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SOURCE: The Daily Tar Heel
12.05.06
Universities campaign to support black men, lessen stereotypes
By: Brendan Brown, Staff Writer
Students and faculty, men and women marched on UNC-Greensboro's campus Monday to show support for the community's black men.
The male marchers, originally scheduled only as part of a photo opportunity, joined forces with the women supporting them.
"That, more than anything, represented the cohesion we are going for," said UNC-G student Natasha Lake, director of communications for the King's Campaign.
Begun by six students from UNC-G and Guilford College, the campaign supported their efforts by selling T-shirts proclaiming their love for black men.
More than 300 T-shirts have been bought by women and some men.
Lake said the campaign is an attempt to contradict negative stereotypes, propagated by the community at large, that portray black men as drop-outs and unproductive members of society.
"The men are wonderful leaders, and the community wouldn't be the same without them," she said.
Of the black college community, only 30 percent are male students, said Archie Ervin, associate provost in the office of diversity and multicultural affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill.
"There are some structural issues in public education that create those outcomes that we see in higher education," he said. "This is an issue that we as a society need to address."
Jada Drew, a campaign coordinator and Guilford senior, said many students are surprised by such statistics and supportive of the effort.
"It's not just a black cause, it's an American cause."
The group has ambitions that stretch beyond Monday's march.
Drew said she would like to see the campaign push universities to gear their efforts toward the black community in order to increase retention rates among black male students.
They have received calls from students around the country desiring to bring the event to their own campuses. Lake said they have plans to visit three additional N.C. schools and more along the East Coast.
Ultimately, the campaign hopes to set up a scholarship uniquely intended to help enrolled black men complete their studies.
"We will definitely need a lot of help to make that happen," Lake said. "A lot of men stop receiving financial assistance before they can finish their degrees."
UNC-G Student Body President Jonaé Wartel said support for the group is palpable on campus.
"It's really allowing students to be in the position of activists, to rally around the issue."
To purchase a shirt contact bnjohns3@uncg.edu.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
