Gillespie, Green Speak at Black History Month Program

Staff Writer

   The Student Government Association hosted a Black History Month program with guests of honor Shay Gillespie and Classie Green on Feb. 24 in the University Center’s Green Room.

   Michael Thomas, SGA president, said this was the first year SGA hosted a Black History Month program. He said they chose Gillespie and Green because they supported the University of Arkansas at Monticello and represented centuries of opportunity.

   Gillespie, a former UAM baseball player, talked about his August 1973 enrollment into UAM. Gillespie said when he arrived at UAM blacks were on one side and whites on the other side in the cafeteria, at sports events and even in classrooms.

   “I endured the hateful stares and glares, the hateful labels like racist and radical, simply because I chose to stand up and oppose what I and many others felt to be an uncaring and an unsympathetic system,” Gillespie said.

   He said although many were not receptive of change, it came.

   Gillespie was the first black sports editor of the UAM newspaper and yearbook. He became the first black sports editor for the “Advance Monticellonian” newspaper. He also is a charter member of the Lambda Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma National Fraternity, Inc.

   Gillespie encouraged students to dare to be different and dare to dream.

   “It doesn’t matter how many laws they pass, how much we preach civil rights, nor the many opportunities presented, we have to get our attitudes right,” Gillespie said.

   Classie Green, a 1977 UAM graduate, became the first black to graduate from the nursing program. She said she was the only black in her class, but she was doing what she had to do to make ends meet.

   Green took 18 hours each semester and worked 32 hours at a hospital. Green worked at Jefferson Regional Medical Center for 15 years.

   “I didn’t know I was making history, I was just trying to make a little more money,” Green said.

   Green and other students started a group called “Soul Survivor.” The group worked to promote unity among blacks and whites, promote black awareness on campus and inform students of issues.

   In 1976, the current vice chancellor of Student Affairs offered Green a job as a nurse. She worked as a UAM nurse until 1987.

   Green challenged students to exhibit a good attitude by using P.A.C.E. - positive attitude changes everything.

   "A positive attitude changes everything, just P.A.C.E. yourself,” Green said.

   Green said a bench was purchased in honor of black alumni to help bring students back to the campus and with hopes of showing students to be proud of where they received their education.

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