DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | 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 3

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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 3

[handwritten]
DI Dec. 17, 1968
3 (of 5)

[photo]
LOUIS AGE
Holding On

"Having parties is rather difficult - I, is hard to find a place to have it and to have any people come to it."
Many blacks said they spent practically all of their leisure time playing basketball, watching TV or just talking with fellow black athletes.
Said Cavole, "We are limited in all ways. We only have three cars in our group. One car doesn't run, the other guy can't afford any gas and the other guy is married."
Added Age. "Anything more

[photo]
RAY CAVOLE
Complained Last Year

than a mile out, we can't make it."
Tom Miller, who plays basketball, said, "Iowa City is dead. With a date, you would like to take her someplace. Going to a show and the Red Ram - that's just not what's happening."
Ray Churchill, who plays football, said, "You hope to find a party, but you usually don't because there are not that many blacks on campus. I guess I am just going to have to get used to it."
Omar Hazley, a basketball player, voiced what was probably an opinion of many of the black athletes; "If you want to go to school and play ball, Iowa is all right. If you want to do

[photo]
DENNIS GREEN
Not Much Money

anything else, forget it."
Several blacks said the University's social activities were geared to white men.
"Most activities are oriented to the whites, like the dances at the Union," said Geneth Walker, a football player.
"There are not enough social activities geared to the blacks," said Charles Bolden, who plays football. "We have different cultural backgrounds and therefore different interests, in music, for example."
"Functions at the dorm, functions at the Union - for the black man there is nothing," said Hazley. "They might not means it that way, but all the functions around here are white-oriented. They don't play the kind of music we dig."
Comparing the situation now with his experiences at the University two years ago before his induction into the army, McGilmer said. "It has gotten worse here socially. When I was here last, the parties were parties. Now people just sit around and try to be cool. I have only been to a couple of parties, and they were dead."
Considering McGilmer's statement in light of the fact that there are many more blacks on campus now than when McGilmer was last here, it points to another factor in the black's sagging social life.
"Most of the problem is between us - the black man and the black girl," said one black athlete. "The black girls don't want us to take in at all with the whites. They feel we should spend all our time with them.
"They are wrapped up in this 

[photo]
BEN McGILMER
"Iowa is Beautiful"

backwoods attitude. What they're asking us is nearly impossible because the situation here is nearly all white. You've got to have your white associates.
"The girls try to be militant. We ask them why we shouldn't see these people and all they say is that they're white. This Black Power slogan is just a new phrase to them."
The racial atmosphere at Iowa was condemned by some of the black athletes.
"The prejudice here is very subtle," said Phillips. "A person

[photo]
HERSCHEL EPPS
Athletics Are Separate

may smile at you, and when you turn your back, he may raise a dagger, so to speak."
:It is better in the South than it is here," said Age, who is from New Orleans. "You look at the white man down there and you know he doesn't like you; up here you don't know what to think. This place definitely has a phoney atmosphere."
The black man is not alone in these attitudes. Iowa City's lackluster social life also affects the

[photo]
TOM WALLACE
"I Like It Here"

white man to a great extent. Also, the shining campus liberal who becomes a discriminatory bigot once he steps into his fraternity house is offensive not

[photo]
OMAR HAZLEY
Doesn't Dig White Music

only to the black man.
The black man, however, feels these frustrations much more acutely than the white man ever could.
Most of the athletes did not
Continued on Page 7

[photo]
KEN PRICE
Teachers Treat Differently

Saving...

[handwritten] DI Dec. 17, 1968 3 (of 5) [photo] LOUIS AGE Holding On "Having parties is rather difficult - I, is hard to find a place to have it and to have any people come to it." Many blacks said they spent practically all of their leisure time playing basketball, watching TV or just talking with fellow black athletes. Said Cavole, "We are limited in all ways. We only have three cars in our group. One car doesn't run, the other guy can't afford any gas and the other guy is married." Added Age. "Anything more [photo] RAY CAVOLE Complained Last Year than a mile out, we can't make it." Tom Miller, who plays basketball, said, "Iowa City is dead. With a date, you would like to take her someplace. Going to a show and the Red Ram - that's just not what's happening." Ray Churchill, who plays football, said, "You hope to find a party, but you usually don't because there are not that many blacks on campus. I guess I am just going to have to get used to it." Omar Hazley, a basketball player, voiced what was probably an opinion of many of the black athletes; "If you want to go to school and play ball, Iowa is all right. If you want to do [photo] DENNIS GREEN Not Much Money anything else, forget it." Several blacks said the University's social activities were geared to white men. "Most activities are oriented to the whites, like the dances at the Union," said Geneth Walker, a football player. "There are not enough social activities geared to the blacks," said Charles Bolden, who plays football. "We have different cultural backgrounds and therefore different interests, in music, for example." "Functions at the dorm, functions at the Union - for the black man there is nothing," said Hazley. "They might not means it that way, but all the functions around here are white-oriented. They don't play the kind of music we dig." Comparing the situation now with his experiences at the University two years ago before his induction into the army, McGilmer said. "It has gotten worse here socially. When I was here last, the parties were parties. Now people just sit around and try to be cool. I have only been to a couple of parties, and they were dead." Considering McGilmer's statement in light of the fact that there are many more blacks on campus now than when McGilmer was last here, it points to another factor in the black's sagging social life. "Most of the problem is between us - the black man and the black girl," said one black athlete. "The black girls don't want us to take in at all with the whites. They feel we should spend all our time with them. "They are wrapped up in this [photo] BEN McGILMER "Iowa is Beautiful" backwoods attitude. What they're asking us is nearly impossible because the situation here is nearly all white. You've got to have your white associates. "The girls try to be militant. We ask them why we shouldn't see these people and all they say is that they're white. This Black Power slogan is just a new phrase to them." The racial atmosphere at Iowa was condemned by some of the black athletes. "The prejudice here is very subtle," said Phillips. "A person [photo] HERSCHEL EPPS Athletics Are Separate may smile at you, and when you turn your back, he may raise a dagger, so to speak." :It is better in the South than it is here," said Age, who is from New Orleans. "You look at the white man down there and you know he doesn't like you; up here you don't know what to think. This place definitely has a phoney atmosphere." The black man is not alone in these attitudes. Iowa City's lackluster social life also affects the [photo] TOM WALLACE "I Like It Here" white man to a great extent. Also, the shining campus liberal who becomes a discriminatory bigot once he steps into his fraternity house is offensive not [photo] OMAR HAZLEY Doesn't Dig White Music only to the black man. The black man, however, feels these frustrations much more acutely than the white man ever could. Most of the athletes did not Continued on Page 7 [photo] KEN PRICE Teachers Treat Differently