DuBois history is filled with controversy

Next year, W.E.B. DuBois College House will celebrate its 25th anniversary -- but in doing so, it will also commemorate a very strong and rich history. The concept behind the house grew out of a "problem paper" presented by a small group of black students at a University Council meeting, according to the March 14, 1972 issue of the Almanac. Council decided to investigate the proposal of a "black residence," but responded with five "serious issues of concern," including its legality and how beneficial it would be for the students. Formally drawn up by 1971 College for Women graduate Cathy Barlow, the students' report said the University's commitment to black higher education was "shallow because it provides only a mediocre college experience." The editorial pages of The Daily Pennsylvanian were filled for the next few weeks with calls for "all-white" and "all-Jewish" dormitories, in addition to letters of support for the house. One anonymous student said the University is neglecting "a major bloc of the Penn community," asking for a dorm for "preppies." On March 8, the proposal to create an all-black residence and advising center on the first two floors of Low Rise North won preliminary approval from University officials. But during the next three weeks, the University took no further action as then-Provost Curtis Reitz, who would decide on the plan's implementation, continued to consider the proposal. In the meantime, a local leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People attacked the black students who proposed the separate residence, accusing them of being "misguided, misinvolved and misinformed in their quest to turn the clock back 100 years," according to the March 26 DP. The University's legal counsel reported that defending the legality of the proposed residence would be difficult. In an opinion submitted to the vice provost's office, the Philadelphia law firm of Drinker, Biddle and Reath stated that "the proposal may be subject to attack under a large number of constitutional and statutory provisions," as well as local real estate ordinances on racial discrimination. In response to the University's delay in making a decision, roughly 50 black students demonstrated in front of College Hall on April 3. In addition, the caucus of black faculty and administrators and the University's Black People's Coalition issued statements denouncing the University's handling of the proposed residence. The University finally responded on April 5, when the Faculty Senate voted to establish the residence. The following day, University administrators gave final approval for the creation of DuBois. The proposal was adapted to make the house open to all students, a change that satisfied most legal concerns. Barlow, however, expressed doubt that any non-black student would meet the admission criteria for DuBois. "Theoretically, whites are qualified for the program," she said at the time. "But I'll be very interested to see if this is manifested." The Greater Philadelphia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union declined a request from a group of University students for legal assistance in challenging the creation of what they called a "racially exclusive residential center for black undergraduates," according to the April 10 DP. "No white students are being discriminated against by setting aside a portion of one building," the ACLU responded. In August 1972, 60 black students and two faculty members moved into Low Rise North to begin the academic living and learning program. Since then, the house has often been the target of racial harassment. One of a series of bomb threats to the house occurred at the end of October 1981. In response, nearly 1,000 University students, faculty and administrators linked arms and encircled DuBois, singing "We Shall Overcome." Most recently, in October 1993, several DuBois residents received bomb threats and racially harassing phone calls, forcing the evacuation of the building and a temporary ban on non-residents. Since then, however, DuBois has dealt with relatively few racially charged incidents. The residence is now planning a series of activities to celebrate the house's 25th anniversary, Assistant Dean of DuBois Sonia Elliot said.

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