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Return to the wall

Posted on October 6, 2011October 6, 2011 by Staff

A Thousand Words
By Jock Lauterer


March 2, 1966, a crowd of some 1,200 UNC students, faculty, staff and townspeople gather to protest the infamous Speaker Ban Law. On the left of the campus wall facing East Franklin Street, the protesters – and to the right of the wall and safely on town property, the outlawed speaker Frank Wilkinson, bracketed by reporters. When I examine this photograph 45 years later, a splashdance of impressions assail me: that we were witnessing history, that this was not just another ’60s-era demonstration for the sake of protesting, that we were a part of something large and important. And then there was the news photographer’s bone-deep thrill of knowing that I, perched in a tree overlooking McCorkle Place, had secured the exclusive, and therefore best, view of the event. The resulting image, a veritable cross-section of the campus in 1966, captures the emotions of all manner of folk. Who are the faces in the crowd? Every one is a story – no, every one is a book! There’s Student Body President Paul Dickson, looking downright pleased with himself – and for good reason … there’s DTH reporters Joe DePriest and Scott Goodfellow with small smiles of grim satisfaction that this had come to a head … there’s best pal Carol Gallant shooting me a private hello … and there’s Bill McDiarmid, a thoughtful-looking blond kid over on the center-left side of the crowd, who four decades later would return to UNC as Dean of the School of Education … and then there’s the love of my life, Lynne Vernon, standing demurely there in the front line, who I wouldn’t meet and fall in love with for another 27 years. All these people, memories and emotions come jostling, intersecting and colliding next Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 3 p.m. in this exact location when UNC will dedicate the Speaker Ban Marker embedded on that rock wall. Credit for this long-overdue tribute goes to the late Paul Dickson’s sister, Anne Dickson Fogleman, who spearheaded the idea – as well as to younger brother and Carrboro Citizen Publisher Robert Dickson. Of course, Bill Friday’s fine hand is writ in all of this too. And I’ll be there too –­ up in the same tree with the same old camera. Following the dedication of the marker, a reception will be held in Graham Memorial where this enlarged photo will be displayed for old Speaker Ban protesters to find themselves and their friends – and perhaps to share a story or two. Hope to see you there.

A THOUSAND WORDS
Do you have an important old photo that you value? Email your photo to jock@email.unc.edu and include the story behind the picture. Because every picture tells a story. And its worth? A thousand words.
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