▁He ▁then ▁entered ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁( U CLA ), ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁U CLA ▁Student ▁H ous ing ▁Association ▁and ▁helped ▁found ▁the ▁University ▁H ous ing ▁Cooper ative ▁Association ▁( U H CA ), ▁a ▁student ▁housing ▁co oper ative , ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁U H CA ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁allow ▁African ▁American ▁students ▁to ▁live ▁off ▁campus ▁in ▁the ▁West wood ▁section ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁which ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁African ▁Americans ▁in ▁the ▁neighborhood . ▁ ▁To ▁emphas ize ▁the ▁point , ▁Brown ▁took ▁an ▁African ▁American ▁ro omm ate ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁inter - ra cial ▁housing ▁arrangement ▁at ▁U CLA . ▁The ▁U CH A ▁experience ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁example ▁of ▁Brown ' s ▁lif el ong ▁association ▁with ▁co oper atives . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁Japanese ▁attack ▁at ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁Japanese ▁Americans ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁intern ment ▁cam ps , ▁an ▁action ▁that ▁off ended ▁Brown ▁so ▁much ▁that ▁he ▁helped ▁organ ize ▁protest s ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁point , ▁Brown ' s ▁college ▁education ▁was ▁interrupted ▁by ▁the ▁draft , ▁although ▁as ▁a ▁Qu aker , ▁he ▁had ▁registered ▁as ▁a ▁cons cient ious ▁object or ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁he ▁entered ▁the ▁Civil ian ▁Public ▁Service ▁at ▁Camp ▁ 2 1 ▁in ▁Wy eth , ▁Oregon .