Motivations for Student Activism Civil Rights Issues Anti-War Sentiments Student s Rights Greensboro Four & the Little Rock Nine Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Flower Power and the Peace Movement COUNTER- CULTURAL REVOLUTION Free Speech Movement Students for a Democratic Society
Reasons for Student Activism Dissatisfaction with a materialistic and conformist society Rising passions about Peace, Justice, and Equality for all Concerns over: Racial Discrimination Economic Inequality Nuclear Arms Race Power of Big Business Political Corruption
Role of Universities Considered to be places of learning Promoted the development of new ideas Encouraged participatory democracy Motivated students to search for answers Developed leaders for America s changing future
Formation of Key Organizations Young Americans for Freedom Initial formation began when a group of about 90 people met at the home of William F. Buckley (Sharon, Conn.) Designed to be a National Conservative Youth Organization Opposed the rising dominance of liberalism and radicalism on College and University Campuses in the United States The organizations goals and objectives were outlined in the Sharon Statement in 1960
Young Americans for Freedom
Formation of Key Organizations Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Initial formation began with a conference at Shaw University, North Carolina, organized by Ms. Ella Baker of the SCLC Meant to be the young peoples branch of the SCLC Instead, Students were motivated to become activists for change in the Civil Rights
Actions Taken by Key Organizations Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee GREENSBORO FOUR (1960) Four College Students opposed Woolworth s segregation policies FREEDOM RIDERS (1961) White & Black College Students opposed Segregated Interstate Buses
Actions Taken by Key Organizations Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee FREEDOM SUMMER (1964) White & Black College Students promoted increased voter registration across Mississippi
Formation of Key Organizations Students for a Democratic Society Developed in 1960 from the Student League for Industrial Democracy started in 1905 First meeting was held on the University of Michigan campus Activities were often inspired by the success of the SNCC Its political manifesto, known as the Port Huron Statement, was adopted from a draft written by Tom Hayden
Students for a Democratic Society
Actions Taken by Key Organizations Students for a Democratic Society FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT at the U.C. BERKELEY (1964) U.C. Berkeley initiated a ban on the distribution of literature considered to be political in nature Non-violent student protests led by Mario Savio initiated a Free Speech movement nationwide Students staged a 32 hour sit-in around a police car to prevent them from taking away an arrested protestor
Formation of Key Organizations The Black Panthers Developed in 1966 after the assassinations of key civil rights leaders like Malcom X Promoted the teachings of Malcom X and the Nation of Islam Adopted the radical revolutionary ideals of Marx and Lenin FBI saw them as a major threat to the Security of the U.S.
Elijah Muhammad The Black Panthers Discourses of the movement emerged from the ideologies of the Nation of Islam and Malcom X Malcom X Those of you who follow me must be ready to withstand the barbs and insults of those who come to investigate, pry and claim that our ultimate aim is to undermine the American way of life. We have no such intentions and our critics know it Discard your former slave-master's names and be willing and ready to accept one of Allah's Pure and Righteous Names. Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it. You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.
1968-1970: The Years of Turmoil Students protested the Vietnam War outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention
1968-1970: The Years of Turmoil Nixon was elected on a promise to end the war & return law & order
1968-1970: The Years of Turmoil Student Protests at Columbia University in NYC (1968) Students staged protests over the college conducting war research for the Department of Defense Local chapter of the Black Panthers staged protests against the building of a campus gym in Harlem SDS organizer Mark Rudd said: Kill the brain of the monster. How? Shut down the University.
1968-1970: The Years of Turmoil Student Protests at Kent State in Ohio (1-4 May 1970) 1,000 Students staged protests over the escalation of the Vietnam War A State of Emergency brought 1,000 National Guard troops to the campus Governor Rhodes declared Martial Law and instituted an 11pm curfew after ten guardsmen were injured National Guardsmen fired into protestors killing four
1968-1970: The Years of Turmoil Student Bombing at University of Wisconsin (24 Aug 1970) Okay Pigs, now listen and listen good. There s a Bomb in the Army Math Research Center set to go off in five minutes. Clear the building, warn the hospital. This is no bull----, man! The four students bombed the college building being used for war research To protest the War in Vietnam In response to Kent State