378
STEPHEN DONADIO
dents to remain, given the fact that they were vacillating and voting
over and over again and unable to make a clear decision on their
role.
If
they had remained it would probably have diluted the effec–
tiveness of the protest.
INTERVIEWER: SO
it would seem that the occupation of Hamilton was
the crucial, the really strategic move in the situation.
BROWN:
I
think that's quite true, and
I
think that the press has pretty
effectively distorted that in collusion with the Administration, which
has obviously
wan~ed
to play down the racial angle - which is one
they can't deal with so effectively as they can deal with other issues.
I
think it's quite clear that the position of Hamilton Hall was crucial
for a number of reasons. The most important reason was that the
Adminisration couldn't effectively move on the white students without
moving on the black but it was very reluctant to move on the black
students; the Administration was reluctant to use the police for seven
days because it felt that if it moved on Hamilton it might very well
face the wrath of the Harlem community. And in fact there was some
rather substantial Harlem support in the form of food and other
necessities brought up from the community. There were also many
black persons from Harlem present throughout the seven days at one
time or·another during rallies and demonstrations in support.
I
think, too, that there was much legitimacy added to the whole
demonstration by the fact that there was better discipline in Hamilton
Hall, both externally and internally, than there was in other buildings.
There was less revolutionary rhetoric, and this made it more difficult
for the press to redbait.
It
was clearly realized by those in Hamilton
that what was going on was a demonstration, not "the revolution."
SALES:
And because of superior discipline it was much easier for the
students in Hamilton to wage a war of attrition against the Adminis–
tration than it was, as
I
understand it, in other buildings, where there
were too many people present, and where the continuous political
discussion didn't really allow anyone to relax.
BROWN:
In
other buildings there was also a lack of effective control of
access to the building, and that was a problem. The students in
Hamilton Hall also conducted daily drills on how to deal with tear gas
and MACE, and things like this add,
I
think, to people's confidence,
and consequently minimize the chances of panic.
INTERVIEWER:
In
your view is the role of black students at a university
different from that of white students?
BROWN:
I
would say .tlIat black students at this university have demon–
strated that they view themselves essentially as an extension of the
black community and that their primary identity is with the black
community and not with the university community. And in that sense
there are certain obvious differences in their ' role, certain obvious
things that differentiate them from white students, who will generally
I
suppose view themselves primarily as members of an academic com–
munity.
I
think this is indicated by the fact that in effect all the
demands made by the black students were community demands and
not student power demands.
INTERVIEWER:
How would you characterize
t~e
relation of your group
