University of Virginia Library

Wilkins & Founder's Day

Roy Wilkins made one point in his address
Wednesday night which we feel is
particularly relevant to all members of the
University community on this Founder's
Day. Today as we are celebrating the 225th
anniversary of the birth of Mr. Jefferson,
our beloved and esteemed founder, we must
examine ourselves, in view of all that has happened this week, to see if we are indeed
living up to the principles which so occupied
his thoughts. As Mr. Wilkins pointed
out, using Mr. Jefferson's own words as
evidence, the problems between the blacks
and whites in this country never ceased to
worry him. As the "father of our democracy"
he held a firm belief that all men,
both white and black, were indeed created
equal. The fact that they were obviously
not equal in the eyes of the law in his time
was a real burden on his conscience, but
he did not know what to do about it.

Today, as we as a nation come closer and
closer to doing something about it, it is ironic
that Mr. Jefferson's home state lags far
behind others in the crusade. Mr. Wilkins
observed that Virginia, of all states, as the
"birthplace of our democracy," should be
a leader in this matter. He was quick to
add, though, that by the time Virginia did
get caught up in such things they would be
"old hat" in many other places. Surely
Mr. Jefferson would lament such stagnancy
on the part of his state.

More important for us, though, Mr.
Wilkins pointed out that the University of
Virginia, where Mr. Jefferson's spirit supposedly
lives on, should be a beacon of
civil freedom for the rest of the country.
He did not even bother to comment on how
well the University is not fulfilling its role.
We have just learned, for example, that to
qualify for next year's I.M. golf championship
one must play nine holes at the very
segregated Blue Ridge Golf Club. This
regulation obviously bars all 71 Negro students
from the participation. How the I.M.
department could commit such a faux pas
as this before the dust surrounding the Student
Council resolution about student activities
and segregated facilities has even
settled is beyond us. We hope and trust
that this decision will be rescinded.

Unfortunately, whether or not Negro student
will be able to play I.M. golf next
year is the least of our worries. We must
ask, as we have before, what about hiring
policies? What about admissions policies?
what about policies concerning recruiting of
athletes? What about wages for the employees?
Until questions such as these can
be considered no longer necessary or relevant,
this university is an insult to the
memory of Mr. Jefferson. No amount of
dressing and acting like gentlemen on the
parts of students and faculty, o number of
white columns or acres of green grass, no
amount of saying or pretending that Mr.
Jefferson's spirit lives on today would appease that spirit as long as his basic principles
are unheeded. Until this university does
assume its role as described by Mr. Wilkins,
just as the burden for Christ's crucifixion
is on all men, the burden for the riots in
our cities is on us. How ironically appropriate
that so many riots should come to
remind us of this so near Mr. Jefferson's
birthday.