Although AAAAS's goals were unique, they were influenced by the mood of the country and the spirit of activism at Harvard. In fact, most of AAAAS's leaders were extremely involved in the Harvard community.

Hamilton says he was "in a board range of activities," including The Crimson, the Institute of Politics and WHRB.

Many societal problems also affected AAAAS. In 1969, all leadership positions in the group were held by males. This was a source of tension between the leadership and many of the women in the organization, including Lani C. Guinier '71, the University of Pennsylvania Law School professor and this year's Class Day speaker. According to Robert L. Hall '69, many Radcliffe students felt alienated by AAAAS.

And the conditions in the student group were exacerbated by the low number of Black admits to Radcliffe. The Radcliffe Class of 1971 had only 15 Black students.

Some of these students immersed themselves in the Boston area Black community. Daniels says he gained some prominence in AAAAS because he was from Boston and knew many people in the Black community.

Hall says he taught African history in the area.

Other Black students also tried to find and display their cultural heritage. first-years in the Class of 1972 refused to abide by the Harvard Unions dress code, which required a wore traditional African garb.

Although Daniels recognizes that Harvard has made great strides in including Blacks, he says the University "could always be doing more."

"Harvard and a lot of other places are relatively speaking, doing, good," Daniels says. "But frankly, I don't think the country can wait. People are demanding their share and they're going to get their share."