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After each presentation, the floor was opened to discussion so those in attendance
might "pour out their difficulties, conflicts, and by freely discussing them be led to
form safe, practical solutions and conclusions." The reference to forming "safe,
practical solutions" should not be understood to mean that the Forum leadership
was highly manipulative of the discussions, for all evidence indicates that debate
was wide open and lively, with disagreements frequently aired. But Forum activists
did see themselves as advocates- again as "a young people's leadership"— and
wanted the meetings to contribute to social change. Even the discussions
themselves were intended as a kind of social action, for the speakers, often people
of some influence, were "given the opportunity to learn what the Negro is thinking
socially and economically.   "

The Forum's popular university was undeniably very popular in Baltimore's
Black community, its meetings held in "the largest meeting place in the Black
community," in Bethel African Episcopal Methodist Church, with its 2,000 person
capacity often filled and sometimes overflowing with roughly equal numbers of
males and females. The size of these audiences testifies to a deep desire for
knowledge, especially knowledge that could lead to change, in the African
American community at a time when the segregationists were militantly denying
any such desire. It also testifies to the shrewd tactics of the organizers. "People did
not have any jobs," Juanita Jackson Mitchell later recalled. They had no place to
go. They had no money to go. And ours was a Friday night social event. 'Go to the
Forum' And we had activities. We had a large group in the choir. A large group
doing these various things, civic things." Forum organist Luther C. Mitchell would
often play a musical piece, sometimes with accompaniment, and the Forum Trio
would often sing. To make the meetings as accessible as possible, no admission fee
was charged; to make everybody feel at home, there was a "corps of trained young
ushers and a courtesy committee [to] greet, welcome, and take care of the comforts
of the visitors." Popular university or social event, the Friday meetings became a