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FREEDOMWAYS                         FIRST QUARTER 1973

surrounded the establishment and perpetuation of the inadequately funded and operated campus. "Moreover," Brother Picard stated, "Dr. Bashful has shown himself to be completely insensitive to the needs and desires of the students as well as the faculty, for he has rendered the Faculty Senate here powerless."

the community rallies in New Orleans

During the nine-day takeover, Black faculty members and Black State Legislators Dorothy Taylor, Johnny Jackson and Louis Charbonett were very helpful in establishing a line of communication between the students and the administration. On the third day of the occupation, a Black aide from the Governor's office tried to coerce the students to leave the building. He failed and the occupation continued. The Governor himself then went into action.

The Baton Rouge campus reopened on November 6. SUNO was supposed to open also but with the students still occupying the administration building it was not possible. Consequently, on November 7, Governor Edwards issued his deadline statement: If the students did not vacate the building by one p.m., November 9, he would order the city police and national guardsmen to clear the building. The following day, after meeting with the State Board of Education, he repeated his ultimatum. However, appearing before the news media he said that his intelligence officers had confirmed reports that the occupying students had been joined by armed elements of the Black Panther Party and the Republic of New Africa. Countering Edwards' vicious lies, Brother Picard stated he felt that the Governor's statement was an attempt on his part to legitimatize the presence of armed police and national guardsmen on campus to effect the collective assassination of the students. "We have made it a point to maintain security, tight security, so that no weapons could be secreted into the building," he explained. "Our intention is to bring about constructive change at SUNO, not violent confrontation."

The students then called for the community to support them in their efforts. On the morning of the ninth over 1500 students, faculty, parents and Black members of the State legislature formed a human ring around the building. That morning the governor announced from Baton Rouge that police would not storm the building as long as the legislators participated in the negotiation efforts with the Governor by phone. Outside people stood or lounged on the grass, as police photographed them, and a drab-colored helicopter orbited

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