The Black Student Alliance held a rally prior to the forum given by Dr. John Shumaker, a candidate for president of UT. Their goal was to provide information about grievances of African American students at UT. Aneisha Davis, BSA president, indicated that among their principal reasons for believing that UT was mishandling minority affairs was the lack of an African/African American Studies Department and the failure by UT to require that all students take an introduction to African American studies.