Talk:Charles Bassett/@comment-2603:9000:D107:3F00:54F:76F6:5131:4174-20200115042516

In 1952 Art Basset was at Ohio State University, as I was.

I decided to take advantage of an open dance class held in the morning before classes started in the main level of one of the campus dormatories.. There were about 30 boys and girls all caucasions except for one black girl.

For get not that In 1952 in Ohio there were race issues in vogue.

I looked around the group and to my complete surprise I saw Art there among the male group. I had known Art for several years at Berea High School. His brother Bill was in my class (1951)  The teacher divided the group into two groups by sex, girls on one side, boys on the other. She then put on a demonstration of how to perform a simple dance step with partners dancing together, arm in arm.

Then she instructed the boys to walk to the girls group and select a partner.

I am sure that I was not the only person to have a sense of shame, sort of, if nobody would select the black girl to dance. But Art, perhaps realizing the race situation, walked directly up to the girl without the slightest hint of hesitation and asked her to dance with him. No one else in that room, I'm sure, knew Art as I did. It did indeed requre I felt a bit of bravery to do that at that time in America.