237 Letters

Published: June 30, 2020, 10 p.m.

In 1971, Civil Rights advocate Julian Bond was invited to speak at Eastern Michigan University's commencement and receive an honorary degree. The announcement was met with great opposition in the form 237 letters addressed to the Board of Regents. Shelbie Torok explains what the letters reveal about their writers' attitudes at the time. She also puts the incident in the context of the black student protests that took place on campus in the 1960s and 1970s.---The Eastern Echo’s newest podcast features students who were set to present their projects at EMU’s 40th Annual Undergraduate Symposium. Subscribe to Symposium wherever you get your podcasts, and listen to students answer question you never knew you had!Written: Kylie GilliganProduced: Lauren Smith