Throughout the years North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has undergone many cultural changes parallel to the changes of time. These changes include both negative and positive, but the one change that Alumni and current students mostly always bring up is the lost of connection and presents of NC A&T within the Greensboro community.
The city of Greensboro is currently dealing with a lot of troubling issues concerning black on black crime, police brutality, gang violence, injustices within the police gang unit, injustices within the law, and the gentrification of black areas for the building of residence halls and apartments for college universities. Mostly if not all of this information of such acts goes ignored on A&T’s campus until somehow A&T gets pulled into the picture.
Wesley Morris a community organizer and an A&T graduate of 2007 said, “The culture has changed and has put less of a priority on community organizing, and the priorities have been internalized sole to the campus.”
For example there have been many black on black crimes in the city of Greensboro that have resulted in death, but it wasn’t until the death of two A&T students did the campus try to reach out as a unit and do something about it. Even then students strived for “Campus Saftey” not city wide safety.
It wasn’t always this way, Dr. Samuel Moseley a political science professor noted in his text book “American National and State Government” that during the 60’s and 70’s A&T students and faculty were heavily involved in the community. Organizations such as The Student Organization for Black Unity (SOBU) which was created in 1969 in the A&T student union ballroom and its newspaper the “African World”, also other organizations off campus such as Greensboro Association of Poor people (GAPP) and the Foundation for community development (FCD) students were involved in.
Students of this time period protested police brutality, racism, and inhumane treatment of blacks while at the same time building as a unit to fight for a cause.
Shirley Samuel a Bennet Bell of 65’-68’ said “there was more cohesiveness amongst students and attitude about being an aggie, as far as influence A&T was the parent of Dudley high school”
She describes the relationship between A&T and Dudley with the same correlation that middle schools have with their connected high schools.
Additionally the affection and love that the professors had for the students had a high level of influence said Samuel, she noted that back then teachers and professors prepared students for the real world not just for the test; they didn’t teach everything from out of a book and took extra time to teach other valuable life lessons. This important characteristic is missing in most of today’s professors and teachers said Samuel.
“It’s a challenge, but there’s still potential for A&T to reach out; the beloved community center has meetings from one to three every Wednesdays and is open for people to bring their issues concerning the city of Greensboro and ideas of upliftment” said Morris.
“NC A&T has a strong connection with the Greensboro community only throughout homecoming; were there’s a concert and a big football game, so now it’s commercialized” said Samuel.
“The Homecoming parade use to be a classic involving all surrounding high schools, colleges and organizations, it not only involved A&T but it involved the City of Greensboro, Winston Salem, and Highpoint, it was also a dress up affair you would show up to the event in your finest of formal wear.”
What does A&T need to do to connect back with the community and be just as strong and just as influential as we were in the 60’ and 70’?
“Cleanup, Within the University Professors need to care about the students and the University as a whole needs to get back to the basics” said Samuel.
“A&T needs to start reaching out to the community, and raise the level of physical presence within the community” said Morris.
November 4th, there will be a march from the aggie 4 statue to downtown Greensboro Historical Museum at 6pm. At the museum there will be a showing of the documentary film “Closer to the truth”, dealing with the events of the November 3rd, 1979 massacre.
Special Thanks to Wesley Morris, Shirley Samuel, and Dr. Samuel Moseley
By: Giancarlo Spells
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