The Daily Tar Heel recently printed a letter to the editor written by Shawn Brooks, co-chairman of the Sonja H. Stone Freestanding Black Cultural Center, regarding Carolina Dining Services' negligence in celebrating Black History Month this past February ("CDS Management Needs to Recognize Black History Month" March 5). Mr. Brooks' letter noted while CDS made an effort to celebrate other holidays, no such effort was made to celebrate Black History Month in a similar fashion.
Mr. Brooks also posed the question "Why were no efforts made to recognize the contributions of Africans and African Americans to American culture and cuisine?"
While I obviously cannot speak for CDS and for the administrative board's reasoning behind deciding not to provide a special menu for Black History Month, a look at past attempts to do so might provide some insight into CDS' decision making process.
Though I can't be a 100 percent certain of the year, I believe that either in 1995 or 1996, CDS did in fact make a valiant attempt at honoring Black History Month by serving special menu items.
Unfortunately, many students on campus were outraged at CDS' menu offerings and felt that they were victims of stereotyping and/or of great insult instead of feeling honored or celebrated.
I do not recall another attempt on CDS' part to provide such a meal. As Mr. Brooks himself stated: "Surely CDS did not intend to suggest that African-American contributions to America, the South and the University were in vain or unworthy of recognition." I am certain this is the case.
Perhaps in future times, members of the BCC's board could work together with CDS to help determine a menu that would be viewed by everyone as what it was meant to be -- a celebration of African and African-American contributions to America's culture and cuisine.
Jay Posey
