University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, March 9. 1988
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Forum activities avoided precedents of violence
By James Buckman
Kansan staff writer
The city of Lawrence on Monday night might have seen that history does not always repeat itself.
Although activities surrounding Monday's controversial free-speech forum were reminiscent of days when race was a dividing line in Lawrence, many of the elements of past racial tensions, such as violence and a clear separation between whites and blacks, were missing from the action.
Those elements were readily apparent when black students and white students
Shouting between white and black students, starting in Veterans Park across the street, led to a riot inside the school. In all, 28 students were injured, and five were taken to the hospital.
Rioting continued the next day, with police lining the school and threatening to use tear gas. The unrest was caused in part by students agitating for fair elections of cheerleaders and homecoming royalty.
squared off at Lawrence High School on April 15, 1970.
The unrest continued into the summer. On July 16, Lawrence police shot and killed a 19-
year-old black student after a car chase. The student, Donald Rick Dowdell, had been a freshman at the University of Kansas the year before. His death prompted a funeral march of 400 people down Massachusetts Street and sparked violence in the city, including bombings, sniper attacks, and several fires.
Five years before the riots at Lawrence High School, 110 students, both white and black, were arrested on March 9, 1965, for refusing to leave Chancellor Clarke Wescoe's office at closing time.
racism on campus, including racism in the fraternity system. It included a march by 500 students across campus to the Chancellor's house.
The demonstration was a response to
The 32-hour demonstration ended when Wescoe signed a bill promising an end to racial discrimination.
A speech by a professor from Stanford University prompted on-campus demonstrations Nov. 13, 1975. The professor, William Shockley, was invited to speak to graduate students and faculty at KU on his theory that blacks were genetically less intelligent than whites.
His speech was interrupted by about 50 protesters. Shockley was unable to continue and was eventually escorted off campus by police. No property damage occurred, and no one was arrested.
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four hours. KU officers were at the forum for about four and a half hours.
The costs for officers from other agencies and for manpower and equipment from facilities operations also would be added to that cost, he said. 2
The 33-person KU police force was assisted by about 23 Lawrence police officers; five Douglas County Sheriff's officers; 50 Kansas Highway Patrol troopers; two bomb disposal experts from the Overland Park police department; and seven Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents, said Lt. Jeanne Longaker, KU police spokesman.
Oliver gave much credit for what he called, a peaceful, meaningful demonstration to the efforts of Students and Community Against Oppression and Racism, the group that organized the demonstration outside the auditorium.
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