"UNC Students Rally for Cultural Center"

"UNC Students Rally for Cultural Center"

In a rally at the Dean Smith Center on Friday, September 9, 1992, 7,000 mostly African American students and protesters gathered to call for the building of a new, free-standing Black Cultural Center on UNC Chapel Hill's campus, to be named after recently deceased African-American professor Sonya Haynes Stone. The event was organized by the Black Awareness Council, an organization of mostly African American student athletes who have protested for the building of the center since September of 1991. The center was opposed by UNC Chancellor Thomas Hardin, who did not want to build a free-standing Black Cultural Center, but preferred either a multi-cultural center or a Black Cultural Center as part of another campus structure, like the New Student Annex at NCSU. Hardin argued that a free-standing Black Cultural Center might promote further student segregation. However, the Sonya Haynes Stone Center received massive support from the African American student population on campus and the Michael Jordan Foundation had offered to pay for the building. The event took on an overt black power message, with students hearkening back to Malcolm X and waving Black Panther posters at the event. Prominent speakers included the nephew of Sonya Haynes Stone, Spike Lee, and a minister from the Nation of Islam.

Russel Deatherage

Russel Deatherage, "UNC Students Rally for Cultural Center," The Technician vol. LXXIV no. 16 (September 12, 1992): 1, 6.

1992-09-12

Cheryl Dong

newspaper article

CHAPEL HILL--The Black Awareness Council Handed an ultimatum to the UNC-Chapel Hill administration Friday night-a free standing black cultural center by Nov. 13 or else. BAC members declined to say what might happen if their demands weren’t met

The BAC has taken a prominent role in the fight for a free-standing black cultural center. “Nov. 13, 1992 is the deadline. We want a BCC to stand, one BAC member said. Specifically, they want a site designated and construction to begin by that date.

The dispute between BCC supporters and the university began in September 1991 when a task force began to lobby for a cultural center named after Sonja Haynes Stone, an African-American studies professor and activist who died in August of 1991.

The task force met with resistance from university officials and the board of trustees. The group began a letter-writing campaign and staged peaceful protests. They also began to demand a free-standing building in which to house the BCC.

Since then, various groups demanding a free-standing BCC have sought support from alumni-celebrities, raised funds, consulted architects and selected a site. They also forced UNC Chancellor Paul Hardin into a showdown. Two weeks ago, several dozen BCC supporters took over Hardin’s office to demand recognition.

Hardin has opposed a free-standing BCC, opting instead for a building with join uses, such as the University Student Center Annex at N.C. State University, or a multi-cultural center. Hardin says a free-standing BCC will promote separatism.

Delores Jordan, the mother of Michael Jordan, has pledged to pay for the construction of the building with funds from the Michael Jordan Foundation. She was present at the rally Friday night but did not speak.

Spike Lee, a prominent black filmmaker, was also on hand Friday night at both the press conference and the rally afterward at the Dean Smith Center.

I’m here to share my support,” Lee told the crowd of 7,000 at the Dean Smith Center. “This is history, and there comes a time when you have to make a move.”

Lee said he became aware of the BCC controversy when he read a New York Times story about black UNC athletes becoming active in the movement. His speech centered on the professional black athletes who have graduated from UNC.

You can shame the pro-athletes,” Lee told the crowd. “They aren’t going to jeopardize their paychecks. Shame the pro-athletes [to] take a stand.”

Lee is also a cousin to the BCC’s namesake, Stone, who taught African-American studies at UNC for 17 years.

Lee went on to praise the BAC, a group made up of black athletes, for having the strength to fight white oppression.

[They’re] going to have to have the backbone to do that,” Lee said. “When I see these brothers jeopardize their draft, they have backbone, while most have jellyfish spines.”

Lee said he was there of his own free will and emphatically denied allegations that he was paid for the trip to Chapel Hill.

At the start of the rally, cries of “Ungawa, black power” filled the arena. Protestors crossed their arms over their heads to form a symbolic X in homage to Malcolm X.

It’s up to the students to confront white supremacy and racism on this campus,” Margot Crawford, the director of the current black cultural center, told the mostly black crowd. “Everybody thinks they know better what we need than we do. We are starting to bring down the walls of racism, starting here at Chapel Hill.”

Students from the BAC, carrying a poster of a black panther, also spoke. “This is not a movement, it’s a revolution,” one member said. This is not a Spike Lee movie, this is a people movie. We are the children of Malcolm X, and we believe in his ideology.”

Tim Smith, another BAC member took over the microphone with repeated shouts of “It’s the white man killing us.”

Revolution was a theme of many of the speakers.

I’m tired of oppression said Michelle Thomas, president of the Black Student Movement. “I’m tired of white people picking my heroes for me. I’m tired of my black money [not buying] what white money can buy. If you stand in our way, we’ll just have to run you over.”

A minister from the Nation of Islam was the last speaker. “I believe in peace when possible and violence when necessary,” said the Rev. Tehaldi Abdul Muhammed. “Now don’t get me wrong, I know all about peaceful protest, but I’m ready to throwdown when necessary.”

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