1952

1955

1966

1967

1969

1972

1973

1975

Law student graduatesHarvey Beech becomes the first black student to earn a degree from the University of North Carolina. He gained admission after a lawsuit.

Undergraduates enroll The University allows the enrollment of black undergraduate students: LeRoy Frasier, John Lewis Brandon and Ralph Frasier.

Scholarship athleteCharles Scott becomes the first black scholarship athlete at UNC, playing guard on the basketball team.

Black Student MovementPreston Dobbins and Reggie Hawkins create the Black Student Movement.

Tenured faculty memberBlyden Jackson is the first black professor to be offered tenure. His wife Roberta earns her tenure in 1970.

Student body presidentRichard Epps is elected as the first black student body president.

Black fraternity and sororityThe University charters Omega Psi Phi, the University’s first black fraternity, and Delta Sigma Theta, its first black sorority.

Morehead Scholarship and Rhodes ScholarKaren Stevenson becomes the first black woman to be granted a Morehead Scholarship. In 1975, she won a Rhodes Scholarship and became the first woman from the University and the first black woman to receive it.

Faculty memberHortense McClinton joins the faculty as its first black member.

The University’s black trailblazers

Tues., Feb. 10Professional Networking Night

Times and locations are still being decided for some events. For more information, contact Rachel Moss at ramoss@email.unc.edu.

Mon., Feb. 16Multicultural Mixer

Time and location TBA

Global Issues Week Kickoff

Time and location TBA

Wed., Feb. 18Our Ties to Africa Lecture and Discussion

Time and location TBA

Mon., Feb. 23Movie Night with the BSM

Time and location TBA

Literature, Art and Film Week Kickoff

Time and location TBA

Sat., Feb. 28Tea in Honor of Black Professors

Time and location TBA

Hip-Hop Symposium

9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sonja Haynes Center

Thurs., Feb. 12Segregation to Inauguration: The Evolution of Black Political Power

7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., SASB North, Upendo Lounge

Black History Month Events

ARCHIE ERVIN, UNC associate provost and director of diversity and multicultural affairs

RALPH FRASIER, one of the first black undergraduate students to enroll at UNC

KAREN STEVENSON, first black woman to receive Rhodes Scholarship and first woman from UNC to receive the scholarship

HORTENSE MCCLINTON, UNC’s first black faculty member

SHANIQUA MCCLENDON, Black Student Movement president

J.J. RAYNOR, UNC student body president

“As a country, we’ve certainly evolved politically to where we’re able to realize certain potential. … We are a work in progress.”

“I remember in high school when the Brown (v. Board of Education) decision was rendered … I assumed that really marked the end of racial segregation. … That obviously was too naive on my part.”

“We all have many, many challenges to face and all of us as citizens have to take responsibility, roll up our sleeves and continue to open our hearts.”

“I think when you just look at people as people rather than at their color, that’s the main thing. Their character rather than their color, that’s the main thing for the future and always has been.”

“I think the interaction among the diverse groups on campus isn’t what it should be, but we’ve come a long way … I feel like we could address the situation through education.”

“While we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go …I think there is a lot of mixing; there are a lot of deep friendships coming across lines.”

LINDSAY RUEBENSSTAFF wRITER

Hoping to capitalize on the excite-ment of the election of President Barack Obama, the Black Student Movement is planning a month’s worth of events on a scale that hasn’t been seen in years.

BSM has organized events throughout February in celebration of Black History Month. Each week will have a different theme ranging from culture to politics.

“I think overall it will be bigger this year because the BSM never really took a role in planning events for Black History Month,” said Tiffany Little, the month’s planning committee co-chairwoman.

“With Barack Obama being president, we have more to talk about than just the Civil Rights Movement and slavery. So I think this year will be a lot more exciting because we can tie things from the past into the present.”

Last February, the BSM held a demonstration march from Carroll Hall to the Pit in silent protest of the media’s lack of coverage for minorities outside of crime.

“Basically, last year was a big incentive for me with just that one thing on the last day,” said Shaniqua McClendon, BSM president. “ I thought it was bad for the Black Student Movement to not do more dur-ing Black History Month.”

So this year, McClendon formed a committee to organize events throughout February.

Senior Rachel Moss, a co-chairwoman of this committee, said it began meeting last semester with a group of 10 to 12 students to plan events.

“What we want to stress is this is for everyone, and we really want everyone to come out and take part,” Moss said. “You don’t have to be African-American to want to know more about our history.”

She said that the month will encourage cultural awareness as well as promote learning and under-standing about diversity.

One activity Little said she’s looking forward to this month is a tea with black professors.

“It’s the one I’m most excited about because I think a lot of students don’t even realize how many African-American professors we have here,” she said.

Other universities are also holding events to cele-brate Black History Month. One theme will undoubt-edly be where race relations can go from here, now that the country has its first black president.

“It was a really momentous occasion in history, but we’re going to ask where do we go from here, what’s the next step,” Moss said.

Kornelius Bascombe, president of the Black Students Board at N.C. State University, said that the presidency has had an impact with race rela-tions on campus, noting hate speech written on the Free Expression Tunnel earlier this year about Obama.

“I think people now are kind of over the fact that Barack Obama is black and a Democrat,” Bascombe said. “People are just ready to see some kind of change.”

Bascombe said that several more white students have taken an interest in the board since Obama’s election and inauguration.

The board will host events featuring black artists and performers. The board is trying to coordinate

-COMPILED By vICTORIA STILwELL

BSM plans month-long celebration to honor history

TuesdayFocus12 The Daily Tar HeeltueSday, feBruary 3, 2009

BLACK PROGRESS INSPIRES

while attending UNC, Karen Parker

became a member of the Press Club.

Clockwise from the top left: Nigerian

Edwin Okoroma

integrated the soccer

team; Richard Epps speaks

in 1972 as the first black student body

president; and several

students pose on campus.

Charles Scott helped break down racial barriers on and off the basketball court.

In 1952, the first black men

attended law classes at UNC. PHOTOS COURTESy OF

THE N.C. COLLECTION

1963 Varsity athleteEdwin Okoroma of Nigeria becomes the first black varsity athlete. He played on the soccer team.

Woman enrollsKaren Parker transferred to UNC from the woman’s College in Greensboro and became the first black woman undergraduate to enroll.

“With Barack Obama being president, we have more to talk about than just the Civil Rights Movement and slavery.”TIFFANY LITTLE, PLANNING COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRwOMAN

a meeting with other colleges in late February to have a discussion of topics that pertain to the black community, Bascombe said.

At the University of Virginia, the Black Student Alliance will be holding several events.

There will be the annual Black History Bowl, where students team up to answer black history questions for cash prizes. “Black Power at UVa.” will also be held where alumni from the time of the organization’s formation in 1969 will return to Charlottesville and share their experiences with current students.

“We’re hoping students will relate to these experi-ences and think about how it was back then,” said Lauren McGlory, Black Student Alliance president.

BSM leaders said they hope that activities dur-ing Black History Month will remain a tradition at UNC.

“For the Black Student Movement, this should be time where we have more a significant presence on campus,” McClendon said.

“I’d like the BSM to have a more a significant presence on campus in general, but I feel like this will be the best time to help make that happen.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.