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University of Iowa black football players boycott newspaper articles, 1968-1969

1968-12-17 Daily Iowan Article: "UI's Black Athletes -- Some Happy Here, Others Not" Page 1

[CLAIMED BY SARAH NELSON]

[handwritten]
DI December. 17, 1968
1 (of 5)

UI's Black Athletes - Some Happy Here, Others Not
By TIM BROSS

When the fans are filing out of the Field House and heading for after-game parties, what is there for that black athlete to do, for whom the fans cheered so loudly.
Not much, according to many black athletes recently interviewed.
All 20 black athletes who have spent at least one year at the University were contacted, and the 18 who commented voiced, of course, no unanimity of opinion of life at Iowa. Their opinions ranged from contentment to apathy to frustration:
"I think Iowa is beautiful," said Ben McGilmer, a basketball player. "It is one of the friendliest places you could find."
"Last year I did not like it and complained a lot," said Ray Cavole, a football player. "Now I take an attitude where I just don't give a damn."
"Every morning, I wake up wondering what I'm doing here," said another black.
There is, however, a pattern to the attitudes. Those blacks who are married, engaged or have steady girlfriends on campus generally like Iowa better than those blacks who are unattached. The unattached blacks usually "hang together" in a group in which there are usually no whites and in which there are usually no non-athletic blacks.
This group is bound tightly by a friendship brought about by common origins and their circumstances here at the University.
"We athletes all have a lot in common," said Dennis Green, a football player who is now married. "Especially the seven or eight guys who hung together in the dorm last year.
"None of us had much money, and most of us grew up on the tough side. We got into our share of trouble, but none of us got into serious trouble."
These black athletes have become a minority within a minority: blacks at an overwhelmingly white university, black athletes among many more black students.
Revealing is this statement by Louis Age, a football player: "There are only a few of us up here. What we have, we had better hold tight to."

[ink stamped Reference Vertical File which blocks some words]
[Hershel?] Epps, a football player, [underlined?] the reason why black athletes don't associate much with the [non?]-athletic black: "We don't see them until the weekends since we're usually practicing or something, but it is not that we want it that way."
   Coleman Lane, who plays football, had this to say: "I don't try to get my life wrapped up in athletics. I try to meet non-athletic people since you won't be living with athletes all your life; but this is sometimes difficult.
"Everybody thinks of you as an athlete. In class, whenever sports is brought up, I symbolize sports. People have the conception of the 'big, dumb athlete' and that is it.
"I really don't feel alienated, but you must face the facts. We're at an overwhelmingly white university, and we are alienated somewhat except when within our group and a few white radicals."
Said Age, "The non-athletic black comes into contact a lot more with whites than we do. They communicate a lot more with the white in class than we do.
"It's different when you're in class and an athlete. You've usually got practice on your mind.
"Also, I don't think people talk to me because I am Louis Age. When somebody says something to me, it is usually about sports. I think that when people speak to the non-athletic black, the black is inclined to believe they spoke to him because he is a person."
Thus, this group has a strong kinship. An apparent injustice done to one black becomes an injustice to every black.
   Unintentionally, these black athletes are isolated from outsiders, black and white. Also untentionally, this very act of "hanging together" further isolates them from outsiders, for as Nat Hentoff, author and social critic, put it, "Who among you, sees without more fear each month a group of young blacks approaching? Especially if they are laughing?"
The college campus, as artificial as it sometimes seems, is also subject to the anxieties of the outside world.
Other black athletes on campus are content. Many of them are either married or engaged and therefore naturally spend most of their time with their families or girlfriends.
They have no group pressures on them and their outlooks are not shaded by any of the subtle pressures a group may unconsciously apply.
Said McGilmer, who is married, "I feel at home here. I don't look at people in terms of black and white. Some other blacks may get uptight about being the only black on a predominantly white campus. I look at a person in terms of his being a person."
Green puts his position this way, "I don't have any gripes. You are out in the world now and you can't be treated like a kid anymore.
"Sitting down and complaining about something doesn't do any good at all. The thing is that it is all part of life. For instance, if you work for a guy and he doesn't like you, he wants you to sit down and complain and get disgusted. You can't give him that chance."
See ATHLETES, Page 6

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[CLAIMED BY SARAH NELSON] [handwritten] DI December. 17, 1968 1 (of 5) UI's Black Athletes - Some Happy Here, Others Not By TIM BROSS When the fans are filing out of the Field House and heading for after-game parties, what is there for that black athlete to do, for whom the fans cheered so loudly. Not much, according to many black athletes recently interviewed. All 20 black athletes who have spent at least one year at the University were contacted, and the 18 who commented voiced, of course, no unanimity of opinion of life at Iowa. Their opinions ranged from contentment to apathy to frustration: "I think Iowa is beautiful," said Ben McGilmer, a basketball player. "It is one of the friendliest places you could find." "Last year I did not like it and complained a lot," said Ray Cavole, a football player. "Now I take an attitude where I just don't give a damn." "Every morning, I wake up wondering what I'm doing here," said another black. There is, however, a pattern to the attitudes. Those blacks who are married, engaged or have steady girlfriends on campus generally like Iowa better than those blacks who are unattached. The unattached blacks usually "hang together" in a group in which there are usually no whites and in which there are usually no non-athletic blacks. This group is bound tightly by a friendship brought about by common origins and their circumstances here at the University. "We athletes all have a lot in common," said Dennis Green, a football player who is now married. "Especially the seven or eight guys who hung together in the dorm last year. "None of us had much money, and most of us grew up on the tough side. We got into our share of trouble, but none of us got into serious trouble." These black athletes have become a minority within a minority: blacks at an overwhelmingly white university, black athletes among many more black students. Revealing is this statement by Louis Age, a football player: "There are only a few of us up here. What we have, we had better hold tight to." [ink stamped Reference Vertical File which blocks some words] [Hershel?] Epps, a football player, [underlined?] the reason why black athletes don't associate much with the [non?]-athletic black: "We don't see them until the weekends since we're usually practicing or something, but it is not that we want it that way." Coleman Lane, who plays football, had this to say: "I don't try to get my life wrapped up in athletics. I try to meet non-athletic people since you won't be living with athletes all your life; but this is sometimes difficult. "Everybody thinks of you as an athlete. In class, whenever sports is brought up, I symbolize sports. People have the conception of the 'big, dumb athlete' and that is it. "I really don't feel alienated, but you must face the facts. We're at an overwhelmingly white university, and we are alienated somewhat except when within our group and a few white radicals." Said Age, "The non-athletic black comes into contact a lot more with whites than we do. They communicate a lot more with the white in class than we do. "It's different when you're in class and an athlete. You've usually got practice on your mind. "Also, I don't think people talk to me because I am Louis Age. When somebody says something to me, it is usually about sports. I think that when people speak to the non-athletic black, the black is inclined to believe they spoke to him because he is a person." Thus, this group has a strong kinship. An apparent injustice done to one black becomes an injustice to every black. Unintentionally, these black athletes are isolated from outsiders, black and white. Also untentionally, this very act of "hanging together" further isolates them from outsiders, for as Nat Hentoff, author and social critic, put it, "Who among you, sees without more fear each month a group of young blacks approaching? Especially if they are laughing?" The college campus, as artificial as it sometimes seems, is also subject to the anxieties of the outside world. Other black athletes on campus are content. Many of them are either married or engaged and therefore naturally spend most of their time with their families or girlfriends. They have no group pressures on them and their outlooks are not shaded by any of the subtle pressures a group may unconsciously apply. Said McGilmer, who is married, "I feel at home here. I don't look at people in terms of black and white. Some other blacks may get uptight about being the only black on a predominantly white campus. I look at a person in terms of his being a person." Green puts his position this way, "I don't have any gripes. You are out in the world now and you can't be treated like a kid anymore. "Sitting down and complaining about something doesn't do any good at all. The thing is that it is all part of life. For instance, if you work for a guy and he doesn't like you, he wants you to sit down and complain and get disgusted. You can't give him that chance." See ATHLETES, Page 6