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BLACK WILLIAMS, Pg. 12-14
1964
Concerns over civil rights swelled as time progressed, but by 1964, all the enthusiasm and interest in black people in the South and the North came to a halt. Certainly the Viet Nam War was an important concern to the public during the time; it most probably, forced students to redirect their concern away from the struggles of black people. Other reasons for this dissipation could not be found. The civil rights issues were not merely repressed but lost all together.
1965
A Civil Rights Week at Williams in 1965 officially marked the ending of the efforts Williams students made. It is ironic, however, that the concern for civil rights ended while the social injustices forced especially on blacks continued to exist. Surely 1965 did not bring about change in the racial climate of the country. The change of student interest at Williams and at other schools brought about the formation of the "Students for Democratic Society," an organization not specifically dedicated to the immediate problems blacks were suffering.
With the lost of campus concern for blacks, the few black students who were at Williams in 1963 were dedicated enough in improving the existence of blacks on campus. Informative discussions were held in dormitory rooms where people like Don Jackson (class of 1967), Phil White (class of 1966) and Ed Coaxum (class of 1966), questioned the plight of the college's concern and awareness for prospective black Williams students. These informal discussions in 1963, under the direction of Don Jackson started the "Williams Afro-American Society (WAAS)," an organization that existed until 1972. A change occurred at this point because it marked a time when blacks shifted from operating only in conjunction with white colleagues into uniting more among themselves and becoming a distinct, and significant entity on the campus. The transition was not a short period; as will be seen in later events, changes occurred among blacks and the entire college until 1969. The college changed largely by (1) realizing its failure in ignoring the existence of blacks at Williams, and (2) once realizing this failure, instituting new faculty, courses, programs, financial and education resources into its foundation that would meet the needs of a more diverse student clientele.
Pg. 13-14
1968
The death of Martin Luther King in 1968 excited intense thinking, questioning, and proposals for action by black students across the country. Of course Williams' black students were shocked at the event, but Preston Washington (class of 1970), a prominent campus leader and chairman of the WAAS in 1968 and 1969, said he was "not surprised it would happen." Other blacks at Williams had a variety of opinions concerning King's death. Clifford Robinson (class of 1970) said:
"The thing that struck me most was that he was killed for being black, and because he tried to bring up his brothers."
Drew Hatcher (class of 1971) expressed a different opinion:
"Personally, I think you shouldn't blame any one race or any one people."
Another student said as a result of King's death:
"Militant and more aggressive moves will play a bigger part in the movement."
What actually occurred at Williams immediately after King's death was extensive communication among blacks on the campus as to what should be done at Williams in particular. There were no "sit-ins," boycotts, or violent actions taken as initial responses. A meeting was called for the WAAS members, at which time an analysis of King's beliefs, attitudes, and character was presented. Because blacks ehld somewhat adequate relationships with individual faculty members, panels to discuss violence versus non-violence, racism, equality for blacks and implementations needed at Williams were established. Sherman Jones (class of 1968), the chairman of the WAAS in 1967 and 1968, stated that the Afro American Society "has decided to concentrate on curriculum changes by working with individual professors, courses and department heads."
Communication via these panels proved to be beneficial; Williams then knew what it was confronted with.
Under Sherman Jones, the WAAS called for various programs to be instituted. These included:
1. a History Department Chair that would involve an in depth study of black people in America.
2. a Martin Luther King Memorial Library which would contain Afro American writing, material which the school library lacked.
3. a Winter "A Better Chance (ABC)" program dedicated to prepare disadvantaged high school children for preparatory school and college.
4. funding to support the functions of the WAAS.
Pg. 16-17
1968, then, was an important year for Williams black students, but moreso for the entire college. It was a year in which national issues forced the college to become aware of black people in this country and to open its basic philosophy to include concern for its own black student population. 1968 brought about a black community for the first time in the school. Blacks had become a viable and visible organization instead of invisible students sprinkled over the campus as they had once been. Blacks, themselves, must have undergone change at Williams for the times were changing for blacks on a national scale. It is important to note that at Williams the issues blacks confronted were handled far better than most schools. While other schools faced severe hostility, Williams endure constant communication and consequently solved some of its problems without much disruption.
It is difficult to ask at this point what was accomplished by the efforts made. Blacks continued working for what they desired. Transition was still in existence.
1969
By 1969, Williams had more black students than ever before; whereas roughly five to ten blacks were Williams students in a given year in the earlier nineteen hundreds, in 1969, more than thirty attended. Within only five years, the population of blacks increased about 400%. With this rapid increase in population, came more interests, more concern and more input from black students. Once Williams demonstrated some concern for the WAAS' requests in 1968, it more or less, felt some obligation in continuing its support of incoming black student demands, most of which were quite justified.
Despite what was shaped in 1968, blacks remained dissatisfied with the conditions of their existence, for 1969 saw one of the most controversial and remembered events of Williams' history - the occupation of Hopkins Hall. |
