AFAM students form union

Students in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies want the UNC community to know they will not be silent.

In response to criticism of the department in light of one of the largest academic scandals in UNC’s history, a group of students who major, minor and take courses in the department has formed a “union” meant to represent their peers.

“The union was established last year in response to the scandal,” said Kristen Maye, a 2012 graduate who majored in African and Afro-American Studies and was involved in the creation of the group.

“We wanted to show the University and the department that students from (the department) were also affected.”

The union had its first meeting of the year Tuesday. Members spoke about moving the department past the scandal, and changing the perception of those who think the entire department is at fault for the fraud.

“Everyone’s throwing the department under the bus,” said Darius Ingram, a senior who joined the union this fall. “We can’t help what Julius Nyang’oro did with athletes; it was just one professor who brought the attention to (the department).”

A group of about 10 people discussed ways to show the student body that the integrity of the department is still intact.

Senior Sam Pride said the group will try to mobilize faculty members of the department to get behind their efforts to restore confidence in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies, but they will need more to come together.

“This union won’t be worth anything if people in the department continue to be complacent,” he said.

Maye said current chairwoman Eunice Sahle worked with the union last year, and supported the goals of the group. Maye said they will attempt to work alongside her this year as well. Sahle could not be reached for comment.

The group also discussed ways to incorporate more students and faculty into the discussions about restoring the department’s integrity.

Qubilah Huddleston, who is not an African and Afro-American Studies major, said the way the department has been depicted throughout the entire investigation into the scandal has been problematic.

“It’s wiping away a whole history,” she said.

Several members said the most frustrating part is that they feel the problems with academics could extend beyond the department.

“The University is trying to use the department as a scapegoat,” Ingram said.

But members stressed that the group’s goal is not to persecute athletes.

“Athletics needs to be held accountable, not necessarily athletes,” Maye said. “They’re just as much victims as all of us are.”

The union will work to meet every week and set up communication with other “stakeholders” in the scandal, Maye said.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m.

“We want this to be the nail in the coffin,” Pride said. “We don’t want any more attacks on (the department) after this.”

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