Opinion ID: 2342172
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Student Activity

Text: The Negro is always asking us to forget his color  to accept him for what he is as an individual. The blacks once admitted to Duke, and while demanding full integration into every facet of the University community, were not long in organizing a wholly segregated Afro-American Society. They have learned that blackmail is the name of the game today and they were not long in showing their muscle. They did, as you know, blockade the office of Dr. Knight and forcibly denied entrance to his office for a whole day. One of the things they demanded was that Dr. Knight resign from the segregated Hope Valley Country Club. This did not seem wholly realistic to him since he had no application pending for their segregated Afro-American Society; so to date, this issue is a stand off. Out of deference to Durham's large black population, and having no desire to inflame them, these defiant black militants were not punished. All of you will agree, I am sure, that we made a smart move there. It is true, unfortunately, that you can't duck trouble that is looking for you, but you can, at least, buy some peace for awhile, by not being too heavy handed. This is what we always try to do. Unfortunately, we have permitted to enter the University too large a number of students who are away out in left field and these dissidents are constantly a source of embarrassment to us with our alumni. They have had on campus to harangue the student body over the last several years a procession of sex deviates, communists, advocates of narcotics and militant blacks; Harriet Pimple, Klopfer, Aptheker, Timothy Leary, Ginsberg, Adam Clayton Powell, Stokely Carmichael, Howard Fuller, Martin Luther King, and you name it. They did have one dedicated American in to speak, General Lewis Hershey, but they ridiculed him roundly. Okay, maybe we ought to put these kids back in line and let them know they are here to study instead of demanding whiskey in their rooms, girls in the rooms, the right to use narcotics, the right to block the free movement of others by sit-ins and lie-ins. Other schools, outside of West Point, Annapolis, V.M.I. and the like, are not having much success at disciplining their student bodies so we feel no particular compulsion in making a pioneer effort. In any event, it isn't popular today to inhibit freedom of speech or freedom of action. These kids have constitutional rights don't they? Didn't all of you kick over the traces a time or two when you were at Duke? Sure you did.