It's Everyone's Responsibility
WKNC expanded NCSU's community outreach
In the mid-1970s, the Raleigh Community Relations Council and the Good Neighbor Council extensively worked together to create safe spaces for interracial dialogue. The RCRC and the GNC realized that their most powerful asset--the community--was largely absent from initial programming. Therefore, the university Good Neighbor Council re-imagined itself as a communication tool between NC State and the greater black community.[1] Only further communication could build relationships and foster understanding.
On November 5, 1970, the RCRC and the GNC discussed the actions of the Raleigh Police Department. Just weeks later, the GNC held a meeting with RPD representative, Sgt. Marshburn. The meeting went extremely well and both parties indicated that future collaboration would resolve discord among citizens and/or between citizens and police and provide special emphasis on preventative measure and youth work. GNC members also inquired about police training and ongoing comcerns of human relations training. Sgt. Marshburn reported that the last three weeks of police training included a sensitivity training program at Shaw University. Overall, both parties were very pleased with the meeting, and Sgt. Marshburn assured the committee that his staff would be more than willing to investigate incidents relating to harassment of black students by police or others.[2]
The ties that the RCRC developed with the black community further inspired the Good Neighbor Council. The RCRC hosted an "open mike" [sic] program through Shaw University's radio station, WSHA, where community members could voice their opinions on city government and politics. NC State Professor R.B. Knight of the GNC suggested that NCSU host its a similar "open mike" program on specific campus issues, such as fraternity membership and discrimination. Professor Knight acknowledged that such a program might incite some flagrant responses, but, overall, the program could contribute to greater consciousness of everyday issues and concerns of minority group members.[3]
Ultimately, the GNC of the late 1970s was highly aware of the negative image NC State continued to foster in the black community. Therefore, Good Neighbor Council recommended communication seminars for NC State personnel to acquaint themselves with the reasons for the university's negative image and become more sensitive to the assumptions and behaviors between blacks and whites. Later, the GNC envisioned a "Community Service Bureau," for personnel to invest their time and knowledge in community projects. Finally, the GNC championed greater community outreach through black channels of communication: WSHA, The Carolinian, Wanda Garrets' 'Black Unlimited' on Channel 11, and 'Harambee' on Channel 5.[4]
Though these suggestions appear simple, they represented a major shift in NCSU policy. Prior to 1978, NC State University was perfectly content with engaging only half of the Raleigh community. By fostering ties with the Raleigh black community, the Good Neighbor Council expanded the campus' impact and influence dramatically from 1967-1979.
[1] "Good Neighbor Council Meeting Minutes," November 13, 1975, Box 1, Folder 8, UA 022.053 North Carolina State University, Committees, Good Neighbor Council Records, 1966-1979, North Carolina State University Special Collections, Raleigh, NC.
[2] "Good Neighbor Council Meeting Minutes," November 5, 1970, Box 2, Folder 1, UA 022.053 North Carolina State University, Committees, Good Neighbor Council Records, 1966-1979, North Carolina State University Special Collections, Raleigh, NC.
[3] "Good Neighbor Council Meeting Minutes,"March 18, 1971, Box 2, Folder 1, UA 022.053 North Carolina State University, Committees, Good Neighbor Council Records, 1966-1979, North Carolina State University Special Collections, Raleigh, NC.
[4] "The Image of North Carolina State University in the Black Community: A Program for Change, " April, 1978, Box 3, Folder 1, UA 022.053 North Carolina State University, Committees, Good Neighbor Council Records, 1966-1979, North Carolina State University Special Collections, Raleigh, NC.