The Black Revolution On Campus Analysis

The 1960s was a revolutionary decade for African Americans, especially in regards to education. This during this decade was the launch of the black student movement. Young Black American students were demanding more from their colleges and universities. One of the biggest goals the students had was the developing of black studies on their campuses. These students not only wanted black studies, but the wanted a multiracial curriculum. The desire for this came out of various reasons. In the reading The Black Revolution on Campus by Martha Biondi we are able to see the beginning of the student movement as well as the reason for its development. The Civil Rights Movement consisted of sit-ins and other non-violent protest. The Black Student
Organizations such as Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Black Panther Party were heavily influential in the construction of the black power rhetoric used through out the student movement (Revolution on Campus, pg. 44). This rhetoric included being open resistant against authority, speaking out directly against oppression (with the use of curse words if they felt needed), and directly refusing to submit to oppression placed upon them by mainstream society. These students were bold, direct, and refused to back down. While these activist were right to have these attitudes, this caused a lot of problems with them and the authority. Their strike drew the attention of the federal government. With picket signs and loud protest, violence broke out. Many were beaten and arrested by the police. This gained nationwide media attention as well as sympathy from those who saw it. Various leaders were gunned down by the FBI (were said to be due to their affiliation with the Black Panther Party). The president of the college, S. I. Hayakawa, took the offense throughout this ordeal. He declared a state of emergency on Bloody Tuesday as students were assaulted. Still the student did have the support of the community, liberal white students and their fellow minorities on the campus. In the reading The Black Revolution on Campus by Martha Biondi, she gives evidence of how much these people sacrificed in order to receive the ability to develop a black studies program. Several people were arrested and charge of crimes. There is an example of a student activist who was deported back to the native country (Revolution on Campus, pg. 72). Even with all the sacrifice, it is important to remember, that their sacrifice is what allowed us to have classes like this one that we are