UNC-A and its "Free Speech" zone

Few people seem to be aware that the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNC-A) has what is called a "free speech" zone. Even fewer seem to be aware that the area in front of the Ramsey Library and the 'quad" is not an area that is considered a "free speech" zone. It's not even an area where calm discussions can be held, unless the University decides to look the other way.

Last month was Black History Month. HK Edgerton, a black activist who struggles daily to insure that his Southern Heritage is not lost to historical revisionists, went over to UNC-A to celebrate the month on the campus. He wanted to talk about the Southern black history that seldom gets spoken about. 

He wanted to point out that black men such as the Rev William Mack Lee, Holt Collier of Mississippi, or Louis Napoleon Nelson and his grandson Napoleon Winbush are practically unknown. "How can you celebrate or discuss black history without discussing Southern black history?" Edgerton stated. "The true history of Southern blacks and Southern culture are being erased as part of the Southern cultural cleansing agenda of today's politicians. Just look at the reaction to the St. Andrew's Cross by the majority of folks in this country. They call it the "Confederate Flag" but have no idea of what it really is or for how short a period of time it existed. It's been hijacked by today's new racists," he continued.

"How do you think that the black slaves got to this country? Blacks sold them to Yankee shippers. Do you think any boat captains could have gone into those jungles and captured them if their own brothers hadn't done it? And not one black sailed to this country under the Cross of St Andrew. They all sailed here under the Stars and Stripes. And the Yankees sold the slaves. It's the Stars and Stripes that all those slaves looked at while they were being brought here. But no one wants to talk about that. 

"I came over to UNC-A to give those babies some real insight into Black history. 

"You'll notice how the only word ever brought up is 'slavery,' and then all dialogue stops. And even then it's the white folks of the South who get blamed. But it's the northerners who captured us and made the money when they sold us and then kept all the tax money that came from the work we did. It was in the South that we learned the trades that we did and where we acquired many skills. Sure there was a lot of bad in it, but there was also a lot of goodness and caring involved," Edgerton continued. 

"If that wasn't the case let me ask you this. During the war almost all the Southern men were gone, off fighting. Why didn't the blacks just rise up and take over the plantations, or why didn't they just leave? It would have been a pretty easy thing to do. But they didn't. You think anyone ever talks about that?

"And do you know that the so-called Emancipation Proclamation was aimed at freeing only the slaves in the South; it didn't free any of the slaves in the North. Only pretended to.

"No, all you hear about is slavery, hangings, lynching, etc, etc. Now that's not the real Black history of the South. That just puts hatred into the hands of those with their agendas. It keeps us ignorant and flames division.

"At any rate, when I got to UNC-A I walked over to the steps in front of the Ramsey Library holding my flag, the St. Andrew's Cross, and began talking to one young man from the north who was quite interested in Southern history. I had spoken to him for about five minutes when a young southern student came hustling up and told me I had to leave. I said, 'what do you mean I have to leave?'

"He got rather upset and said that I was not in the 'free speech' zone and that I would have to leave. Now for me to go to the library and to stand there talking to a young man and then be told I had to leave because it wasn't a 'free speech' zone was ludicrous. I wasn't carrying a sign or making some sort of protest. I was only talking to one student. What should be a freer place than the library on a university campus? 

I told him I wasn't leaving until the campus police came. So sure enough, he called the campus police, and they said I had to move. They were nice about it, and I began my 'bumble bee' shuffle over to the student center, which is where they said their so-called 'free speech' zone was. On my way over, Mr. Dwight Mullins, who is the Director of Diversity and Multi-Cultural Affairs, showed up and accompanied me. After I got to the Student Center I talked to students for about 45 minutes and left."

"Is there any wonder our students aren't learning much on many of these university campuses? 

"And just now I learned that the War Protestors were allowed by the University to hold a huge demonstration on the steps of the library, have speakers, and beat drums. They were not asked to move to the 'free speech' zone. The University just looked the other way.

"I guess it was only a black man standing on the steps talking about something they want to keep hidden who had to move. Their kind of educational tolerance only shows ignorance and teaches the students hatred. And parents pay tuition and taxes for this."

This special report was filed by David Morgan for the Tribune