University of Virginia Library

Changing Attitude

Last year, there was much activity
in February and March and
April promoted by the Coalition, a
group of students concerned about
the tiny percentage of the student
body which was black, about the
atmosphere here which continued
to be indifferent when not hostile
to our token blacks, and about the
startling lack of effort which the
University was expending to attract
black students to the University
and to make the University attractive
to blacks.

Rallies were held, students got
excited, administrative hairs greyed,
committees got appointed, and the
University began, perhaps for the
first time, seriously talking about
changing its attitudes and increasing
its efforts to recruit black students.
A summer preparatory program was
inaugurated, largely with
student-raised money. Things started
to happen.