Huron High Blacks List 9 Demands

The Black Student Union at Huron High School this morning presented a list of nine demands to the school administration. One of the demands called for the ouster of Huron High Assistant Principal Albert Gallup because he "does not fulfill his duties" and "does not serve black students." (Black Student Unions were formed last spring at both Pioneer and Huron High Schools. About 100 of Huron's 1,500 students are black. The demands and other human relations problems were discussed by many students and the administration most of the morning at Huron High School. At 11 a.m., about 60 black students were bused in a ' public school vehicle from Huron to the Jones Building to continue their discussions in a "more relaxed atmosphere," according to the schools' community services officer, John Hubley. The black students were accompanied to Jones by Ronald R. Edmonds, human relations director for the Ann Arbor Public Schools; Albert Wheeler, ex-head of the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); several parents, and several adult members of the Huron High Bi-Racial Advisory Board. They were expected to continue thëir discussions most of the day. All classes were being held today as usual. Three of the nine demands were immediately acted upon by the Huron administration. These included setting up a meeting this morning with city officials and Huron students to discuss "more adequate transportation for black students"; putting a Martin Luther King plaque immediately on display in the school, and making all scholarship opportunities known to black students. School officials said the plaque had not been put on display until now because not all display cases were ready for use. Officials also said scholarship opportunities had always been communicated to students in the past, but that the efforts would be stepped up. The demands were being discussed today by the Huron administration. They are: 1) "School should provide adequate transportation for black students such that we will not have to fear bodily harm or death." 2) "Out with assistant principal Mr. Gallup. He does not fulfill nis duties. He does not serve black students." 3) "We should have a black counselor - one who understands our needs, one who can direct us." (There is now no black counselor at Huron). 4) "Stop student harassment through suspensions by kangaroo court." 5) "All black graduating seniors should know of all available scholarship opportunities." 6) "Martin Luther King awards should go only to black students. Receivers should be chosen by the black student body." (Presently, the award is open to all students and the recipients are chosen by a vote of the entire senior class. The award is presented to graduating s e n i o r s each June). 7) "The Martin Luther King plaque be put on display immediately." 8) "Immediate recognition of the 21 demands of spring, 1968." (These veere put forth by the black Pioneer Students in June. 1968). 9) "More communication between black student-white students and the administration such as that of Tuesday, Oct. 21." (Meetings were held all day yesterday between students and the administration at Huron regarding an incident on a city bus which resulted in the arrest of three black students). The bus driver involved says he was heckled and threatened for several miles Monday by a group of about 12 black students after they were picked up at about 3 p.m. at the new high school. The driver halted the bus at Pittsfield Blvd. and Washtenaw Ave., and ordered the heckling students off the bus. They refused, and the pólice were called by the driver. One of the responding officers was reportedly knocked to the ground by a male student and then was hit over the head with his own night stick by one of the female students who was later arrested. Last night, however, a black Huron High student, David Bryant, told the Ann Arbor Human Relations Commission that the incident was the result of harassment from the bus driv-l er. Bryant, who said he was not on the bus, told the HRC the trouble has been brewing since last month because of the driver's attitude toward the blacks.l At one point on the bus route, all the white students have already gotten off, Bryant said, and just black students remain. He said when this happens the driver has repeatedly gone back to where the black students sit and told them, "I've heard about you kids and I don't want any trouble out of you." After hearing discussions on the matter, the HRC decided to ask for a special meeting with city officials and the Ann Arbor Transit Authority to discuss the city bus incident. The commission also indicated it will seek a special meeting on the matter with the Ann Arbor Board of Education. The school board also attended a secret, closed-door meeting last night at Huron High School to discuss the city bus incident and other human relations problems at Huron. The meeting was attended by trustees, certain administrative personnel, School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr., Huron Principal Paul Meyers and Assistant Principal Albert Gallup, and several members of the communitj' - including civil rights activist Ezra Rowry; Wheeler; Human Relations Commission Director David Cowley; Assistant HRC Director Robert Hunter, and Eddie Martin, chairman of Supt. Westerman's advisory committee on race relations.