’s name. since foundation 4 years prior, bcc had been located in 900 square-foot renovated snack bar inside student union, , both students , administrators alike agreed needed more space. hardin’s answer negative on counts. he, many other administrators, concerned free-standing black cultural center lead segregation , separatism, , suggested addition union alternative.

students demonstrate

on saturday, september 3, 300 demonstrators gathered outside paul hardin’s house shout demands free-standing center. students broken police around midnight. student involvement continued grow, , on thursday, september 10, somewhere in range of 600 1500 students peacefully marched south building , presented chancellor hardin letter demanding support free-standing center , choose site november 13. students reportedly waved windows chanting “black power,” , disrupted work 15 minutes. letter came ultimatum: “failure respond deadline leave people no other choice organize toward direct action.” event, ended rally in pit, unc’s social center, organized coalition of black athletes, black awareness council. margo crawford, black cultural center’s director @ time, attributed of movement’s progress 4 football players - john bradley, jimmy hitchcock, malcolm marshall, , tim smith - founded black awareness council.

chancellor hardin asks negotiations

on tuesday following march on south building, chancellor hardin called student activists sit administrators , craft proposal, free-standing structure, send board of trustees. chuck stone, syndicated columnist , journalism professor @ unc, noted “ hardin has changed stance significantly,” student groups still annoyed hardin had not spoken them directly. in response these complaints hardin agreed on wednesday present negotiations.

intervention of spike lee

on friday, september 18, spike lee, filmmaker , spokesperson black causes, spoke in support of movement audience of 7000 students, 3 fourths of whom black, @ unc’s dean smith center. rally began chants of “what want? bcc! when want it? now!” lee, cousin-by-marriage of late sonja haynes stone, whom center named, said impressed him “the fact movement led athletes”, , of 10-minute speech discussed power black athletes have. khalid abdul muhammad of nation of islam present @ rally. feeling alienated fierce rhetoric of “black power,” many white students set out collect petitions in favor of multicultural center, better represent minorities on campus.

formation of panel

on wednesday, september 23, thirteen-person panel named “to find home unc-ch’s new black cultural center.” panel included, among others, doloris jordan, mother of former unc basketball player michael jordan, , harvey gantt, first black mayor of charlotte. despite efforts of provost richard mccormick , chancellor paul hardin, panel did not include members student coalition pressed freestanding center or members of cultural center s advisory board, students. according mccormick, “any appropriate architectural forms , land sites considered in light of programmatic plan working group develops.” students supported new center remained skeptical: black student movement president, michelle thomas, asked “why start on again? it’s stall tactic.”

panel supports free-standing black cultural center

on monday, october 5, panel formally supported free-standing black cultural center 10-2 vote. after decision, richard stick williams resigned panel. worried panel had made difficult decision of whether make center free-standing, williams said ve made decision students table. students, part, waiting declaration of support chancellor hardin. on monday, october 12, more 150 students marched memorial hall disrupt university day, day on administrators , faculty in academic regalia celebrate university’s foundation. administrators , faculty filed in students stood in silence holding signs read “no more waiting,” “no justice, no peace” , “hardin’s plantation”. ceremony begin students marched hall, singing “if won t let build building, put on hoods , roll,” applause of in attendance.

hardin s support free-standing black cultural center

hardin issued statement offering support free-standing black cultural center on thursday, october 15. students suspicious of chancellor s language, stated supported ... free-standing facility house center ... activists thought might mean center share building other programs, day later, after provost mccormick clarified ambiguity, student activist leaders @ last agreed come table in planning of new facility. students placed 2 stipulations on participation: wanted planning done largely center s existing advisory committee; wanted center remain student run part. in october 19 meeting of panel, students agreed suspend threat of “direct action” if hardin did not support free-standing center november 13. activist students had achieved victory, black student movement president michelle thomas showed awareness of different challenges lay ahead: first concerned step one, , chancellor. now, re doing step two, proposal. once step three—the trustees—we have do.