Nation : Students, Angered by Moynihan Remark, Seize Vassar Building
Vassar College students, angry over an alleged racial remark by Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.), today took over the administration building to protest a perceived pattern of racial intolerance on campus.
About 300 students were in the protest, including about 75 inside the administration building housing the offices of President Frances Ferguson. The protesters called for a boycott of classes. They also called for the school to hire a rabbi and provide more facilities for handicapped students.
The takeover followed accusations Tuesday by a black local government official that Moynihan used a racial comment to try to intimidate her at a campus reception Jan. 29. Folami Gray, a Jamaican who is executive director of the Dutchess County Youth Bureau, said Moynihan flushed with anger and insulted her when she disagreed with his contention that America is a model of ethnic cooperation.
“He responded to me by saying I can pack my bags and return to where I came from,” Gray said.
A spokesman for Moynihan said the senator does not recall making the remark.
Students were demanding that Moynihan be stripped of the prestigious Eleanor Roosevelt Chair, which was set up in the spirit of the former First Lady to bring to Vassar individuals who have made a difference advancing the field of civil rights and other disciplines.
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