On this date in 1969 more than 80 members of the Afro American Society took over Willard Straight Hall, Cornell University’s student union.
The takeover had been prompted by a reprimand of three Black students for an incident the previous December and a cross burning (both incidents occurred the previous day) in front of the Black women's cooperative and other cases of alleged racism. A deal was eventually cut between protesters and Cornell administrators, and the students left the building a day later.
Five days later a counter protest occurred when 16 professors decided not to teach unless order at Cornell was restored.
Reference:
The Associated Press
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