Research Guides: Student Protest at Washington University: Student Protests at Other Universities

Black Student Protests at Other Universities

Student activism and protest are each inextricably linked to institutions of high education. There are countless examples of students protesting to spur political or social change at hundreds of colleges and universities. Oftentimes, incidences of student protest have gone on to become catalysts for wider political or social change. Student protests have come in a variety of forms including sit-ins or occupations of university facilities. During the Civil Rights Movement, college students were very influential. In fact, the sit-ins that were so common during the Civil Rights Movements were popularized by students at Shaw University who were members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was a civil rights organization founded in 1960 by African American students at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Florida A&M University Students protesting the arrest of 23 students who were arrested for participating in sit-ins at area lunch counters.
More information about the events surrounding the protest can be found at https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/tallahassee-florida-students-sit-us-civil-rights-1960

Image Source: https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/30272

Black Power, Black Students, and the Institutionalizing of Change: Loyola Marymount University, 1968-1978
This paper examines the Black Campus Movement at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), and thus explores Black student activism at LMU from 1968 to 1978 revealing how the climate and influence of Black Power energized and mobilized Black students to navigate and negotiate the university in their quest to demand respect, as well as their request for the social and academic resources they needed to maximize their college experience.
Black Student Movements in White Colleges and Universities: A Case Study
Presented here is an investigation of the organized political activities of black students in New York University's University College in the period from 1966 to 1971. It is the result of William Henry Exum's personal interest in the experiences and activities of black students in predominantly white American colleges and universities since 1966.
Introduction: African American Student Activism in the 20th Century
V.P. Franklin discusses the protests, campaigns and movements led by African-American students in colleges, secondary schools and various communities in the U.S. during the 20th century.

Student Protest Movements at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Civil Rights Protests (1963-1964)
UNC-Chapel Hill students were often at the forefront of civil rights protests in Chapel Hill. Inspired by other acts of civil disobedience, such as the sit-ins begun by North Carolina A&T students in Greensboro in 1960 and the large-scale protests in Birmingham in the summer of 1963, a small group in Chapel Hill began to protest the town's segregated institutions. As the protests grew in size and in volume, many in the traditionally quiet, liberal town of Chapel Hill were surprised by the violent reaction to the protestors and the stubborn determination of several restaurant owners to retain segregated facilities. An effort to pass a public accommodations ordinance in early 1964 was narrowly defeated by the town council and Chapel Hill businesses remained formally segregated until the passage of the federal Civil Rights Act later that year.
Student Activism at Duke University: The Allen Building Study-In, 1967
On November 13, 1967, African-American students organized the Allen Building Study-In to protest the use of segregated facilities, like country clubs, by Duke student organizations.
Student Voices: Activism at UNC Charlotte
UNC Charlotte students have a long history of speaking up and getting involved. Even in the university's earliest years, student activists on this campus were vocal and active in their support for civil rights and the fight to end injustice.

21st Century Black Student Protests

DISCLAIMER SOME LINKS WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU'RE ON A WUSTL DOMAIN

Often when someone thinks of the Black Student Movement, they reference the sixties and the early seventies of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the middle of the 20th century was not the only time that Black students came together to combat oppressive forces of institutions and the American nation. Following the Civil Rights Movement, many students used this history as a foundation and an example to base movements and protests off of. Looking to their predecessors, students at across the nation have stood together in the 21st century. This section will serve as an example of contemporary Black Student Movements.

Overview of Student Activism in the 21st Century
This link proves an overview of student activism in the 21st century.
Black Students and the 21st Black Students Movement
In this TEDx Talk, Amiri Tulloch explores how black activism has thrived on the social media platform Twitter. Examining the topic from a local to international lens, Tulloch details three factors of black activism’s success on Twitter: its protest power, educational opportunities, and global influence.

Amiri Tulloch is a junior at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.
Studying the Movement
This lib guide provides a synopsis of the Black Lives Matter Movement, which is the movement that frequents college campus across America in the 21st century.
Teaching Black Lives Matter

Interestingly and often not thought about is the performance of Black Lives Matter by students on campuses across the nation in the 21st century. Protest songs go as far back as the trans-atlantic slave trade with regards to African American protest in the and on the way to the United States. An article highlighting a conference in which experimental music as protest can be found here:

Elizabeth, Jordannah. "Black Experimental Artists Shine at Harvard BLM Conference." New York Amsterdam News, vol. 108, no.7, 26 Feb. 2017, pp. 24-26.

Bibliography

Below are Works crucial to discourse on 21st century Black Student Movements.

*bolded are keywords*

Ndemanu, Michael T. "Antecedents of College Campus Protests Nationwide. Exploring Black Student Activists' Demands." Journal of Negro Education, vol. 86, no. 3, Summer2017, pp. 238-251. EBSCOhost.

ABSTRACT: In the wake of campus unrests provoked by conscious and subconscious racist acts undergirded by institutional racism, the author of this article explores the root causes of the incidents and the protests. The demands of Black student activists in 73 universities are analyzed. The most recurrent demands in the 73 universities are ranked by order of frequency as follow: 55 want an increase in faculty of color, 49 want diversity training for faculty and staff, 44 want an increase in students of color, 44 want a required racial/social justice course for all students.

Dickey, Jack and Vistor Luckerson. "Two College Protests Reveal Growing Divides on American Campuses." Time, vol. 186, no. 21, 23 Nov. 2015

ABSTRACT: The article discusses how college protests involving students, activists, and athletes at institutions such as Yale University and the University of Missouri (Mizzou) reveal the increasing social and racial divides on American college campuses as of 2015. Freedom of speech is addressed in relation to a debate over Halloween costumes and lecturer Erika Christakis' views. The exclusion of black students and racism at Mizzou are examined, along with racial diversity in higher education.

Leonard, David J. "#Leaders of the Class." Crisis (15591573), vol. 121, no. 4, Fall2014, pp. 18-22. EBSCOhost.

ABSTRACT: The article discusses African American college student leaders and their work to fight against racism on U.S. college campuses during the early 21st century. The article presents several examples of racism at universities such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, St. Louis University, and Cornell University. The article discusses a group of UCLA students known as the Black Bruins, the University of Michigan social media movement #BBUM (Being Black at Michigan), and the staging of protests by African American student groups.