University of Virginia Library

City Policy

Mr. Wyant further told Mr. Fortune that he
would write a letter conveying this agreement
of the City Manager. This was never done. The
letter Mr. Forthne received indicated that the
"Wall" could and would not be returned, and
that the policy of the City was to display in
public only the photos of prominent men or
those pictures related to the activities of the
office.

Having read the letter Mr. Fortune turned to
the Council and said, "We are at the run
around that City Council has given us," and
then, "Do we get our Wall back, or do we not?"

Acting Mayor William responded
by saying that, "Council can't cater to every
little group that comes to it." Hen then read
the statement of policy that had been sent to
Mr. Fortune indicating that this was the feeling
of the whole Council. Councilman Van
was recognized and stated that he dissented and
did not favor the Council's action.

Other members of the community reacted
by telling the Council that the people of the
city were all different, having "different needs,
different wants." A black man in the back of
the hall told the Council that they had not
ended the problem by making their statement,
but had "just begun it."