University of Virginia Library

Students Petition University
To Apply Integration Policy

By Charles Calhoun
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Disturbed by the Student
Council's handling of violations
of its non-discrimination rule, a
group of 23 Negro students yesterday
petitioned the University
to state and enforce its official
policy on use of segregated facilities
by University organizations.

"Since the University has made
statements in the past that it does
not practice discrimination, we
want that policy to be enforced
in light of recent Student Council
activities," Earl H. McClenney
Jr., one of the petitioners,
told The Cavalier Daily.

Council Suspension

(The Student Council last week
suspended its rule prohibiting recognized
organizations from patronizing
establishments that refused
service to Negroes and in
Tuesday night's meeting deferred
action on adopting a new rule.)

The Negro students presented
the administration with a "policy
paper" that included a seven-point
program asking the University:

1. To deny recognition of and
use of University facilities and
funds by student organizations
using segregated facilities.

2. To inform the Student
Council of its official policy on
the matter "in view of the Council's
recent suspension of the rule
. . ."

3. To "make more sincere efforts
at recruitment of prospective
black students." The students
said the low percentage of Negroes
at the University "indicates
the absence of any aggressive recruitment
policy. . ." (There are
an estimated 71 Negroes now
attending the University out of
an enrollment of 8,332.)

Negro Faculty Members

4. To hire "a representative
number of black faculty members.
The absence of black instructors
. . . is obvious to all
and a further source of discontent.
. ."

5. To "take positive action to
obtain non-discriminatory pledges
from landlords whose premises
are advertised on the Off-Grounds
Housing List."

6. To "exert pressure on the
University Union to obtain nondiscriminatory
pledges from the
patrons of the Date Housing List.
Several black students have been
greatly inconvenienced by the refusal
of patrons on this list to
accommodate black women."

7. To "adopt a realistic attitude
toward the recruitment of
black athletes. The University
should not only attempt procurement
of the 'super-athlete,' but
also those that exhibit talents
commensurate with those of
present athletes at the University."

'Racism' Institutionalized

The students said that "racism"
had become institutionalized
at the University through "passive
acceptance or acquiescence"
on the part of the student body
and administration. They defined
a "racist policy" as one that encouraged
or accepted "systematic
discrimination, exclusion and/or
subordination of any person on
the basis of race, color, creed or
national origin."

They called the Council's approval
of the use of Fry's Springs
by the nurses an example of such
a racist policy and noted that "the
Administration has made no attempt
at either alleviating the
problems in question or clarifying
its position in the matter."

Mr. McClenney and four other
Negro students met briefly with
Dean B. F. D. Runk twice yesterday
to discuss the petition. Mr.
McClenney said he did not know
what the outcome would be, but
he expected that "in light of past
statements, the reaction probably
will be favorable.

"We are willing to co-operate
with the University in any way,"
he added, "but the urgency of
the situation should be clear."

Won't Pressure

He said the Negro group had
no plans to bring pressure on
the administration but would participate
in next week's proposed
demonstration at the Council
meeting "to show we are concerned
about what is taking
place."

Mr. McClenney also said the
group would be happy to aid the
University in recruiting Negro
high school students, including
athletes.