Residents' Demonstration May Affect Graduation

A group of 100 black Cambridge residents-many with their children-are staging a "tent-in" in the Yard and may attempt to disrupt this morning's Commencement ceremony unless Harvard promises to set aside the Treeland site adjoining Peabody Terrace for construction of a low-income housing project.

The group entered the Yard late yesterday afternoon on a march from their homes in Riverside-a predominantly black area which borders on Peabody Terrace and Mather House. They prepared to stay for the night after Albert L. Nickerson '33, Fellow of Harvard College, told them that the University was tentatively planning to use the site for student and faculty housing.

Instead, Harvard is seeking to build between 90 and 100 low-cost units elsewhere in Riverside, and will construct them "just as soon as possible," Nickerson announced. The University has already committed itself to 94 such units for elderly people there, he said.

"That's a whole lot of bullshit, that's what that is. There's just nothing else to say." Saundra Graham, president of the Riverside Planning Team which organized the march, said of Nickerson's announcement. "People need housing now. Hundreds are being evict-ed and they can't wait," she said.

Mrs. Graham added that the group would not leave until their demand was met, and added that she would try to address this morning's Commencement audience.

Nickerson-in one of his rare public appearances at Harvard-arrived outside Grays Hall to talk with the demonstrators after Mrs, Graham told Edward S. Gruson, assistant to President Pusey for Community Affairs, that the group intended to stay. "We've confronted you [Gruson] several times. We want the Corporation members who can give us their John Hancock." she said.

Nickerson then chatted with several of the group and discussed the University's housing program with them. "We realize that in the Riverside area you have to take stronger impact of Harvard expansion than the rest of the community. We don't have any firm deals" for low-cost housing in Riverside, he said, "but we do have some possibilities."

Harvard Police Chief Robert Tonis said last night the University had no plans for forcibly removing the demonstrators.

Although many of the residents' children returned home late night, the remaining demonstrators spent the night under both their own tents and Harvard Commencement tents. A rock band set up and began playing around 10 p.m. as the number of persons dwindled to about 50.