Black United Students
Black United Students emerged in the late 1960s as a collective movement among African American college students, motivated by the Black Power movement. The first recorded formation of this group occurred at San Francisco State University in 1968, spearheaded by Professor Nathan Hare and supported by the Third World Liberation Front, which represented various minority groups. The organization aimed to enhance the experiences and academic opportunities for Black students, advocating for the establishment of Black studies departments at educational institutions.
One of their pivotal moments came in November 1968 when they organized a student strike, backed by the Black Panther Party, demanding the creation of a Black studies program. This activism led to San Francisco State University establishing the first integrated Black studies program in 1969. The influence of Black United Students extended beyond academic initiatives; they also participated in broader antiwar and social justice protests during the late 1960s and early 1970s, including significant demonstrations like the one at Kent State University in 1970.
Over the years, the efforts of Black United Students contributed significantly to the establishment of nearly 200 Black studies programs across the United States by the 1990s. These programs have since evolved into comprehensive degree-granting curricula that explore African history, contemporary issues, and the impact of the African diaspora. Today, various organizations under the name Black United Students continue to advocate for the interests of African American students on campuses nationwide.
Black United Students
A militant group of African American college students. These students, spurred by the Black Power movement, worked toward establishing black studies departments in colleges and universities.
Origins and History
In the latter half of the 1960’s, African American college students, inspired by the Black Power movement, formed collectives in colleges and universities throughout the United States in order to improve the lives of African American students and institute black studies departments. The first record of students organizing as the Black United Students was at San Francisco State University in 1968. The group was organized by Professor Nathan Hare, who later denied his part in the student strike, and supported by the Third World Liberation Front, a coalition of minority groups.
Activities
In November, 1968, the Black United Students, with the encouragement of the Black Panther Party, called for a student strike at San Francisco State University. The group presented the campus administration with fifteen nonnegotiable demands relating to the creation of a black studies department and the improvement of black student life. In response to the students’ protest, San Francisco State University created the first integrated black studies program in 1969. Previously, Meritt Junior College in nearby Oakland, California, had begun offering a few courses in black studies, primarily to appease some members of the Black Panther Party, such as Huey P. Newton, who were attending the junior college, but it did not create a complete black studies department.
In addition to their efforts toward establishing black studies departments, the Black United Students actively joined with other campus groups in antiwar, antiestablishment protests in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The most noteworthy of these protests occurred in 1970, when the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Black United Students cosponsored a demonstration at Kent State University in Ohio, where four young people were killed by the Ohio National Guard.
Impact
The efforts of the Black United Students and similar African American groups helped establish black studies departments in numerous colleges and universities in the late 1960’s and the following decades. By the 1990’s, approximately two hundred black studies programs had been created across the nation. These programs have evolved from the original 1960’s programs, which were sometimes cursory and not very well thought out, into degree-granting, three-tiered programs. At the first level, these programs provide an introduction to African history and to the African experience in the Americas and in other parts of the world. At the second level, they begin to include more specific courses and examine current issues and research, delving into issues such as the place of African Americans in American society. At the third level, the programs offer an integrated look at African influences on and experiences of psychology, economics, political science, sociology, history, and literature.
In the late 1990’s, a number of organizations calling themselves the Black United Students were located on campuses across the United States. These organizations act to further the interests of African American students.
Additional Information
Turmoil on the Campus (1970), edited by Edward J. Barder, discusses various issues raised by African American students in the 1960’s.