The Michigan Daily - Friday, May 8, 1987 - Page 5
Wallace upset some students by making the
comment that "it never occurred to me back in
college that one day l would be listening to
Polish jokes, or Jewish jokes, or Italian jokes,
or Black jokes, and laughing."
"I am now even more convinced than before
that the man is a bigot," said Carlton Jackson,
a graduating senior, "He would have done better
to just have not addressed (racism) at all."
During Wallace's speech some graduates
turned their backs to him in protest.
After Wallace's address, the majority of
graduates gave him a standing ovation in
support of his message.
"Everybody makes mistakes," said one
graduate who refused to be named. "It is time
that all the protesting on this campus stopped."
Although some graduates had mixed
reactions to Wallace's speech, others did not get
in the ceremony in time to hear his comments.
Many were caught in the slow moving crowd of
people trying to enter the stadium through the
only gate opened.
Most of the graduates were angry that the
ceremony started even though many were still
trying to get to their seats. "At least they could
have waited," said Judy Johnston, LSA graduate
said. "Who is the ceremony for any way?"
Concern over possibly disruptive actions
from Wallace protesters prompted the
ceremony planners to admit both graduates and
guests through only one gate.
A group of graduates stand and turn their backs on Mike Wallace to protest racist jokes he made six years ago.
New graduates celebrate the special moment.