New Center to Promote Education

In a forum Wednesday, a UNC student asked what has become a common question over the last decade.

"Why isn't it a multicultural center that promotes all cultures and not just a black culture center?" asked senior Mimi Patel.

Patel was referring to the freestanding Sonja H. Stone Black Cultural Center, which breaks ground today. Her query highlighted a concern that many have had about the center since the push for it began in earnest in 1992: Will the center have a divisive or unifying effect?

BCC officials, students and faculty say the center will foster education about black culture and increase dialogue about racial issues, goals they say will be beneficial to all students on campus. "I hope it serves the intellectual and sociological needs of students on this campus, and I mean all students," said Lorie Clark, BCC program coordinator and publicist.

Roberta Ann Dunbar, a professor in the curriculum in African and Afro-American studies, said the center will provide new opportunities in research. "I am hoping it will achieve student excellence and provide an arena for collaboration between students and faculty in the field of African-American studies," she said.

Some students placed more emphasis on the need for education about black culture to all students. "The mission is to reach out to close the gap between different cultures and races ... to reach out for students to learn more about black culture," said BCC member Shawn Brooks.

And closing all racial gaps on campus -- not just those between blacks and whites -- is a challenge some are posing to BCC officials. Many members of ethnic minority groups have given their support to the BCC, although they still are skeptical about the repercussions of having a freestanding BCC on campus.

They said they hope the new BCC opens itself to other cultures and does not become too exclusive. "I hope it does its job in presenting the African-American experience, but I hope it will be more than just the African-American experience and become a minority resource center," said Sangam President Priya Gupta. "But for that to happen, minorities must take interest in it."

Carolina Indian Circle President Rachel Blue agreed that the BCC fulfills a purpose on campus but warned that the center should work to be inclusive.

"As long as its purpose is fostering diversity on campus and as long as it is not exclusive to other groups on campus, I think it will be successful," she said.

Blue said the freestanding BCC will improve race relations on campus, although it will take time. "It might, in the beginning, cause controversy or debate, but that's good because it will cause more discussion on race relations," she said.

Leaders of minority groups such as Sangam, CIC, Asian Student Association and Queer Network for Change said they hope the BCC will raise awareness about diversity on campus and open up its facilities to other cultural groups. Other campus organizations, like the conservative publication Carolina Review, are more concerned about what the new BCC will mean for the rest of the campus.

Members of the Carolina Review voiced some of the general sentiments held by some students that the new center might foster self-segregation and divide students. "One of the problems I see with the BCC is that in order to get beyond problems with race, we need to stress commonalities more than differences," said Nathan Byerly, the magazine's publisher.

He said people with conservative views are concerned about the new BCC but that they should take it upon themselves to get involved with the center's programs. At the same time, he said some of the burden is on the center to be accessible to all people. "The BCC has the opportunity to enhance the dialogue about race if the

center is not used in a separatist way," he said. "They must be sensitive to making sure other races do feel welcome."

Supporters and members of the BCC recognize the arguments against the new freestanding building, but they said the criticisms are invalid. "I don't think they have merit," Dunbar said. "It is not self-segregation. It focuses on a particular cultural group -- a particular group that is important to the state."

Journalism Professor Chuck Stone said the arguments against the center do not hold because many students join groups that they fit into because of their faiths or race. He said black students are often unfairly singled out. "It is unfortunate that people assume that only blacks are guilty of (segregating themselves) -- this is an example of the persistent racism that clouds this University."

BCC supporters focus on the mission and the goals of the future BCC. Most supporters have high hopes for the new facility. Clark said, "The administration boasts about the University being a No. 1 university and in keeping with the mission and purpose of the BCC -- it is a vision of the director and staff to be No. 1 black cultural center of the Southeast."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.