Dartmouth's reality
The reality of Dartmouth for Black men during this time was not just a better education. They were indeed able to obtain high levels of education, but at what cost? Their sanity? Dignity? Mental health?
Dartmouth was an all-male school in 1965, but the Black community stuck together. The account of Micheal Lewis '65, who was on campus at the same time as Dr. Simmons and interviewed for the Dartmouth Black Lives Oral History Project, illustrates the reality for Black men at Dartmouth during the 1960s. He said, "I didn't have any connection and if there were Black faculty on campus, I certainly never took a course from a Black faculty member. And frankly I’m not aware that they were on campus; they may well have been, but sure as heck there weren't very many of them."
There were very influential Black activists coming to speak to a campus of predominantly white kids. Lewis recalls Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. coming to campus to speak briefly in May 1962. Malcolm X was known for his powerful and articulate speeches addressing racial inequality, civil rights, and the need for self-empowerment within the African American community. He advocated for Black pride, economic self-sufficiency, and resistance to racial oppression. To sum up what America was like during that time, Malcolm X was murdered nearly a week after he shared his message during a visit to campus in January 1965.