Occidental Campus Climate: 1970 - 1971
In the 1970 edition of La Encina, there is a poem entitled “The Odds Were Against Us” which details the discrimination faced by those in interracial relationships. Interracial marriage was officially legalized in the United States in 1967, meaning that this poem was reacting to recent changes within American society. However, there are still those who had more conservative leanings at OXY and one can find a statement about how the college should not be used as a political weapon in relation to the moratorium at Berkeley. Deeper within the pages of La Encina, one will also find writings from the Order of the Mystic Apes, a fraternity on campus, who designated all of its party funds towards the Minority Student Scholarship Fund and used the yearbook as a forum to declare their dedication to social issues. There is also a statement from the Asian American students on campus, conveying their disagreement with the war in “Indochina.” Even though there are some opposing views in the 1970s edition of La Encina the majority of the content is progressive to the extent where the Dean of Students stated that the “Occidental community illustrates a strong interest in social, political, and environmental issues".
The 1970-1971 edition of La Encina also confronts the issue of a minority scholarship, noting that there was a drive for the minority scholarship that brought “three unique basketball games to campus” - one of which included Bill Cosby. It seems like 1971 may have been a year for controversy at OXY because the introduction of the yearbook comments on the campus climate in an ambiguous manner. Showcasing an appreciation for diversity on campus, there is a section dedicated to Black Arts Week that also features an image of the Reverend Jesse Jackson who was a keynote speaker. There is no mention of the Black Arts Exhibition, but it may have taken place in conjunction with a Black Arts Week. The yearbook also makes reference to an active international club on campus that organized cultural events for students. Throughout 1970-71 Occidental illustrated a growing interest in diversity and presenting viewpoints from multiple perspectives.
Looking through The Oxy Weekly’s from 1970 and 1971, it is easy to ascertain the climate and conditions that the Student body wanted to evoke surrounding the Black Arts Community and Minority Ethnic groups. In an article published in September of 1970 by John Tidd, he discusses how students at Occidental had ‘a greater awareness of respect to themselves and the society around them, especially when including Blacks, Chicanos and Indians.’ He states that this epic social step forward was helped by Dr. Richard Gilman, the President of Occidental, who made sure to increase minority enrolment exponentially each year, and to raise their financial aid. This article, written around the beginning of the year and set a precedent for what was to come over the next academic season.
More attention was concentrated on the Black Arts Community, specifically in relation to PASLA (Performing Arts Society of Los Angeles), which was compromised ‘primarily of Blacks’. Oxy Students volunteered to take part in understanding performances which articulated the Black Experience, and evaluated plays which dealt with ‘situations that most white people had never had to deal with’.This gives us an insight into the sort of attitude the Oxy community wanted to live by, as they were directly involving themselves with not only groups in their local area, but also appreciating the issues that some of their own peers were dealing with. This social outlook was emphasised by other events that took place on campus during 1970, for example a recording of Tom Skinner ( a former Harlem Gang leader), speaking on US racism and his book ‘Black and Free’, which was played on Campus for any students to hear. However, the peak of Occidentals engagement with the Black Arts, was their ‘Black Arts week”, held in April of 1971. It included a jewellery sale, Mixer, Art Exhibit, Talent Show and Movies surrounding African American culture, as well as multiple speakers, discussing issues surrounding race and KOXY radio shows debating subjects like this. This epic time in the Oxy calendar, demonstrates how dedicated Oxy was to creating change, and encouraging inclusivity and understanding.
Involvement with Black History was also obvious throughout the weekly Newspapers, including a ‘Black History Quiz’, that could be taken in order to obtain a job with KABC. This was open to all students and actively encouraged them to research Black history in order to be rewarded with participation on a successful radio television talk-show.
Within the newspaper itself, great change came in the form of a column written by Black students - ‘Blacktalk’. Its function was to provide a multicultural experience by relating to other students ‘ideas, experience, aspirations, viewpoints and general attitudes’ of Black Students at Occidental - it was designed to Inform. As this column was started at the end of the academic year, it shows to us how great strides were made within a few months, with a previously mentioned article written by John Tidd from the start of the year, discussing the topic of social engagement, to the, now end of they year, where black students were now actively engaged with what was being written, said and expressed.
