THE SONJA HAYNES STONE CENTER FOR BLACK … · work of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black...

Amontage of activealumni from cities

along the east coast turnedout in great numbers tosupport the fundraisingefforts of the Sonja HaynesStone Center for BlackCulture and History.

Three of Carolina’s finestrecently welcomed the staffand alumni guests into theirhomes in a meet and greetforum to be reintroduced tothe Stone Center, getupdates of the new $9Mfacility that is currentlyunder construction and tolearn more about theprogramming efforts andfuture direction.

Jim Tanner ’ and hiswife Alison were hosts of thefirst fundraiser in theirbeautiful home in northernVirginia on April 5th. Lots ofenergy filled the house asDr. Joseph Jordan, Director,welcomed everyone andprovided currentinformation on the Center.Eric Moses was inattendance and made also apitch for alumni to fill out

pledge forms and makefinancial commitments tothe Center.The Tannerswere generous and made aconsiderable pledge.

Tim Cobb, ’, anentrepreneur in Atlanta, GAhosted the next function andprovided an elegantatmosphere on May 8th.Board of Trustee memberKarol Mason made a greatappeal on behalf of theCenter and MichaelKennedy gave informationon the Carolina FirstCampaign.Alumni inAtlanta were issued achallenge to raise $100K tobenefit the Center and tookthe charge.

Stormy weather didn’thamper attendance inCharlotte, NC as SonjaGantt Gibson ’ and herhusband Mitch hosted thelargest number of alumni onJune 7th. Excellent foodcoupled with a contagious“sunny” spirit encompassedthe house as Stick Williams,Chair of UNC’s Board ofTrustees spoke on behalf of

the Center.Advisory Boardand Women’s Committee forthe Carolina First CampaignBoard member, Joy Paigeand Paula Newsome,Women’s Committeemembers were also inattendance. Charlotte alumniaccepted the $200K pledgeissued to them to directlybenefit the Center.

The next stop will be inManhattan, New York asarea alumni are anxiouslypreparing a special event to

be held at Goldman Sachson September 18th.

Dr. Joseph Jordan andthe staff of the Sonja HaynesStone Center for BlackCulture and History wouldlike to thank each host andall in attendance for thetremendous outpouring ofsupport and commitmentthat has been extended.Welook forward to a continuedpartnership as we work toelevate the legacy of Dr.Sonja Haynes Stone.

LARGE NUMBERS OF ALUMS TURN

OUT TO SUPPORT STONE CENTER

THE SONJA HAYNES STONE

CENTER FOR BLACK CULTURE

AND HISTORY

Frank Porter Graham Student UnionCampus Box Chapel Hill, NC -

On September ,

Communiversity beganprogramming yet again, butwith a few adjustments.Communiversity concludedlast term with a recognitionand celebration of ten yearsof service to the communityby having a reception thatrecognized studentparticipants, volunteers, andCommuniversity leadership.The program alsohighlighted the types ofwork that participantsfocused on throughoutthe school year.

Communiversity is aprogram that fulfills animportant component ofthe Center’s mission of

community outreach andenrichment by working toimprove student performancethrough education andpractical experience.Theprogram began in -

with approximately 25children in a SaturdaySchool study program.In years leading to thepresent, Communiversityhas grown to as many as100 participants and 100UNC volunteers.

By having these successes,Communiversity has seen theneed to make severaladjustments to accommodatethe learning demand.Programmatically, we haveseveral announcements that

warrant excitement in thisupcoming term:1) Communiversity will

operate Monday throughThursday for our 5-12year olds.

2) Communiversity willoperate review sessionsin subject specific areasfor 5-8 year olds, and 9-12year olds.

3) Teen programmingwill operate on Tuesdayand Thursday.Communiversity started

activities by participatingin Fall Fest, where studentspicked up applications forcompletion. Fall Fest wasfollowed by parentorientation on September 4th

at : p.m. for participatingfamilies, and volunteerorientation on September6th, at : a.m.

Applications forvolunteers and potentialparticipants may be pickedup in the Sonja HaynesStone Center for BlackCulture and History and/or retrieved online at ourwebsite address:www.unc.edu/depts/stonecenter.Or, contact Anthony Walters,Communiversity Director viaemail at:waltersa@email.unc.edu or call-- for moreinformation regarding theCommuniversity program.

COMMUNIVERSITY: A DECADE OF GROWTH

Captions:

Approved by the UNC Board of Trustees, Dr. Joseph F.Jordan came on board with tremendous fortitude andforesight to lead the Center’s charge and stated,“We mustcontinue to focus on different manifestations of the diasporaand culture, as well as the intellectual streams that continue toredefine our notions of culture.”

History indeed rings of victory as the new facility isscheduled to open its doors in the fall of .The tri-level,, square foot building will host administrative suites; aDance Studio; the Jimmy Davis Hitchcock Multi-PurposeRoom; Exhibition Gallery; a -seat Dr. Harold G. Cobb

Theatre;Theatre Lobby; Classrooms and Seminar Rooms;W.E.B. and Shirley Graham DuBois Administrative Suite; aComputer Lab; Office Suite and Library.The cost of theCenter is being met entirely by private gifts and additionalfunds are needed to furnish the Center.To make a gift pleasecontact our office at --.Visit the new website at:www.unc.edu/depts/stonecenter .

The legacy of Dr. Sonja Haynes Stone forges on and thework of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Cultureand History will continue to honor her legacy.

Years, CONTINUED FROM PAGE

Looking back through theannals of time, historyreminds us of the bravestruggle, tireless perseveranceand strong commitment thathave led to the currentconstruction of the $9Mfreestanding Sonja HaynesStone Center for BlackCulture and History.Today,we celebrate this historical-year milestone!

This monumental legacyhas painted flecks of colorfulhues in a historicalkaleidoscope that dates backto , when Dr. SonjaHaynes Stone worked as amember of the BlackCultural PlanningCommittee, whose chargewas to develop a missionstatement, objectives andgoals for the proposed BlackCultural Center. Hues ofcommitment andgroundwork were laid. OnJuly , , the doors of theCenter were opened withMargo Crawford at the helmas the new director. Hues ofestablished leadership to themission were formed.A studyfor the construction of a

permanent Center wascompleted in , followedby Dr. Stone’s selection to theBCC’s Advisory Board in. Hues of expectancyand foresight wereheightened.Then, the goldensilence of a championadvocate, mentor, socialactivist and friend boughtstillness as Dr. Stone slippedaway on August , .Hues of splendor shonebrighter than ever before asgoodbyes and tributes weregiven in celebration of thelife of the Center’s eventualnamesake.

April , was a mostauspicious occasion as aGROUNDBREAKINGCeremony and Celebration

took place at the site for thenew building locatedbetween the Bell Tower andCoker Hall.A processionfrom the temporary site inthe Student Union to thenew site included membersof the community andUniversity officials on thedais, followed byperformances from the UNCGospel Choir, EbonyReaders, Opeyo! ModernDancers and Harmonyx.Asymbolic Libation and ribboncutting by family members ofDr. Stone crowned thisspecial historical service.

The installation of newleadership for the Center wasestablished on July , .

STONE CENTER CELEBRATING

YEAR HISTORICAL MILESTONE!

MILESTONES

fall

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CONTINUED ON PAGE ₃

Sonj

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THE SONJA HAYNES STONE CENTER FOR BLACK CULTURE AND HISTORY WWW.UNC.EDU/DEPTS/STONECENTER

STONE CENTER STAFF

Director

Dr. Joseph F. Jordan

Assistant Director

Dr. Jocelyn Sargent

Administrative Manager

Trevaughn Eubanks

Communiversity Director

Anthony O.Walters

Program Coordinator

Jennifer Ramirez

Public Relations Officer

Terry Spicer

MISSION STATEMENT

To encourage and support

the critical examination of

all dimensions of African

American and African

diaspora cultures through

sustained and open discussion,

dialogue and debate, and

to enhance the intellectual

and socio-cultural climate at

the University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill

and communities beyond

our boundaries.

SEPTEMBER –NOVEMBER Weekly on WednesdaysBRADLEY SIMMONS:MASTER CLASS IN AFRO-CUBAN PERCUSSION

: p.m., Person Recital Hall

A featured artist-in-residence, Bradley Simmons, a lecturerof West African History and Music at Duke Universityand leader of the percussion ensemble, Elements ofPercussion, will teach students the art of rhythmic form,style and techniques in Afro-Cuban Percussion.Instruments include congas, bongo, timbales, shakers andclaves. Simmons, who has been playing since age nine,will provide a historical perspective of the instruments,musicians and the religious foundations of the music.A $5 registration fee applies. Contact -- formore information.

OCTOBER ‒BROWN BAG LUNCH DISCUSSION & CURTAIN TALK

WITH INES BRITO

Location TBA

As a prelude to the Carolina Union’s presentation ofCesaria Evora, the SHSCBCH will host a Brown BagLunch Discussion on October 27th with Ines Britowho will speak on the distinctive aspects of CapeVerdean culture and the making of its ethnic identity inmigrations to the United States. In continuation, Britowill also be present at the Curtain Talk for CesariaEvora and will specifically touch on Cape Verdeanmusic styles; Morna and Coladera, both infused inEvora’s music. Former Professor for the InstitutoSuperio de Educacao (ISE), Ines Brito, has taught theCape Verdean Language at the UMass Summer Instituteand currently is a Native Language. Contact --

for more information.

OCTOBER HEKIMA READING CIRCLE

: p.m., Dey Hall,Toy Lounge

Chocolate Sangria by author Tracy Price-Thompsonis a novel that explores friendships, secrets, lies andbetrayals, and features a romance that crosses racialand cultural boundaries.

NOVEMBERCROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS INSTITUTE:REGIONAL TRANSGRESSIONS

Date & Location TBAA featured fellow, Professor Victor Jew, from theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison, will share research onAnti-Chinese sentiment in the 19th century. His work willhighlight the civil rights struggle that is history to thelargest Asian group in the United States, as reported inthe 2000 census.

The CCCI is a campus forum for discussions of ideas,issues and initiatives between ethnic, cultural, racial andother self-defined communities.

November HEKIMA READING CIRCLE

: p.m., Dey Hall,Toy Lounge

Dr.Trudier Harris-Lopez, J. Carlyle Sitterson professor ofEnglish at the University of North Carolina at ChapelHill, explores her complicated identity as a Black womanin the American South in her latest literary release, SummerSnow.At turns amusing and probing, Summer Snow lays outin a series of linked essays the formative experiences thatshaped the life and times of Dr. Harris-Lopez.

It’s an exciting time at theSonja Haynes Stone Centerfor Black Culture andHistory! The structure of thefreestanding AfricanAmerican cultural center hastaken shape and is on targetto be completed by latespring of .

During the spring andsummer of 2003, we werewelcomed into the homesof UNC alums in Charlotte,Atlanta and even theWashington, DCmetropolitan area. Eachevent was a wonderfulexperience and producedsignificant pledges of supportfor the Center.

The summer monthshave been filled with activityin preparation for the fallsemester.The staff has takenevery conceivable measure toensure that the tone of our

programmatic schedulingreflects the commitment tointegrating the academic andsocial dimensions of AfricanAmerican and Africandiaspora cultures.

I am pleased to announceseveral additions to the staff.Dr. Jocelyn Sargent joins usas the Assistant Director andhas a background in policyresearch and philanthropy.She attended the Universityof Michigan, where she alsoreceived her Ph.D.

Jennifer Ramirez hasjoined the staff as theCenter’s ProgramCoordinator.A graduateof the State Universityof New York at Buffalo,she is charged with theprincipal responsibility ofplanning and managingprogramming activities.

Terry Spicer, a graduateof North Carolina StateUniversity, has joined theteam as the Public RelationsOfficer to strategically andeffectively promote theCenter’s work.

Because of our generousdonors, we have raised fundsfor brick and mortar, andnow it is time to continueto fulfill our mission.

We hope you willcontinue to support thework of the Center and ourservice to the campus andother communities.

Dr. Joseph F. JordanDirector

DIRECTING THE VISION

The Sonja Haynes StoneMemorial Lecture is thesignature program of theCenter and pays tribute tothe legacy of Dr. SonjaHaynes Stone by inviting anAfrican American womanwhose commitment to thecommunity, work, scholarshipand service epitomizes thevision and spirit of Dr. SonjaHaynes Stone. Past lecturers haveincluded Alfre Woodard,Angela Davis andAttalah Shabazz.

The spring of bought PearlCleage, an Atlanta-based writer whose

work includes two novels,WhatLooks Like Crazy On AnOrdinary Day and I Wish IHad A Red Dress. She haswritten many plays includingFlyin’West and GoodBrother Blues, as well asarticles that have appeared in

many publications. Her literarymantra weaves issues of social

justice through fiction.Please visit our website located at:

www.unc.edu/depts/stonecenter for moreinformation about the guest speaker for theupcoming lecture and other program eventsin the spring of .

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTEDFor more information on these programs and other upcoming events, call --

or visit our website at www.unc.edu/depts/stonecenter

THROUGH THE YEARS: A SPECTRUM OF

AFRICAN AMERICAN EXCELLENCE

For many of us, theannual Black AlumniReunion (BAR) is anopportunity to reminisceabout our UNC experience,catch up on campus eventsand renew friendships.Thanks to the participationof many alumni and friends,the BAR has experiencedgreat success.

This year we celebrate23 years of the BAR’sexistence. In 1980, becauseof a desire to reunite UNC’sblack alumni,Angela Bryant’ and the late RichardEpps ’ organized the firstblack alumni reunion, orBAR.Approximately 65people participated in theinaugural reunion, supportedby the General AlumniAssociation. Unaware thatthere was an “official” blackalumni reunion, Johnnie“Tick Moss” Southerland’ organized an informal,single night reunion party.Most of the alumni whoparticipated graduated in thelate seventies and earlyeighties. Southerland’s effortsdrew more alumni eachyear. In early 1988,Southerland and MichaelMoseley ’ combined theirresources and organized acommittee to plan a formalblack alumni reunion. Laterin , a group of about 60black alumni convened for astrategic planning session todecide how to structure animproved BAR.As a result,the BAR committee wascreated, and in , BAR

evolved from an informallystructured event to a formalone.That year, efforts toreunite black alumninationwide gainedmomentum, and BAR’sworking relationship withthe General AlumniAssociation was revived.

Throughout the late 90s,BAR’s mission of bringingtogether black alumni for aweekend of fun, enrichmentand fellowship soared. In, BAR reached a recordhigh with over 450registered participants. BAR was unbelievable withan all time high of

registered participants. From to , the BlackAlumni Reunion more thandoubled its number ofregistered participants.

Each year the BlackAlumni ReunionCommittee, in collaborationwith other Universitydepartments, strives to insurethat the weekend is anenriching and enjoyableexperience.The 23rd BlackAlumni Reunion promisesto continue the tradition.Weare excited to announce thatthe UNC General AlumniAssociation and the SonjaHaynes Stone Center forBlack Culture and Historywill collaborate to presentThrough the Years:ASpectrum of AfricanAmerican Excellence onFriday, October , , atthe William and Ida FridayCenter.A reception willbegin at 6:00 p.m. followed

by dinner at 7:00 p.m.Thisspecial tribute will honorthe legacy of the SonjaHaynes Stone Center forBlack Culture and Historyas well as recognize theBlack Alumni Reunion’s2003 Harvey E. Beech awardrecipients.

The Harvey E. BeechOutstanding Alumni Awardwas established to recognizeoutstanding black alumniwho have been instrumentalin the support and furtherdevelopment of the BlackAlumni Reunion, as well asindividuals who have beenstellar leaders within theUniversity community or intheir local community.

We are pleased toannounce the HarveyE. Beech OutstandingAlumni Award recipients: L.Donnell Thompson ’,Janet Hayes Southerland ’,Richard Tyrone “Stick”Williams ’ and BenjaminSylvester Ruffin ’ (MSW).

The Outstanding BlackFaculty Award wasestablished to recognize anoutstanding black facultymember on the campus ofthe University of NorthCarolina.The person isselected based on his or herleadership, dedication andinnovation.Also, therecipient must have beenparticularly noteworthy inadvancing academicexcellence.The

Outstanding Black FacultyAward recipient is HaroldWoodard ’.

The 2003 BAR willcontinue to set new pathsfor attendees. In addition tothe traditional favoritereunion events like the golftournament, partner lunchand the tailgate party,reunion participants will alsohave an opportunity to takehard hat tours of the tri-level, , square foot,freestanding Sonja HaynesStone Center for BlackCulture and History.Thefacility is scheduled forcompletion in late Spring. Please visit the BARWeb site atalumni.unc.edu/reunions/barfor more information onthese and other events. Ifyou have questions, pleasecontact Anita Walton at theGeneral Alumni Association-- oranita_walton@unc.edu).

rd Annual Black Alumni Reunion

fall The Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History

THE SONJA HAYNES STONE CENTER FOR BLACK CULTURE AND HISTORY WWW.UNC.EDU/DEPTS/STONECENTER

The Sonja Haynes Stone Memorial Lecture MILESTONES

is a publication of

The Sonja Haynes Stone

Center for Black Culture

and History

Frank Porter Graham

Student Union

Campus Box

Chapel Hill, NC

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f: ..

www.unc.edu/depts/stonecenter