By: Ajani Anderson (’21), Staff Writer
On August 30, 2017, I sat in the back row of the Stone Center auditorium hoping the strangers sitting in front of me would somehow become my family. I was unsure of what I had really signed up for when I came to the first BSM meeting, spurred out of my dorm room halfway across campus by vague promises of community, belonging and dope parties. But, sitting in my dimly lit corner, I was slowly introduced to the history of the BSM.
“The Black Student Movement was established on November 7th, 1967 as a result of the slow growth of the Black population on campus and because of Black student dissatisfaction with the campus NAACP chapter.” These are the words written on the homepage of uncbsm.com. Available to anyone that feels the urge to look, this one sentence of thirty-three words seemingly encompasses the purpose and the effect of the Black Student Movement at UNC. Historically, there is much more.
The BSM was founded in the context of post-civil rights era thinking. The rise of black intellectualism did very little to stave the parallel rise in conservatism and persistent racism. Black students, making up only 1.5% of the student population, needed a voice. Historically, college students lead progress, and this case was no different. Frustrated by the inaction of the NAACP, black students at UNC created their own space on campus, where they could have their own voice–a voice which was immediately used to confront issues both on and off campus. The Black Student Movement reimagined the cultural and academic climate of UNC, and became an invaluable presence on campus. This coalition of black students became leading voices in the fight against political and racial inequalities. BSM’s history is grounded in activism, innovative thinking, and courage to be different in spite of pressures from the dominant culture on campus.
But 50 years later, we are long past the passing of the Civil Rights Act, far removed from the Little Rock Nine, and with African Americans making up roughly 10% of student enrollment, a black student on UNC’s campus can easily find a face that looks like theirs. So, in this age of increasing racial awareness, does the BSM still perform the same function it did fifty years ago? I would argue that it doesn’t.
According to one student, the BSM is relevant because “it creates a sense of community that is hard to find elsewhere on campus.” This view is widely accepted among both members and non-members of the BSM, but it’s a much different view than the one commonly held in 1967.
In the beginning, the Black Student Movement was an organization that gave voice to black students across campus. It forced the majority to confront racial issues that had been previously ignored. They protested loudly against injustices, such as the protest in 2965 against guest speaker David Duke, the founder of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and the protest against the denial of tenure for Dr. Sonja Stone. They made their presence known at UNC, building lasting monuments such as ‘The Student Body’ to promote positive images of black youth, and lead the fight for the creation of the Stone Center. The BSM became a champion for the voices of the underprivileged. It became a space where black students could feel safe and supported as they carved out a place for themselves both on and off campus.
Fifty years later, it’s purpose seems to have changed with the times. Though blacks in America are still woefully underrepresented, its original purpose of championing black voices in the political sphere seems to have flagged. With fewer protests and rallies and more focus on the social aspect of being black at a PWI, traditional activism that was seen in 1967 is becoming a background character. The presence of the BSM on UNC’s campus continues to be vital, but its purpose has shifted. The Black Student Movement has embraced the role of becoming a space for black students to come together.
Though activism throughout campus remains a critical part of the BSM, the main focus is now about supporting black students within the group, allowing them space to embrace their cultural identities. The BSM has become about recognizing black achievement, creativity, and contributions to society at large. It fosters the growth of people who will one day be black leaders of our society. Though the increase of black students since the 1970 statistic of 1.5% is a huge increase, black students still only make up 10% of this campus. Retention rates are still low, and it is still difficult for black students to find a niche in the community.
Fighting to get a place at UNC has become less of a struggle than the fight to keep it, and while the Black Student Movement may have begun as the legion for justice that students needed in 1967, it has grown to become the close-knit community that students need in 2017.
