The Early History of the UW Black Student

The Early History of the UW Black Student

The early history of the black students at the University of Washington is a crucial and an inspiring story. It was known for the black student union that was led to military struggle for the rights of the minority groups. It was a significant club that brought many changes within the university and beyond. The changes transformed the university and al foreigners in the United States benefited from the activism activities, and people still benefit from the activities till today. This paper will discuss the early history of the university of Washington black students by Mark Robinson.

The 1960s was a period that the Americans were experiencing the cold war, and domestically they were experiencing pressures from the youths and civil rights movements of the African Americans who questioned the government policies and the social norms. Hostility and acrimony characterized this period, where there were bombings, assassinations, protests, riots, and police brutality (Korsunsky Alex 27). The blacks were uncomfortable with the way whites treated them and also the coordination of the civil rights movements. The African American students were inspired by the Carmichael’s speech and they fought to have more control over their lies. Thus the black power was initiated when the African Americans got the notion that they should have control over the major institutions in the community. it lead to the creation of the famous black student union in the university of Washington.

The primary objective of the black student union was to serve the black student in the university, advocate creation of black student unions in junior high and high schools, and start community services in the university. The union introduced itself as the emerging new black image in the university, and it was characterized by its military and multicultural nature (Korsunsky Alex 42). It demanded more enrollments of minority groups into the institution, creation of a black studies program, and provision of more minority faculty. in 1968, the student union was motivated to participate in aggressive actions, and they took part in the protest at Franklin High School. The protest led to early dismissal of the school, and the real cause of the protest is not known although it is thought that it could have planned way before.

Some of the top leaders of the black students union were imprisoned, and after were changes in the top positions; the union formulated a list of demands. The demands include hiring of more black administrators and faculties, enrolment of more minority students, and creation of a black program of studies (Korsunsky Alex 30). Despite the many confrontations against the administration of the university, the demands seemed not to adhered to by Odegaard the school’s president. The students continued to be aggressive and even stormed in a meeting, and sat on the floor as they exchanged bitter words. The sitting marked a significant turning point in the university where the black student union program was implemented.

The black student union contributed significantly to the history of the University of Washington since it achieved so much in its first year. It was the first student organization that used military to advocate the needs of people of color. The university changed it perception, and it was able to address the issues of racial inequality adequately within a year of the union’s operations. Their demands were addressed and solved later despite the initial resistance from the administration.

Works Cited

Korsunsky, Alex. “From el Campo to Campus and Back Again: Affirmative Action and the Birth of a Chicana/o Movement in Washington State.” Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies 45.1 (2020): 23-52.