University of Virginia Library

Black Students Protest
Ashe-Culture Week Clash

By Tom Adams
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Members of the Black Students for
Freedom presented the Rotch Committee
with a statement last night, blasting the
University for "sabotaging" the final
event of Black Culture Week by scheduling
Arthur Ashe in a tennis match in
University Hall at the same time.

Willie M. Ivey and John C. Thomas,
both members of the President's Committee
on Educational and Employment
Opportunity, Obligations and Rights
(Rotch Committee) as well as of the
Black Students for Freedom, presented
the statement at the Rotch Committee's
meeting before leaving for the panel
discussion in Gilmer Hall that was the last
event of Black Culture Week.

The statement reads, in part: "We
wish to express the utter disdain we have
for the University's audacity in pitting a
black man against a black just at the
point that we the black men and women
at Virginia are attempting to gain some
element of unity so much needed to
promote change at this often backwards
institution."

Another portion of the statement
reads: "To think that the University
community has so little regard for black
culture that it would dare pit a sports
event opposite the finale of our endeavor is
beyond belief.

Culture Week Climax

"Tonight was to be the climax of Black
Culture Week. I say was because due to the
shortsightedness of University officials, a
program which could have given a new life to
this institution has been sabotaged by the use
of a black man in the person of Arthur Ashe.

"Even more astonishing is that Mr. Ashe is
playing to build up a tennis scholarship fund
which surely will not be of benefit to many
black men in this state or this country."

The statement ends by stating "Today the
University has blundered, tonight the consequences
are but a statement. The future,
though, may not hold such mild retort to the
rebuffs made at the meaning of blackness."

The final event of Black Culture Week, a
panel discussion in Gilmer Hall, attracted a
standing room only crowd of about 350 people
that included President and Mrs. Edgar F.
Shannon, Jr. The tennis match attracted
approximately 2300 people.

Rotch Letter

A member of the Rotch Committee told
The Cavalier Daily last night that a letter would
be sent to the Black Students for Freedom,
who co-sponsored Black Culture Week with the
University Union, expressing the University's
regret over the schedule conflict. The Rotch
Committee's letter, the spokesman said, will
state that the tennis match was scheduled
without any intention of detracting from Black
Culture Week or offending the Black Students
for Freedom.

The Committee will ask William Elwood.
Special Assistant to President Shannon, to look
into the circumstances which led to the conflict
and take steps which are necessary to prevent
such an occurrence in the future.

Representatives of the Black Students for
Freedom told The Cavalier Daily they met
briefly with Arthur Ashe prior to the tennis
match although no details were forthcoming.