A plan has been created to bring the African-American students on campus together with Recognized Student Organizations to uplift the Black race.

A Manifesto, “a declaration of intent or principles,” was brought to the Student Government as a proposal last spring and was written to declare a “new precedence in Black unity, greek relations, academic achievements and the uplifting of Black heritage.”

Co-writer Steven Blackmon, a senior sports management major, helped with the writing, the ideas and the editing of the document.

Besides Blackmon, the writers involved with the Manifesto are members of Black Greek organizations.

The authors include Darrius Frazier, Ronnie Hughes, Raleigh Jennings, Zhena King, Johnny Lane, Earl Solomon, Winton Stacy, Dennis Thomas and Sherman Thomas.

The proposal of the group was to try to get the document placed in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union where students could see it and individuals who chose to participate and live by it could sign it, Blackmon said.

Blackmon said that the document would add to the African-American heritage theme the Union lacks with only one picture of Martin Luther King in the entire building.

The Manifesto began as a class project, but kept developing long after the assignment was over with the group’s expectations including leaving behind a positive aspect to Eastern, Blackmon said.

Many of the authors expressed pleasure at being able to bring the document into fruition.

“(The) Manifesto was made to help ease all the problems that minorities feel on Eastern’s campus just because we don’t have the resources or we don’t have the outlets,” Blackmon said.

Created over a year ago, the Manifesto was designed especially for minorities, by minorities, Blackmon said.

The document states the need of proactive support in the surrounding community and on campus, Blackmon said.

The document was brought to the Student Government last spring, but not much support was received by the African-American student community or from the student body as a whole, Blackmon said.

“One of the biggest problems is that we don’t get the proper publicity that is needed to let people know that there is something out there that is for us, by us that can help us,” Blackmon said.

Blackmon said the lack of support for African-American activities and functions on campus was the cause behind the document.

He also said he saw the unfairness minority students were receiving from the college — whether it was through support or financially — so the group decided to do something about it.

It is uncertain when, or if, the proposal will be brought back to the Student Government.

It was not acknowledged the first time, and Blackmon thinks it won’t be acknowledged again.

“It is important that we once again support each other in everything that we do,” he said.