Carolina Alumni Review - September/October 2011

ized freshman class” of women and that they were under the impression that they were guinea pigs for whether women could be wholly integrated into the University.

“We knew the pressure that was on us,” said Wyrick, who said she admired Carmichael. “We were not to cause any trouble. We were to keep our heads down and do our job and do it well.

“She in her very scholarly way
reminded us of that without trying to put
too much pressure on us, but we all knew
what the game was. You can jolly well bet
we knew those rules backward and forward
and had to adhere to them.”
Karen Parker ’ 65, one of the first
African-American undergraduates at Car-
olina, did not have a good experience with
Carmichael. She participated in Chapel
Hill’s civil rights demonstrations and was
arrested a couple of times.

The letter from Carmichael to her home read, “Dear Mrs. Parker, I am informed that your daughter, Karen, was arrested on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 19. She spent the night in jail. With these circumstances you are, I judge, familiar.

“This information I feel you would
want me to give you. If ever I can be of
any help to you or your daughter, please
call upon me.”
In person, the dean was more direct.

“Carmichael didn’t like it and told me
so,” Parker wrote in her diary. “However, I
don’t think much of her opinion on any-
thing.”
In an interview she said, “I remember
she called me in one time — she wanted
me to stop going to jail. She told me civil
disobedience was not the right thing to do.
She was very, very Southern, very old-fash-
ioned; no, that’s not the right word — she
was prudish. Her standards didn’t fit in
with the 1960s.”

6;887D7@F;97@7D3F;A@E;

SAME DESTINATION

When Thelma Perkins moved to Carol Woods, she never dreamed that one day her son would join her! However, as Larry saw his mother thrive in a community filled with opportunities for continued learning, growing and contributing, he and his wife signed up for future residency.

Moving to Carol Woods allows people the time to make a difference in the community that surrounds them. Whether mentoring students, volunteering in the larger community, or interacting with children at the on-site day care, Carol Woods’ residents continue to lead active, stimulating lives filled with meaningful moments!

You’re never too young to start planning for the future.
Call 1-800-518-9333
today to discuss our future residency program.

The sea change

Sharon Rose Powell had come to Chapel Hill in 1964 perfectly content with strict rules on dorm closing hours, fraternization with boys and mandatory sign-outs (though the dress code and the five-second limit on goodnight kisses in the Spencer lobby she found a little silly).