The same week that black Peorians boycotted city buses, Mayor Robert Day ironically celebrated the efforts of Peoria’s relatively powerless bi-racial human relations committee.

Fresh from attending a U.S. mayor’s convention in Honolulu, Day described the committee as “an effective instrument in solving some racial problems,” one that had “done much over the years to prevent prejudices and discrimination.”

This same commission was unable to act the previous Monday in response to the bus boycotts, as it did not have a quorum present.