Cornell '69, 50 Years Later

I was a senior government major at Cornell University in the spring of 1969, when the campus was in turmoil after an armed takeover of the student union building by eighty members of the campus's Afro-American society.

This site is a discussion forum for participants and observers of those events. It was launched at the 40th anniversary of those events, and continues now with the 50th.

To contribute your thoughts and reflections, click on the "Comment" tab at the end of the "Remembering 1969" post or any of the other posts.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Cornell's President Skorton Reflects on '69 Events


At an April 17 event commemorating the Straight takeover, Cornell's President David Skorton spoke about the meaning and impact of those events forty years past.

At Cornell and elsewhere, Skorton noted,
"the Straight takeover spoke to the frustration and lack of empowerment that many students of color were feeling." He noted that despite Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, "in the late 1960s, people of color were poorly represented in American higher education, and most particularly in the most selective institutions. Unfortunately, but undeniably, it remains a challenge that we continue to face."

After speaking at the Africana Center, Skorton marched with students to several sites connected with the '69 events, and then on to Willard Straight Hall. The full story by George Lowery is on Cornell's "Chronicle Online" here.
That site also has links to several other related stories.
Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)