Only 33 years ago, the long-standing UVM tradition of the Kake Walk came to an end after heavy criticism from the NAACP among others. Through the 1960’s many UVM students were adamantly opposed to the idea of the abolishment of the Kake Walk. The Kake Walk consisted of the main event “Walkin’ fo’ da’ Kake”, along with skits with popular titles as “Nigger Heaven” and “Koon Klux Klan”. In the first half of the last century posters for the Kake Walk had such titles as “The Kullud Koon Kake Walk”. UVM’s Kake Walk was a mockery of the Cake Walk performed by slaves. The Cake Walk was a dance performed by slaves at the request of their master to entertain his guests. The one who the master deemed the funniest would receive a slice of cake. The Kake Walk and festivities of the winter festival were completely managed by the Inter-Fraternal Counsel (IFC), which consisted of members from every house in UVM’s Greek communinity. In “Walkin’ fo’ da’ Kake” 15 pairs, two members from each fraternity, competed for the cake. They wore Blackface, a shiny black lacquer that was applied to the face of the contestants, along with white make up around the eyes and mouth, and nappy hair. The pairs would perform choreographed walks that required a great deal of flexibility and balance. The contestants would dress in costumes, at times one member of the pair would dress in a black suit with a silk top hat and the other dressed as a women. The anthem that the “Walkin’ fo’ da’ Kake” was set to was named, “Cotton Babes”. The Kake Walk was the title to the winter festival that was held on a weekend every February. The events that made up the weekend changed from year to year, the mainstays were; The Kake Walk Ball/ Masquerade Party, a Kake Walk parade, snow sculpture contest between Greek houses, skits, and a jazz festival on Saturday afternoon (late 1950-1960). Administrators would, most of the time, overlook the drunken behavior the came with the festivities. Almost every year a sign would be hung on the statue of Ira Allen which read, “No Dry Kake Walk”. The Kake Walk started as a substitution for a military ball in 1893. The event was given little attention by the faculty and the majority of the students. The year after, 1894, the Kake Walk was held in the Loft of the Old Mill building; this event was far from the winter festival it was to become in years to follow. There was no Blackface or lavish costumes; it was an impromptu walk off where the cake was eaten well before contestants were awarded. The night was enhanced with a keg of beer, the morning after it was found that the beer had leaked through the floor into the old chapel below. This outraged the faculty who banned the Kake Walk for two years, 1895 and 1896. In 1897, the Kake Walk was reinstated to raise money for the university’s football team, this time as an official contest and with Blackface. Throughout the years the Kake Walk and the winter carnival became a large source of revenue for the university. It was almost taboo for a student to condemn the Kake Walk. In 1912 this quote appeared in this very newspaper, The Vermont Cynic, “Any Man who dares not to take enough interest in his college to enter–and do that back-bending, knee-bending, glorious old Vermont walk–is unworthy to be a son of Vermont and should have his diploma denied to him at the end of his four year sojourn here.” Many thought of the Kake Walk as a civic duty; in wartime years all profits from the weekend’s festivities were donated to the Red Cross. Many justified the walk as a “celebration of negro culture.” The Kake Walk became so popular that Life magazine covered it in 1952 and the national media covered the event on a yearly basis from the 1950’s on. In 1964 the NAACP formally criticized the University of Vermont for the Kake Walk and the surrounding events. 1965 was the first time since 1897 that Blackface was not worn by the contestants; a dark green face paint was worn instead. This was the IFC’s response to the NAACP’s criticism. Many complained that the change had accomplished nothing; that the Kake Walk would perpetually discriminate no matter what cosmetic changes were made to the event. Many others were angered that the spirit of the Kake Walk was lost in losing the Blackface. In 1969 the university finally abolished the Kake Walk and other related events. This was much to the distain of many of many students, who tried to reinstate the event by holding the event privately. Throughout the 1960’s the Cynic opposed the Kake Walk. “Continuous criticism by The Cynic resulted in the event ending completely.” –www.uvm.edu While today many are aware of the Kake Walk and its infamy in UVM’s past, they are unaware of the significance of the event to the university. It was the single biggest event of the year; professors would cancel classes and libraries would close on days surrounding the Kake Walk. The whole university would shut down and devote all of its attention to the event.