ABSTRACT
One of the more important determinants of orientation in the field of race relations, aside from circle membership, was the way an intellectual became interested or involved in the topic. Several said their interest stemmed from their early childhood, at which time they became conscious of race differences - usually in a painful way. Entry into the adult world was another important source of interest in race. For some this meant World War II, when the facts of racial discrimination were dramatized in brutal ways to Northern liberal white intellectuals who befriended Black soldiers. These liberals had never before shared their daily life with Blacks and were brought up sharp by discrimination both within and outside of the military. Others became aware of racial problems in their first jobs. Together, childhood and first adult experiences account for about one third of those now interested in race. Professional interests accounted for another third of those now concerned with race. These included professional academic interests in Black history, for example, as well as the dramatic experiences of reporters who covered the early Congressional debates on Fair Employment in the 194o's or the more dramatic civil rights sit-ins and marches of the 195o's and early 196o's. The journalists who covered the active civil rights period knew almost all the major civil rights leaders, and had walked together with them on many marches. Finally, one third of the intellectuals who were especially concerned with race had become involved in the Civil Rights movement as a result of events experienced at second hand - the reports of the early battles over school integration, the marches, the sit-ins, and the urban riots. The Supreme Court decision of 1954 had great impact even on intellectuals. One might have imagined that intellectuals were those who forced that issue, and indeed some were. But many in our sample were stimulated by the official stand of the court, showing that intellectuals as well as other citizens are affected by the value-climate created by the national government.
