Recruitment letter to Whites insults Blacks at Fayetteville State U

Jet, April 4, 1994

Some Blacks at Fayetteville (NC) State University recently expressed anger over the admissions office's letter to recruit White students. They say the letter is too aggressive and has derogatory statements about Black students.

The letter asks help in recruiting White students to attend the historically Black college in the University of North Carolina system.

An administrator, however, said the letter is part of the university's efforts to meet requirements of a federal desegregation order.

The letter, dated Feb. 17 and signed by admissions director James Scurry, thanks students for registering at the school. He asks students to give names of White high school students or community college students or adults interested in attending the school.

Scurry recently told about 50 students--most of them members of the school's NAACP chapter--that similar letters are sent out by the other historically Black universities in the system.

He added that the University of North Carolina's (UNC) predominantly White schools send letters to their Black students.

Some students attending the letter discussion said they found its wording very derogatory to Black students.

One student mentioned she doubts the predominantly White schools in the University of North Carolina system are serious about desegregation.