RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE RESPONSES TO MAY DAY

Entrance to Davenport College, photographed by Thomas Strong, 1970.

Of course, with the May Day Rally happening directly across the street from parts of the campus, Yale administration members, faculty and staff, and students were all involved in the protest and its responses. Many members of the Yale community felt that it was their duty to get involved in the May Day Rally, taking the time to learn who was being tried in New Haven, who was coming to New Haven to protest, and who might need help as a result. Many understood that their role as Yale affiliates meant that they needed to take a backseat in order to prioritize other members of the New Haven community, particularly Black community members, who often felt that the university overlooked them or didn’t provide the support and resources that they deserved. 

Davenport College with “Liberate the Courtyard” written on walkway.

In coming together for the May Day Rally, the members of the university who were involved in the protest effort worked in conjunction with the Black Panthers and other activists to make the weekend a success. It is, of course, important to note that not all who were affiliated with the university felt the same way about the May Day Rally. Understanding that there were many perspectives that came to the fore as the protest date drew closer is fundamental to recognizing how some community members were far more exclusionary than others when it came to the Black Panthers leading protests in New Haven.

Yale’s residential colleges a played crucial role in housing protesters who came to New Haven and providing support for them in other capacities. Davenport College, for instance, served as a daycare center for the children of protesters. “Liberate the Courtyard,” written in chalk, and the child riding the tricycle in the Davenport courtyard represent the importance of community building and care to the Black Panther struggle.