Fifty Years Later: Commemorating The Willard Straight Hall Takeover The Cornell Daily Sun
Page 10
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Any Person, Any Study: The Takeover and Student Activism Eric Acree Eric Acree is the Director of the John Henrik Clarke Africana Library at the Africana Studies & Research Center.
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he takeover of Willard Straight Hall on April 19, 1969 by dozens of black and a handful of Latino students was a direct outgrowth of the Civil Rights, black power, black arts and black student movements of the 1960s. In her book, The black Revolution on Campus, Northwestern Professor Martha Biondi wrote, “Black student activism exploded in the spring of 1969. It was the high-water mark of the black student movement, with militant actions and mass confrontations at campuses across the country, most notably at the University of California, Berkeley; Cornell University; Harvard University; Rutgers University; and Howard University.” The militancy that Biondi wrote about was simply black students demanding to be treated with dignity and respect and being placed on an equal playing field with whites. It is important to keep in mind that during the 1960s America was racially divided. This was drilled home in the Kerner Commission report commissioned by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which famously warned that America was “moving toward two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal.” This racial divide played out at Cornell well before the events of April 1969. One such example can be found in the Economics Department in the spring of 1968. black students felt that a visiting professor in that
department was teaching with a racist approach. After the students exhausted every avenue to have their grievances heard, they had a sit-in in the department’s offices to protest this faculty member, ironically on the same day that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. These two events would lead to the forming of a committee to look into the creation of a Black Studies department, and would eventually result in the founding of the Africana Studies & Research Center. But even before the establishment of the Center, it is important to point out that black students expected Cornell to live up to the words of Ezra Cornell: “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” A letter written by Andrew Dickson White would also show that the founders of Cornell strove for a diverse student body. When asked by an associate if Cornell would accept a black student, White responded, “I would say that we have no colored students at the University at present but shall be very glad to receive any who are prepared to enter … we should receive him even if all our five hundred white students were to ask for dismissal on that account.” These words by both Ezra Cornell and A.D. White are significant, and upon reflection helped laid a foundation of student activism at Cornell, activism that sought to hold each successive University administration to the ideals espoused by the founders themselves. The actions of the black students who occupied Willard Straight Hall were a powerful — and necessary — continuation of that legacy of activism. In the film Agents of Change, filmmakers Frank
Dawson ’72, who participated in the occupation of the Straight as a freshman, and Abby Ginzberg ’71, who stood in support of the occupation as a member of Students for a Democratic Society, captured not only what happened at Cornell but most notably concurrent events at San Francisco State College. One
The actions of the black students who occupied Willard Straight Hall was a powerful — and necessary — continuation of that legacy of activism. of the telling parts of this documentary is the footage of Edward Whitfield ’72, then president of the AfroAmerican Society at Cornell, when he announced that the Straight had been taken over because of Cornell’s racist attitudes and irrelevant curriculum. As we move forward, it is important for us to embrace the legacy of the occupation and to continue to dialogue about how we can enhance the educational experiences of all students, and develop a relevant and engaging curriculum at this institution. Eric Acree is the Director of the John Henrik Clarke Africana Library at the Africana Studies & Research Center.
Reflections on Cornell — 1969, Today and Beyond Jacqueline Davis-Manigaulte Dr. Jacqueline Davis-Manigaulte ’72 was a freshman and member the Afro-American Society at the time of the takeover.
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s was mentioned in the documentary Agents of Change, I was looking forward to the adventure of going to school away from home in the fall of 1968. I immediately loved the beauty of the Cornell campus and was fortunate to have a great roommate — in fact we still keep in touch. I quickly made friends with all the students of color — our freshman class had the largest group of African-American and Latino students ever admitted to Cornell. However, in my courses there were never more than one or two African-American students, and sometimes there were none. With limited support from faculty or teaching assistants, there were many times when I felt invisible (and most of the classes were really large, which was also overwhelming). But I was a top student in high school and was determined to succeed at Cornell. So, I put in a lot of time at the library, found a solid study buddy, worked hard and actually graduated with honors.
It was a challenging time, especially for many African-American students who were experiencing difficulty dealing with faculty and courses that excluded or misrepresented African-American culture and history. These issues resulted in several demonstrations and the historic takeover of Willard Straight Hall in the spring of 1969. I participated in these events, as well as additional demonstrations when the first Africana Studies Center was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1970. Through these traumatic experiences I learned about the importance of standing up for issues that are important to you and your community. The first Africana Studies Center at 320 Wait Avenue served as a place to obtain knowledge about AfricanAmerican history and culture, and also as a place to connect and feel a true sense of belonging; we all need places where we feel grounded and can recharge to pursue our goals and dreams. The Africana Studies Center did that for me and my peers — it was a vital part of my existence at Cornell. It is where I got the support and validation — my home away from home. The establishment of the center was an indication that the University realized the need to invest in the success and well-being of African-American students.
By my junior year, a large number of students of color formed United Black Artists and shared their talents and creativity through a campus theatrical production entitled “To All Things Black and Beautiful,” under the direction of Professor Chestyn Everett. Between studies, we rehearsed in the evening and on the weekends to create a very high quality production that included highlights from renowned African-American poetry, plays, music and dance. The production was well-received by our peers, the Cornell and Ithaca community, and was replicated the following year. This experience reflected the need for Cornell to intentionally establish more bridges and supports for students of color as well as opportunities for engagement and interaction throughout the campus. By the time my son Khalil arrived on campus in the early 90s there were more supports. I had wanted him to be in a supportive learning environment, not experience the isolation and limited support I encountered at Cornell, and so he initially attended Morehouse College in Atlanta. However, he was already familiar with Cornell; he had attended several 4-H campus learning experiences, including a summer course through the Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth
LARRY BAUM / SUN FILE PHOTO
320 Wait | Following the Takeover, armed students stand outside 320 Wait Ave., soon to be the home of the Africana Center. This building would later be destroyed by an April 1970 fire.
Development Program, and had come to CBAA reunions with me over the years. And so, after a year at Morehouse, he made the choice to transfer to Cornell. By then, the University had established additional vehicles to support the interest of students of color such as the Third World Student Program Board, in which he participated as a member and officer, and other groups such as black Student Union and the National Association of Black Engineers. He also resided in Ujamaa, which provided a rich and supportive environment in which he thrived. Now there many additional programs that support students of color and other special interest groups. Today, there are still demonstrations, sit-ins and rallies because there continue to be new issues and challenges we must face. As a society and a university, we take steps forward and back. What is required is that the University continue building bridges to understand, respect and provide opportunities for all members of the Cornell community. Some of today’s issues include mental health, sexual assault, ongoing micro-aggressions, unconscious bias, navigating first-generation experiences, and questions of divestment. Campus and community outreach initiatives such as Scholars Working Ambitiously to Graduate or SWAG, the black women’s support network SISTERS, Breaking Bread and Engaged Cornell are examples of the many efforts currently underway that may help address some aspects of these issues, realizing there no quick fixes – it’s a learning and growing process for all. We are making progress, even though we still have quite a way to go. Hopefully, when my grandson arrives in a few years, his experience will be one where he can pursue his studies in an environment where he is at ease, engaged and fulfilled. Dr. Jacqueline Davis-Manigaulte ’72 was a freshman and member the Afro-American Society at the time of the Willard Straight Hall takeover. She is a Senior Extension Associate with Cornell University Cooperative Extension in New York City where she serves as the Director of Community Relations and Program Leader for Family and Youth Development.