Third World Liberation Front strike
The Third World Liberation Front strikes of 1968 were pivotal student-led movements at San Francisco State College and the University of California, Berkeley, aimed at addressing racial and ethnic inequalities in higher education. These strikes arose in the context of the broader civil rights movement and anti-Vietnam War protests, as student activists sought greater access and representation for marginalized groups. Central figures like Jimmy Garrett and Jerry Varnado, who initially formed the Black Student Union, later expanded their focus to unite students from various ethnic backgrounds, leading to the establishment of the Third World Liberation Front.
Beginning on November 6, 1968, the San Francisco State strike lasted five months, becoming the longest student strike in U.S. history. Participants demanded the development of an ethnic studies curriculum, increased minority faculty hiring, and more involvement in community issues. The strike at UC Berkeley followed in January 1969, reflecting similar goals. These movements ultimately resulted in the establishment of ethnic studies programs at both institutions and influenced similar initiatives across the country, marking a significant transformation in the landscape of higher education.
Third World Liberation Front strike
The Third World Liberation Front strikes of 1968 led to the establishment of ethnic studies at San Francisco State College and the University of California, Berkeley, in the late 1960s. Two notable figures of the movement, Jimmy Garrett and Jerry Varnado, met at a Negro Students' Association meeting and went on the establish the first Black Student Union. Their work expanded to include all marginalized groups of students being discriminated against in the school admissions process, creating a new group called the Third World Liberation Front.
Against the background of the civil rights movement and protests against the war in Vietnam, student activists at San Francisco State College demanded greater educational access for minorities, involvement in community issues, formation of an ethnic studies curriculum, and the hiring of more minority faculty members. In a multiethnic coalition called the Third World Liberation Front, African American, Mexican American, Filipino American, Asian American, and other students joined together to present their requests to the university administration and faculty. Not having received what they considered a satisfactory response, they started a strike on November 6, 1968, that lasted for five months; it became the longest student strike in US history.
At the nearby University of California, Berkeley, a Third World Liberation Front strike was also initiated in January 1969. The strikes led to the creation of a school of ethnic studies at San Francisco and a department of ethnic studies at Berkeley. Similar concerns led to the development of ethnic studies programs at other colleges and universities, changing higher education forever.
Bibliography
"History." Dept. of Ethnic Studies, U of California Berkeley, ethnicstudies.berkeley.edu/about/history. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.
Rayburn, Kelly, and Kristin Bender. "Third World Strike at 40." Inside Bay Area, 15 Aug. 2016, www.eastbaytimes.com/2009/03/13/third-world-strike-at-40. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.
"Remembering the Strike." San Francisco State University Magazine, magazine.sfsu.edu/archive/archive/fall‗08/strike.html. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.
"Third World Liberation Front Research Initiative (twLF)." UC Berkeley, crg.berkeley.edu/third-world-liberation-front-research-initiative-twlf. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.
Wei, William. The Asian American Movement. Temple UP, 1994.
Whitson, Helene. "SF State Strike 1968–69 Chronology." FoundSF, Shaping San Francisco, www.foundsf.org/index.php. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.