"Cultural Center Divides the Races"

"Cultural Center Divides the Races"

Rom's letter was printed right below Crisp's inflammatory column denouncing the BAC rally and it was the only other opinion piece printed in that issue of the Technician that addressed the BAC rally at UNC Chapel Hill. Like Steven Crisp, Rom denounces the rally and the building of the center as inherently separatist and expresses trepidation at the overt expression of black power and black pride at the rally. In particular, Rom has problems with the use of Malcolm X, who he characterizes as a "militant man who wanted to achieve change through violence." Although not as inflammatory in tone as Steven Crisp's column, the Rom letter and the Crisp column printed together spurred the burning of the Technician in the Brickyard.

Jeff Rom

Jeff Rom, "Cultural Center Divides the Races," The Technician vol. LXXIV no. 17 (September 23, 1992), 8-9.

1992-09-23

Cheryl Dong

newspaper article

What a bunch of terrorists the Black Awareness Council at Carolina are. They demand a “Free-standing African-American Cultural Center.” They charged into the Chancellor’s office with their demands and held everyone hostage by threatening that their demands must be met or else.

At the rally for the cultural center, speakers spoke of “revolution.” They made statements like, “If you stand in our way, we’ll just have to run you over” and “I believe in peace when possible and violence when necessary.” Then the “crowd crossed their arms over their heads to form a symbol X” all in the name of Malcolm X, a militant man who wanted to achieve change through violence. And I’m supposed to support level headed minds like this.

How much did the black population benefit from the “revolution,” the “running over” of people that occurred during the Rodney King verdict--how much did anyone benefit? Although the black citizens have suffered many injustices, these militant ways of trying to gain equality do not make me more sympathetic to the plight of black people. These actions only bring out fear and more negative feelings.

Maybe one of the reasons I feel so negative on how the BAC requested an African-American Cultural Center is because I do not believe an AACC itself is a positive institution. I believe that Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted us all to try and live in harmony--as one, not in segregated cultural groups. Instead of finding ways that we are all alike and should coexist as one, a cultural center only emphasizes that we are different.

One of the speakers stated that “We are starting to bring down the walls of racism, starting here at Chapel Hill.” Yet they are actually building an even bigger wall between all of us.

This wall is only making it harder than it already is for us to communicate and understand each other.