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5. “We Hope for Nothing; We Demand Everything”
- University of Illinois Press
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112 5 “We Hope for Nothing; We Demand Everything” The federal government, individual states, and various colleges and universities responded to the rise in youth activism on campuses with various forms of legislation in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The new bills, laws, and amendments differed from state to state and from university to university, but all were created to deter and punish certain kinds of activism. Black and white students were the targets of the legislation .1 Campuses across the nation exploded, and the American public questioned the ability of university administrators to maintain control . Illinois created its own protocol for dealing with disruptive students and sought to maintain order. The university did not approve of certain legislation and publicly registered disagreement, but as federal and state bills became law, the university was compelled to comply. However, the university did not simply bow to public pressure, squash student activism, and ignore BSA demands. The university realized there was room for campus improvement and recognized the worth of some BSA demands. Administrators and faculty had entertained ways to improve the quality of life and academic success of Black students on campus before 1969, but the university had focused on compensatory education and support programs to help Black students that required only cosmetic changes to campus. The BSA demands focused attention on the university’s complicity in Black student underachievement. The university moved forward and publicly demonstrated its dedication to two of the demands—the creation of a Black studies program and a cultural cen- “We Hope for Nothing; We Demand Everything” 113 ter—and even asked Black students to participate in bringing them to life. The negotiation was difficult and stressful, but both BSA and university administrators and faculty stayed the course despite public pressure to the contrary. Unintended Consequences After issuing their demands, Black students at Illinois experienced a backlash similar to the aftermath of the September 1968 arrests. Illinois residents and university alumni wrote letters to university officials expressing their distress with how Black student activism was handled. A member of the class of 1934 wrote President David Dodds Henry, “It seems where a minority group wants something, they demand it, and if they don’t get it, they take it. It is high time the University puts up a fight against this sort of behavior.”2 Media coverage of the demands and Black student negotiations over them incensed others. One individual from as far away as Kentucky wrote a letter to university officials and referenced an article in the Daily Illini that discussed negotiations between BSA and the Undergraduate Student Association (UGSA). The article documented a meeting between the groups where BSA blocked entrances and exits and attempted to intimidate UGSA members into increasing the amount of money funneled to BSA. The author of the letter suggested that the university prosecute BSA members for their actions. Vice Chancellor George Frampton responded, assuring the author that the Daily Illini exaggerated the situation. According to Frampton, Dean Robert Brown was present at the meeting and reported that “no one appeared to him reasonably intimidated or fearful. No members of UGSA ever stated or complained that they were threatened or intimidated, and on the contrary they have stated that any tension during the evening resulted only from the heat of negotiations.”3 Other concerned citizens registered their distress in phone calls to the Rumor Center. The nature of the calls evidenced a general state of racial wariness. For instance, on 28 May 1969 alone, a typical day, over twenty calls to the Rumor Center concerned Black unrest. Individuals asked a variety of questions from “Will we have any racial problems tonight?” to “Are there any Black Panthers in town?” to are there “Blacks from Chicago with machine guns and 400 Black militants from St. Louis” coming to Champaign?4 The queries attested to the tense climate on campus and in Champaign-Urbana as well as to the fact that the Rumor Center was desperately needed. The university not only worked to dispel rumors and provide accurate information but also tightened regulations regarding proper conduct. [34.238.143.70] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 01:23 GMT) 114 Black Power on Campus In a February 1969 report to the board of trustees, Chancellor Jack Peltason cited deficiencies in university policy regarding the regulation of student demonstrations and advocated the “removal of any ambiguity about University policy toward disruptive actions and about the appropriate role of disciplinary...