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.

Bibliography of 1969 Articles on Straight Takeover

Cornell's Africana Library has compiled a bibliography of "Selected Newspaper Articles, Aftermath of Willard Straight Hall Takeover, April 1969" at this link. Most of the articles, all from April 1969, are from the Cornell Daily Sun, the Ithaca Journal and the New York Times.

Cornell Daily Sun Retrospective on 1969

On April 16, the Cornell Daily Sun published a retrospective on the 1969 events, titled "Forty Years Later: Assessing our Progress" at this link. The special issue features retrospective analysis by current Sun reporters; interviews with and reflections by participants and observers at the time of the Straight takeover (including an interview with Tom Jones); a reflection on the fate of Cornell professor Clinton Rossiter; a story on the photojournalism of the event; a timeline; and photographs.

40th Anniversary Panel at Cornell

The Cornell Daily Sun hosted a panel in Ithaca last weekend to reflect on the events of April 1969. The panel included Zach Carter ’72, who participated in the Straight takeover; Robert Gottlieb ’72, who witnessed it and was one of the first students on the Board of Trustees; former English Professor Dan McCall, who taught the first Black literature class at Cornell; David Burak ’67, who was a grad student and president of the Students for a Democratic Society; and Professor Robert Harris, Africana studies, former vice provost for diversity. The panel was chaired by Ed Zuckerman ’70 and Stan Chess ’69, former Sun editors in chief, who questioned the panelists.

The discussion revealed that even forty years after the fact, the events of that spring are still contentious. The Sun's report on the panel, "Straight Takeover Still Ignites Heated Debate," is at this link.

April 20, 1969 Extra Edition of Cornell Daily Sun

My freshman roommate John Berkoben sent me a saved and yellowed copy of the Cornell Daily Sun "Extra Edition" from April 20, 1969. I post here a scan of the the top half of the front page, with the headline "Black Students Seize Straight." The paper reports that the weather that day is sunny, high near 50. The Extra Edition is 4 pages, and cost 10 cents! (You should be able to expand and read the image by clicking on it).

It is fascinating to read these stories, and the Sun's editorial, which begins: "The occupation of Willard Straight Hall yesterday morning by members of the Afro-American Society was an irresponsible action, unsoundly motivated and setting forces in motion that may wreak harmful consequences on black and white Cornellians alike."

I do not know if the current editors of the Sun are planning to reprint all or part of this issue in their commemorative edition this week. But if they do not, and some of you would like to see more of the stories, statements and photos in this issue of the Sun, let me know and I will post more next week.