5
I
THE C1:rIZEN
RCH 3 -9,19
,.
"In S8ptember 1967, I arrived at No carolina M r rntversity, a predominantly
Black tnstttution, to pursue a degree . bysics, though 1 could barely say the oro,
could � spelltt, and knew even less a ut the subject mafi,e� After discussing the
mafi,er with my counselor and taking stan . tests, I was advised to 'go and try'
physics because, in the words of one co lor, "lbu're good enough! Obediently I took
this advice-and ent on to graduate in physics, with honors, on schedule and armed
with the tools that would launch my career on a �ectory through graduate school, into
the industr1aJ.laboratories and, ultimateJy, around the earth aboard the space shuttle .
.
Black institutions have distinguished themselves through their
capability to transform academic potential into scholarly achievement- hile
simultaneously challenging the precocious appetite. If there is uncer
tainty about what area to pursue, one must choose a college that
gives the latitude to think about it and then 'go and try.' Many
Black professionals (including myself) will readily concede
that life probably would have taken a different course if
the support structure and academic programs of a
Black institution had not been available. (Though)
I do not advocate that anyone select or elimi
nate a school solely on the basis of its racial
makeup ... my support of Black colleges and
universities as competitive and indispens
able institutions is firm and unequivocal
Early one peaceful morning
in February 1984, as I blissfully floatsd
on the ceiling of the space shuttle Chal
lenger fast asleep, I was awakened by
music being piped up from the mission con
trol centee My eyes stretched wide open in
disbelief and my face lit up with delight,
for immediatezy- I recognized the music
as my conege alma m.ate� I g1anced at
the N C AlIT banner proudly affixed
to the wall, and 400 years of history
quickly raced through my mind. It
was during this charged moment of
heightened awareness that I
thanked God that through a Black
university, I had had the chance
to develop, the desire to be and \
the opportunity to do:
• General Food Corporal,!) 1