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