University of Virginia Library

Council Backs Open Housing

NAACP Endorsed In Drive
For New Employment Law

By Rod MacDonald
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Endorsing a goal for the city
of Charlottesville became a part
of the Student Council's policy
Tuesday night with the passage
of a resolution favoring equal
opportunity employment and
open housing for the city.

By a near unanimous vote the
Council accepted a resolution
stating that "The Student Council
wishes to express its sympathy
with and support for the goals of
the NAACP in securing an equal
opportunity employment policy
from the downtown Charlottesville
merchants, and an open-housing
ordinance from the Charlottesville
community."

'Walked On'

Prefacing the resolution was
Wendell Johnson of the NAACP's
Youth Council, who said
"In the downtown area there are
only a few Negroes in positions
-less than 30, and most of these
as shipping clerks. We feel
walked on, and shouldn't be just
because of the pigment of our
skin. One employer even answered
our questions by saying
'we don't hire the handicapped."

"We also hope for Negroes to
be able to buy any house they
can afford. Right now they evict
any Negroes from public housing
at will-even one woman whose
rent was five days overdue."

George McMillan began the
Council's debate with "In understand
your goals but don't feel
clear on your means. Just what
exactly do you want us to do?
If it's to accept your goals, we'll
support them; but if more, we
want to know the means you
have planned."

State Opposed

Mr. Johnson answered "On the
open housing, we are asking for
a resolution to this effect. The
state Attorney General has said
the matter is not a local one, but
we hope for an ordinance that
will last until overruled, and then
to seek a state one.

"Concerning the economic opportunity,
we want to blot out
tokenism. Merchants say they are
integrated, but they really are
not," he said. "Some people have
proposed a boycott; we hope,
however, to enter into committee
meetings with the merchants
and reach an agreement. If that
fails, we'll have to use legal
means."

One Refused

Ron Hickman asked if any
Negroes had been refused employment
recently.

Mr. Johnson replied that one
Negro was brought down from
New York, with ample qualifications,
and with assurance from
the merchant that he would be
hired. He was, however, turned
down upon arriving.

"Should the Student Council
endorse something that it's not
directly concerned with?" asked
Foster Witt. "It's a common
legislative function, not one for the
Student Council to express a sympathy
for something not concerning
students."

Leadership Needed

Frank Homer replied "I fee
the University has an obligation
take some lead in the city, and
only wish the President and Board
of Visitors had long since done it.

Sad Need

"There is a sad need for leadership,
particularly in the very deficient
area of civil rights, and we
ave an obligation to provide it,"
he continued. "By passing this,
we could finally begin to fulfill
our obligation."

Richard Jenkins also pointed
out that many students live in off-grounds
housing and apartment
buildings and were faced with
housing problems that did involve
students.

The vote was taken, and the
resolution passed by a voice vote,
with Mr. Witt and Mr. Hickman
abstaining.

Martin F. Evans, President of
the Council, told The Cavalier
Daily yesterday that "this is a
sincerely felt and intended resolution,
but all further action will
probably come from outside the
province of the Council. We agree
with these goals and expressed our
opinion, but our primary concern
is with the Student Body."

Second Endorsement

With its action Tuesday night
the Council became the second
local group to endorse the
NAACP's drive for a local open
housing ordinance. On Monday
night the executive committee
of the Albemarle Fair Housing
Committee also endorsed the plan.

In other business, the Council
voted approval of a motion re-