News-Record.com

Chancellor James Moeser's change of mind about the Bell Award is an example of whose voices are being heard at UNC-Chapel Hill. After a meeting with Spencer's descendants, who have donated thousands of dollars to UNC-CH, Moeser set up a committee that will consider reinstating the award.

But Moeser never answered a request to meet with the signatories of a letter calling for a moratorium and dialogue on the Bell Award. The signatories included the president and vice chair of the NAACP, the UNC NAACP chapter, the president of the Black Student Movement, the chair of Women's Studies and the director of UNC's Institute of African American Research, among others. No one who signed the letter is a big donor or likely to become one.

Now, we hear that the chair of the committee is a former Bell Award winner, and the committee includes Spencer's great-granddaughter, a member of the Love family who has written passionately about keeping Spencer's name on the award. In addition, the chancellor has publicly stated his preference that Spencer's name be kept, along with the Love family name.

How disappointing to see that the conclusion is written into the process.

Natalia Deeb-Sossa
Chapel Hill