380.
STEPHEN DONADIO
rectify the
unju~t
policies that it's had in the past, then it's hard to
believe its motives in the preS'ent are significantly different.
INTERVIEWER:
Do you think that the effect of the events of the past few
weeks at Columbia will be beneficial in the long run?
SALES:
Let me put it this way: I think that it was a disgrace that a
crisis of this nature had to be precipitated in order to bring to light
the relationship of Columbia University to the Harlem community,
but it does seem to me that at this point both the Columbia Adminis–
tration and the City Administration still have a chance to change their
policies. But if they do not take advantage of the little time remain–
ing to develop a new and different relationship to Harlem, then
things are going to get a lot worse and if that happens then our
protest will have been, in the final analysis, meaningless.
BROWN:
I think it's quite clear that despite the press attempts to distort
the nature and the designs of the Administration that we were effec–
tive - at least temporarily - in exposing and dramatizing the Uni–
versity's failure to recognize those persons who used the normal means
of dissent to protest the University's policies. I think that that exposure
will undoubtedly have consequences. At this point, I think the Uni–
versity is in a position to determine what those consequences will be:
if
it responds effectively there may be mutual benefit growing out of
what happened from April 23 to 29.
If
the University doesn't respond
effectively, I'm not really qualified to predict what will happen but
I suspect that there will be increasing tension and that it will come
to seem that solving problemS' of this kind through the normal means
of discussion and protest is no longer a possibility.
SALES:
One very sad aspect of the whole situation, and one which in
the long run may bring about the most undesirable consequences, is
the S'eries of gross distortions which has appeared in the press. Not
only the local press but the national press has in effect defined the
problem here as related to student power issues: that is, as a problem
involving young student rebels, alienated from their parents and from
society in general, striking out in random fashion against authority.
If
this is the way the press will define the Columbia protest for the
national community, then the basic issue of the university's relation–
ship to the community will never be dealt with and will someday ex–
plode unexpectedly in a nationwide fashion.
BROWN:
I think we have pointed out the fact that black students at
Hamilton Hall were pivotal in termS' of the entire demonstration. It
wouldn',t nave lasted as long as it did, it wouldn't have been as effec–
tive as it
has
been if it had not been for the presence and the activities
of the black students. And it's quite apparent that both the fourth
estate and what might
be
called the fifth estate - the left-wing
press - have effectively distorted the whole nature of the demonstra–
tion from beginning to end.
If
thiS' kind of distortion continues then
the only thing that's likely is a continued escalation of the conflict
because in effect the main participants are being ignored.
SALES:
One of the legitimate avenues of protest is, of course, the press
and publicity. In many ways, it's the last avenue of protelit before
more drastic action. And if the presS' can no longer serve this essential
