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Talk to Student Assembly
Chancellor Gordon W. Blackwell
Woman's College
February 9, I960
Two years ago in the fall I talked to Student Assembly just before the
Asian Flu epidemic. Last winter my talk came just before first semester
examinations. This year, although the date was set several months ago, my
talk comes just after a critical, nerve-racking week for the City of Greensboro,
the week of the sit-down at the five and ten. My talks to you seem to be closely
associated with crises! In the future I hope to be able to talk to you in a different atmosphere.
If this morning I did not talk on the events of last week, you would
probably be surprised. Also I believe I would be shirking my responsibility.
I shall talk, then, about the rights and responsibilities of college students in relation to the larger implications of the sit-down demonstration at
the five and ten. The action taken by students -- reportedly from five local
colleges -- must be weighed in the light of several major concerns upon which
I shall comment briefly. No one individual, perhaps, would agree that these
are the concerns of real significance. Yet I believe a rational analysis of the
situation requires recognition of each of them.
(1) Concern for the feelings of discrimination and injustice which
are deeply experienced by some of the people involved. It
is never good in American democracy for people to have these
feelings.
(2) Concern for the danger of physical violence and destruction
of property which faced the students and institutions involved.
(3) Concern that recent progress in race relations may be set
back many years unless the impasse is resolved on a basis
acceptable to all responsible elements in the community,
(4) Concern for the economic welfare of thousands of Kress,
Woolworth and other stores and their employees across the
country.
(5) Concern for the reputation of Greensboro and North Carolina
at a time when forward progress in all areas is a reality.
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| Title | 1.8.246-01 |
| Full text | Talk to Student Assembly Chancellor Gordon W. Blackwell Woman's College February 9, I960 Two years ago in the fall I talked to Student Assembly just before the Asian Flu epidemic. Last winter my talk came just before first semester examinations. This year, although the date was set several months ago, my talk comes just after a critical, nerve-racking week for the City of Greensboro, the week of the sit-down at the five and ten. My talks to you seem to be closely associated with crises! In the future I hope to be able to talk to you in a different atmosphere. If this morning I did not talk on the events of last week, you would probably be surprised. Also I believe I would be shirking my responsibility. I shall talk, then, about the rights and responsibilities of college students in relation to the larger implications of the sit-down demonstration at the five and ten. The action taken by students -- reportedly from five local colleges -- must be weighed in the light of several major concerns upon which I shall comment briefly. No one individual, perhaps, would agree that these are the concerns of real significance. Yet I believe a rational analysis of the situation requires recognition of each of them. (1) Concern for the feelings of discrimination and injustice which are deeply experienced by some of the people involved. It is never good in American democracy for people to have these feelings. (2) Concern for the danger of physical violence and destruction of property which faced the students and institutions involved. (3) Concern that recent progress in race relations may be set back many years unless the impasse is resolved on a basis acceptable to all responsible elements in the community, (4) Concern for the economic welfare of thousands of Kress, Woolworth and other stores and their employees across the country. (5) Concern for the reputation of Greensboro and North Carolina at a time when forward progress in all areas is a reality. |
