University of Virginia Library

Five Speeches Highlight Coalition Rally

By Pete Shea
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Photo by Frank Blechman

George Taylor Addresses Mid-Day 'Coat and Tie' Rally While Ron Cass, Robert Rosen Look On

Mr. Rosen Opened Successful Rally With Welcome To FBI Man Standing At Foot Of Steps Leading To Rotunda

Speeches by Jim England and
Rick Evans highlighted yesterday's
mid-day rally which was held to
clarify the coalition's proposals and
was witnessed by a chilled crowd
slightly smaller than that which
attended the previous demonstration.

The official program consisted
of speeches by five members of the
University community and opened
with a welcome by Robert Rosen,
leader of the Student Coalition, to
the "FBI man in the blue coat with
the green hat" standing at the foot
of the steps.

The two featured speakers drove
home the message of the coalition.
Mr. England, a University professor
of mathematics, stirred the crowd
with a lively speech concerning the
faculty's part in the
demonstrations. His speech was
interrupted with sincere applause
many times.

Mr. England chastised the
majority of the faculty, especially
the "glorious Arts and Sciences
faculty," for their lack of unified
support for the coalition. "The
students are educating the faculty
and administration on how to be
responsible citizens in this society,"
Mr. England proclaimed.

"The students have taken the
first steps to the eradication of
racism," he continued, but the
"first response" was merely "an
evasion of the proposals, a
reiteration of old promises." Mr.
England proceeded to give an
example of that "reiteration" by
citing the response that the administration
gave to the demands for
the recruiting of black athletes
three years ago. That response was
"identical to the recent one," he
said.

"Racism, either overt or covert,
will no longer be tolerated," Mr.
England continued. It is now time
for "the realization by action of
demands. Mere promises will no
longer suffice," he concluded.

Martin Evans

Mr. Evans, former president of
the Student Council, wound up the
program by answering the question
"Why are you here?" "We are
working to make this school a
better University, this state a better
state," he replied.

Mr. Evans cited a two-pronged
attempt, educational and political,
to end the "continuing administrative
inactivity - not bias, but
inactivity. Assemblies like this
one," he explained, "serve to
educate our society into the needs
of this University, to explain what
can be done, and how it can be
done."

Political Method

Mr. Evans clarified the political
method of securing the desired
changes. "We are here to offer a
balance to (the) power of the
purse," Mr. Evans reasoned. "Student
unrest, no matter how orderly,
causes reaction in Richmond.
Public opinion causes reaction, and
we are here to shape public
opinion."

Mr. Evans then told how the
coalition intends to realize its goals.
"One place we will go is Richmond,
to carry to the Governor, by
motorcade if necessary, the
proposals which would allow this
University to involve itself in and
work to improve the Charlottesville
community," he informed the
spectators.

Another Place

"Another place we are going to
go is to our pockets, to work to
finance some of the programs
which the University seems too
busy to bother with, too busy
building a new track and a new
swimming pool to spend the money
to recruit Black athletes to complete
in the, or to fund a transitional
program that will help to make up
for the gaps in secondary education
which still exist in this state," Mr.
Evans concluded.

After thanking the supporters
who showed up "on such short
notice," Randy Ross, yesterday's
program chairman, introduced
another speaker, George Taylor.

"No Meaningful Account"

Mr. Taylor, a member of the
Black Students for Freedom, spoke
about the necessity of a Black
Studies program. Mr. Taylor
claimed that the University offered
"no meaningful account of the
Black man's contribution" to the
nation and that the University's
obligation is not satisfied."

Mr. Taylor explained that, if the
University were to change its
"dirty, lousy, shitty" image, it
would have to set up a program for
Black Studies "within two years."
The three-part program calls for the
establishment of an "institute for
research in Afro-American studies,"
with a black director, an
introductory course in
Afro-American studies taught by a
black man, and graduate and
undergraduate programs in Black
Studies, including courses in literature
and sociology.

Rawles Jones

Rawles Jones, Chairman of the
Students for the Transitional Program,
followed Mr. Taylor and
spoke of the need for funds so the
Transitional program can be started
this summer. Mr. Jones said that
the funds "must come from private
sources, the students, faculty, and
community." He also mentioned
possible means of collecting the
money such as a one-day mass fast,
benefit concerts, and a fund drive.

Following Mr. Jones, Thomas
Gardner discussed the issue of
University employment and wages. Mr. Gardner said that, as the
employer of almost half of Charlottesville's
workers, the University
set the wage scale for the community
and that is was the inadequate
wage scale, not unemployment,
that was the cause of poverty in
Charlottesville.

Mr. Gardner said that since "the
man on the hill" (President Shannon)
was responsible to the state
officials, a motorcade to Richmond
may be scheduled for the near
future "to present the demands" to
the authorities there.

The program was concluded by
1:30.