University of Virginia Library

Commission Formed

City Studies Racial Problem

By Rod MacDonald
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Charlottesville's racial problems
came a step closer to resolution
yesterday with the naming of a
20-man commission to study racial
harmony and unrest in the city.

In a meeting held yesterday
morning, the Charlottesville City
Council and the Council on Human
Relations agreed to establish a
commission with at least 20
members, to study the ways in
which gaps between the two races
in the city can be healed.

The large committee will be
broken down into smaller groups to
study specific areas.

Mayor Vogt

Charlottesville Mayor Vogt told
The Cavalier Daily yesterday that
"The function of this new
committee will be to look at the
various problems before them such
as jobs and police friction, and
recommend as to how to approach
them. Then new machinery will be
organized to deal with the
problems, and this committee will
die out."

He added that the new
committee will be appointed at the
October 7 meeting of the city
council, and that Rev. Henry B.
Mitchell, one of the leaders of the
Negro community and a member of
the interim committee, would help
select the new group's members.

Racial Disturbances

Charlottesville's racial
disturbances began September 3,
the first day of the new council's
and mayor's term, with a march by
a group of protesters. "Then began
a series of window-smashings. That
Monday we began meetings with
Lane High School students to solve
the trouble, and when the
discussions began the smashings
stopped," he noted.

Mayor Vogt characterized the
window-smashings as "both a sign
of protest and unnecessary. It's
very difficult to sit here with the
door to my office always open, and
know that somewhere out in the
city is someone being frustrated
because he doesn't know who he
can talk to."

Raw Problem

These meetings are essential at
getting at the raw problem of 'black and white.' " , he concluded.

Rev. Mitchell was quoted in the
Daily Progress as saying "The
phrase law and order and justice is
lime waving a flag in front of my
face" because he thought the term
was only used to squash Negro
protests.

Since the disturbances earlier
this month when several stores were
broken into, there have been many
such open sessions of the Council.
Yesterday's decision was the first
concrete step to meet the problems
that have arisen in recent weeks and
months.

The Charlottesville Daily
Progress quoted several white and
black spokesman as saying that the
principal problem between the
races was mistrust. Others
mentioned frequently were a lack
of communication, that many
Negroes don't feel they are a part
of the total community, and a
general lack of educational and job
opportunities for Negroes.

Business Ownership

Charlottesville Mayor G.A. Vogt
said he would charge the committee
to attempt to deal with these
problems and specifically get more
Negroes into business ownership in
the city.

In a prepared statement, Mayor
Vogt defended the police
department, and received an
endorsement from the three
Council members who have
attended meeting since the summer
disturbances.

Mayor Vogt's statement quoted
in the Daily Progress was as
follows:

Complete Support

The mayor and the City Council
reaffirm their complete support of
the police department and a policy
of justice and firmness within the
law for all we have not in the past
nor will we in the future, tolerate
lawlessness or vandalism.

"At the same time we express
our conviction that progress is
made through open doors and not
through broken windows, and to
that end we offer again to meet
with any interested citizen, without
regard to race, creed or color, as
together we seek a better
community and the fulfillment of
the human spirit."

Mayor Vogt expressed pleasure
that the interim committee set up
to study the problem endorsed his
statement, even the black members.