BLACK LEADERS ON CAMPUS TRY TO SPUR CHANGE

When Shawn Harris decided to attend Southeast Missouri State University, he made a commitment to try to improve the campus for black men.

Harris, a freshman, is among founders of a new campus movement called KUAS, Kings United Against Struggle.

KUAS held its first event Monday, a march in support of the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. About 30 black men walked from Graul to Academic Hall.

In all, about 65 people participated in what Harris described as a rally on campus.

"We can see the despair going on in America today," Harris said, adding that it is time for black men to stand together.

The marches here and in Washington were intended to evince unity among black men. Harris said is wasn't a show of support for any particular religion or individual.

Monday's inaugural event for KUAS encouraged Harris and other organizers that they are on the right track for the Southeast campus.

As a high school senior, Harris was recruited by many universities. He picked Southeast.

But when he arrived on campus, he noticed something unusual. All the organizations he attended seemed to led by women. "Where were the African-American men?" he wondered.

Trent Ball, who has a master's degree from Southeast and works at the university's Student Support Services, noticed the same thing.

He watched the number of black male leaders on campus dwindle.

Ball said those numbers are again on the rise as demonstrated by the creation of KUAS, a spin-off from the campus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Once a month, members of KUAS meet to discuss various topics.

In addition, NAACP and Association of Black Collegians are planning meetings. Ball said something is scheduled every Wednesday night.

In response to the student-led KUAS, Ball said, black faculty and staff members are meeting to see what they can do to support the students.

The campus already has mentor programs and other support systems in place. Ball said the meetings will build on those ideas.

Ball said he sees the march in Washington as part of a movement nationwide among black men.

"My parent's work is starting to wane," he said. "Now a group of younger African-Americans is starting to realize it's our time."

Harris agreed. "We have been trying to get some equilibrium and trying to be content with what we have. But we now realize that when we let things slide, we were actually losing ground."

Harris said it pleases him to see blacks on campus with their doctoral degrees. "I want to make sure that increases and multiplies," he said.