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.

Ithaca City Residents Reflect on 1969--Video

A 30-minute video episode of "East Hill Notes With Gary Stewart," posted on the Cornell website, has a series of interviews with Ithaca residents, reflecting on their perceptions of the events and aftermath of the Straight takeover. As Gary Stewart points out, these events are usually portrayed from the point of view of those "on top of the hill." These interviews reflect views from below the hill, by residents of Ithaca. The video is linked here.

Willard Straight Takeover Study Guide

Eric Kofi Acree, Librarian of Cornell's Africana Library, has produced a very useful and comprehensive bibliography of materials related to the 1969 events, including lists of books and theses, audio-visual materials, internet articles, newspaper and magazine articles (before and after 1969) and primary resources available at Cornell. The study guide is available at this link.