The most effective and long-lasting student strike in U.S. History took
place at San Francisco State College in 1968. The first Black Student
Union, the first Black Studies Department, the only College of Ethnic
Studies, and the admission of thousands of students of color resulted
from this four-and-a-half-month strike which shut down 80% of the
campus. It has been called the movement which "changed academia
forever."
Black students were only a small percentage of those on campus, but they
managed to engage thousands of white, Latino, Asian, and indigenous
students; SDS and the Third World Liberation Front; the faculty union;
and a huge portion of the San Francisco Community. In the end, they were
able to win most of their 15 demands.
The book is written by two participants in the strike, one a member of
the BSU leadership. Oral histories of strike leaders are integrated with
discussion of the events and significance of this movement. What were
the politics and strategies? Why was the strike successful and what are
the insights for today's mass movements?
Perfect for courses such as:
Introduction to Black Studies Introduction to Ethnic Studies Recent U.S.
History Protest Movements Higher Education Urban Education Multicultural
Education History of Education Philosophy of Education Oral History
Qualitative Methods African-American History African-American Education
African-American Politics
