University of Virginia Library

'Enlightenment Period'

Ever since my first year here in
the fall of 1968 various issues in
community living have arisen under
the name of the "racial" issue.
Sparked by the "Enlightenment" of
Bud Ogle's tenure on the Student
Council, the University students
actively campaigned for increased
black admissions in an effort to
make this community somewhat
reflective of the society that it was
attempting to educate. During this
"Enlightenment" period, students'
attention was focused on such
archaic, inconsiderate, and immoral
cultural carry-overs of this
community as the waving of the
Confederate flag at football games
and the playing of "Dixie" on the
University radio station at sign-off.
During the controversy over these
practices, their connection with the
American racist heritage was hotly
debated.

Although it seems as though the
connection with this American
heritage was never finally
established to the satisfaction of
the community, one point became
crystal clear; the blacks in this
community were genuinely
offended by these practices. The
question remains—Why do certain
people persist in these practices
when they know full well that they
are offending members of our
University community? Extended
inconsiderate behavior of this type
can only be continued with severe
consequences for our University
community.