This article discusses the vandalism charges against the specific individuals who were involved in the library protest. They include specific names of the indivudials involved.
Author takes a hardline stance against the actions of Black students who protested the selection of an all-white administran for the Urban University Division by damaging parts of the library.
Describes the banning of a Black Student Unity Movement (BSUM) leader. In response a multiracial coalition of students , including 8 White students protest.
Eighty faculty members have backed the student demands, although they have "reservations" about the appropriateness of renaming the library. The article also discusses the sit-in ending after faculty agreed to 18 of the 24 stated demands.
The author strongly opposes admittance of students "without qualifications," specifically discussing Black students whose academic achievements may not have qualified them for Rutgers admission without the established programs. He sarcastically discusses the possibility of Native Americans reclaiming the land on which Rutgers sits and asking for admittance to the school.
A proposal for creating an Urban Studies program at the College of South Jersey (Rutgers-Camden), prepared for the Black Student Unity Movement by Malik Chaka (Michael C. Edwards), Resource Assistant at the Sociology Department. Chaka was a Rutgers–Camden student and a member of the Black Student Unity Movement (BSUM). This document outlines an interdisciplinary curriculum focused on the scholarly study of urban affairs, politics, and sociology. This proposal served as the blueprint for what would eventually become the formal Urban Studies program at Rutgers–Camden.
Urban Studies is not to be confused with the Urban University Department (UUD), which was a support initiative for student access that also grew out of black student activism at Rutgers in 1969.
This article critiques the United States for the treatment of African Americans and believes it amounts to genocide. Charles Loftland describes when the government allowed Tuskegee men to spread syphilis in their communities for research purposes and suggests that AIDS may have been similarly engineered. He also discusses the rise in crack cocaine in African American communities. The byline identifies Loftland as a member of BSU (Black Student Union).
Black Students at Rutgers are still fighting for representation at Rutgers in a multitude of areas, despite Rutgers introducing a "revolutionary" open admissions policy.
Flyer for GI Day events at the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 1, 1969. The events were organized under the auspices of the Ultimate Weapon, which was a newsletter published in Philadelphia by the Fort Dix Free Speech Movement (an organization of GIs from Fort Dix, New Jersey).
The reverse side of the flyer was used by Rutgers–Camden students for a mimeographed message promoting Black Culture Day at the College Center on Friday, April 25, 1969. Note that the flyer does not explicitly state the year of the events, but supplemental research revealed that this archival item is from 1969.
Page from the Mneme 1981 yearbook featuring photos from Black History Month celebrations, including a closeup photo of a speaker and photos from a performance of percussionists
Complete 8-page issue of the Black Observer newsletter from Camden, NJ, circa fall 1969. The precise date is not printed on the issue. Rutgers-Camden students affiliated with the Black Student Unity Movement (BSUM) produced this paper for the community. Names of the editors and contributors printed on the back page are Roy Jones, Marie Spearman, Faye Waters, Myrna Williams, Vince Mayfield, Carolyn Williams, Ralph Spencer, Richard Rhodes, Alice Syms, Linda Ellis, R. Eugene Kirkland, Lillian Matthews, Fredia Bodie, Betty Coleman. A letter from Aaron G. Thompson on behalf of the Rutgers BSUM is printed on page 5.
24 demands presented by the Black Student Unity Movement to Rutgers University–Camden on February 10, 1969. The demands were distributed widely on campus, and multiple copies have been preserved in Special Collections at the Paul Robeson Library in Camden and at the Alexander Library in New Brunswick. This copy is from Appendix VI in Ralph A. Dungan's 1969 Report to the New Jersey Legislature Concerning the Recent Events and Disturbances at the Newark and Camden Campuses of Rutgers, the State University.
Author takes a hardline stance against the actions of Black students who protested the selection of an all-white administran for the Urban University Division by damaging parts of the library.
Author takes a hardline stance against the actions of Black students who protested the selection of an all-white administran for the Urban University Division by damaging parts of the library.
Double-sided flyer for a December 22, 1969, event with Charles "Poppy" Sharp, chairman of the Black People's Unity Movement (BPUM) in Camden, sponsored by the United Black Front. The front of the flyer has an image of Sharp and event details. The back of the page reads "Fight Racism Support the Black Community" and tells Rutgers-Camden students to meet up in front of the College Center 45 minutes before the event and walk to the Parkside Community Center together.
City in Crisis newsletter produced by the Camden Defense Committee in October 1969. The newsletter includes information about BPUM and the arrest of the Camden five during a raid on September 8, 1969. The committee's address is listed as 314 Linden Street, Camden, NJ. Father Robert Weber serves as chairman pro tem and David Berger serves as treasurer.
Layton Hall, former dean, is resigning at the end of the academic year. He did not claim that the student protests caused this resignation but stated that the protests will hopefully bring students together to address modern social problems.
Dr. Benetta Washington, director of the Women's Job Corps, gives a lecture on "Making Education Relevant" at Rutgers-Camden. A photograph of Dr. Washington accompanies the short news item.
News clipping from the Camden Times announcing the election of Rutgers-Camden sophomores Marsha C. Smith and Barbara L. Davis as secretaries for the newly formed Black Allied Students Association.
News article about the Black students' rally at Rutgers University–Camden, mentioning Roy Jones, Michael Edwards (later Malik Chaka), and the Black People's Unity Movement (BPUM).
The author protests against "anarchists" and "criminals" being allowed to address college students, as well as "female visitation" to students' rooms being permitted. She concludes that "men of grit" need to be placed in charge of schools, for the benefit of all students, Black and white.
The editors of the Gleaner write in to the Courier-Post, opposing a recently published editorial about the events of the sit-in. They state that they have been in contact with much of the student body, and the editorial is irrelevant, not detailed enough, and fails to give the important context of the past three weeks, which have led to the students working together to solve institutional problems.
Reporting on a meeting between Dr. Gross and angry parents, the Bulletin author notes that while Gross rejected the need for violence, he did not believe that should prevent them from examining the claims of those students. He also noted that the situation in Camden was different than that in other schools with protests, and believed that calling the police would have only escalated the violence.
The openings of two interviews with college presidents, one Dr. Gross, about recent protests. The article also notes that there have been widespread student protests across the nation recently.
A series of lectures on Black History are advertised for the upcoming February, being held at the Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill. The lecturer, a Rutgers professor, is also a member of the community center, and the lecture's aim is to bring attention to the little-known history of African Americans.
Author takes a hardline stance against the actions of Black students who protested the selection of an all-white administran for the Urban University Division by damaging parts of the library.
Dr. Benetta Washington, director of the Women's Job Corps, gives a lecture on "Making Education Relevant" in the Rutgers science building. She will be the first in a series of Black leaders giving lectures at Rutgers as part of the Martin Luther King Scholar series.
This Letter to the Editor responds to a previous article about Public Enemy. Loftland points to his own experiences of racism and prejudice as proof of Public Enemy's realism. Charles Loftland emphasizes that African Americans experience racism and stereotypes in media and popular culture everyday. The byline identifies Loftland as a member of BSU (Black Student Union).
This "Letter to the Editor" responds to a previous article about Public Enemy. Loftland points to his own experiences of racism and prejudice as proof of Public Enemy's realism. Loftland emphasizes that African Americans experience racism and stereotypes in media and popular culture everyday.
As part of a Black History Month event in the Rutgers Fine Arts Auditorium, Makaziwe (Maki) Mandela delivered a lecture on the brutal realities of apartheid in South Africa, describing police violence and systemic dehumanization. During the program, the Mayor of Camden presented Mandela with the key to the city and named her an honorary citizen.
Camden Defense Committee memo dated November 17, 1969, signed by Robert P. Weber, Chaplain at Rutgers-Camden, regarding a brochure about urban problems in Camden (see the related item: City in Crisis brochure). Defense committee members listed are Robert Weber, David Berger, Kenneth Newcomb, Sylvia Newcomb, Elizabeth Huber, John Himmelein, Frank Kastner, and Ruth Krause. The reverse side of the memo was used by Rutgers-Camden students in December 1969 for a mimeographed flyer. The flyer says "Fight Racism Support the Black Community" and urges students to meet up at the front of the College Center on December 22, 1969, and then go together to the Parkside Community Center for a BPUM event (see the related item: BPUM Liberator Returns Home / Fight Racism flyer).
Memo from the Black Cooperative Association to Rutgers University President Mason Gross, Dean of Students Barry Millet, and Dean of Student Affairs Earle Clifford, signed by Roy L. Jones on January 19, 1971. The memo addresses the financial challenges facing the Black Cooperative Association in their endeavor to create cooperative student housing at Rutgers-Camden.
Memo from Robert T. Hart, Chairman of the Financial Aid Committee of the College of South Jersey (Rutgers-Camden), issued on March 5, 1969, regarding the Black Student Unity Movement's demands related to financial aid.
Memo from the Admissions Committee of the College of South Jersey (Rutgers-Camden), issued on March 6, 1969, regarding the Black Student Unity Movement's demands related to admissions. Attached is a Presentation by the University Extension Division Concerning Demand #23, submitted by Lamond H. Smith on March 3, 1969.
Memo from Sherwood O. Cole, Chairman of the Faculty/Student Relations Committee, and Barry M. Millett, Dean of Students, to W. Layton Hall, Dean of the College of South Jersey (Rutgers-Camden), issued on March 5, 1969. Cole and Millett report about a meeting related to the Black Student Unity Movement's demands that took place on March 3, 1969. Student Aaron Thompson represented BSUM at the meeting. BSUM demands number 7, 8, 9, and 16 were discussed.
Copy of memo to Faculty and Students at the College of South Jersey (Rutgers-Camden), issued on February 17, 1969, regarding the Black Student Unity Movement's 24 demands. Although unsigned, it appears the memo was issued by the office of W. Layton Hall, the Dean of the College of South Jersey.
Article about the Black College Recruitment Association's attempts to dissuade black students from attending predominantly white colleges and universities. They express concern about racism and racial confrontations on predominantly white campuses. Created by College Press Service (CPS) and syndicated to the Gleaner.
This article discusses the development of a new Intellectual Heritage (IH) course at Rutgers–Camden designed to explore intellectual diversity and cultural pluralism. Jean Ritzke, the English professor developing the course, is quoted extensively throughout the article.
Side-by-side images of Nikki Giovanni smiling and the other where she stands at a podium giving a lecture at Rutgers-Camden. Photographs from Mneme 1976 yearbook, page 31.
Photographs from the 1978 Mneme yearbook, featuring campus events with Patti LaBelle and Geraldo Rivera. The caption mentions that Patti LaBelle's performance at the Fine Arts Theatre was interrupted by a bomb threat.
Copy of a petition with approximately 150 signatures of Rutgers-Camden students opposing the activities and demands of the Black Student Unity Movement (BSUM).
Alfred R. Pierce, the mayor of Camden, supported the chief of police in his decision to send police officers to Rutgers Camden when any protests occurred, regardless of whether or not the school invited them. This decision comes on the wings of a Black student takeover of one of the buildings the week previous.
This article writes derisively about the new program for accepting disadvantaged students, despite noting that "Rutgers officials do not believe... that overall academic quality will suffer" and that the COME program from the previous summer was highly successful.
Letter from Rutgers President Mason W. Gross, dated February 27, 1969, to Rutgers–Camden students Thomas Warren and Roy Jones. The letter serves as a confirmation of the remarks that the president made at the meeting in Camden on February 26, 1969, regarding the Black Student Unity Movement's demands.
Prepared by Roy Jones, President of the Black Cooperative Association and member of the Black Student Unity Movement, this proposal outlines a plan to establish a student cooperative complex at Rutgers-Camden. The document includes information about the history and philosophy of the Black Cooperative Association, which was formed on March 20, 1969. The proposal explains that the Black Cooperative Association has already purchased a house at 301 N. 2nd St. and plans to purchase the adjacent property at 303 N. 2nd St. The proposal requests financial support from the university in the form of a loan to cover the purchase price of the second house and renovation costs.
The houses mentioned were located at the northwest corner of N. 2nd St. and Penn St., and they have since then been demolished.
The exact date of the proposal is not listed on the document, but its content suggests that it was written during the fall semester of 1969, because it refers to March 1969 as occurring "last semester."
The article is a response to a previous article regarding the rap group Public Enemy. Warnock strongly disagrees with the Rutkowski's critiques that Public Enemy is racist and analyzes several sets of lyrics to prove his point. Warnock views Rutkowski's opinions as a sign of his own racism against black people.
This article describes the rap group Public Enemy as extremely racist and comparable to the Ku Klux Klan. Rutkowski argues that their music video and lyrics portray white Americans incorrectly as entirely immoral and anti-black.
Courier-Post readers write in about the Rutgers sit-in, with three writing against its demands and one for them. One writes that she expects her daughter to be reimbursed for the three days of class she missed while the university was shut down, and another writes that those who are morally outraged about the protests should also have been outraged when Rutgers bought up people's houses to use as campus areas.
Two-page report from the Urban University Department (UUD) staff regarding the department's problems and progress since the program's inception at Rutgers–Camden in March of 1969. The report mentions the constructive criticism provided by the Black Student Unity Movement (BSUM) during UUD's early development.
UUD was an administrative and support initiative focused on college access, providing financial aid, remedial "skills" courses, and counseling for disadvantaged students. This program functioned as a support service to help students transition into the university and eventually evolved into the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) and academic foundation structures for student success.
UUD is not to be confused with the Urban Studies curricular program that also grew out of BSUM activism on campus.
A report to the New Jersey Legislature prepared by Ralph A. Dungan, Chancellor of Higher Education, concerning the Black students' protests at Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers-Camden in February of 1969. The report includes a chronology of the events at Newark and Camden and a list of recommendations. Nine appendices are attached, including a list of demands from the Black Organization of Students at Rutgers-Newark, a list of demands from the Black Student Unity Movement at Rutgers-Camden, a resolution adopted by the Rutgers Board of Governors on March 14, 1969, and other memos related to the protests.
Author takes a hardline stance against the actions of Black students who protested the selection of an all-white administran for the Urban University Division by damaging parts of the library.
Both the Newark and Camden campuses have been closed because of Black students protesting against the administration. This is said to be the cause of Layton Hall, the former dean, retiring.
Layton Hall, former dean, retires after student protests have fatigued him "to the point of exhaustion." The university president expressed his regret, coming after a 14-hour campus takeover which has apparently left a big impact on the campus atmosphere.
Dean W. Layton Hall is resigning from his post, stating that he cannot carry out his duties as dean any longer because of exhaustion. The article goes on to discuss his past and his positions before being Dean.
Dr. Gross defended his position of opening Rutgers to any disadvantaged students with a high school diploma in front of a meeting of angry parents, stating that it would only add 500 new students to a total student body of 20,000. He also discussed the sit-in and why the police were not called.
In the aftermath of the sit-in, Dean Hall was honored during a faculty meeting, during which the demands of the Black students were discussed. Three were partly approved and already underway, one was claimed to already be under academic due process, and one (the renaming of the library to Paul Robeson Library) was partially rejected due to "reservations" from the faculty.
In this essay, Roy L. Jones discusses the relationship between the Rutgers University and the surrounding community in Camden, which is predominantly Black and Puerto Rican. Jones makes the case that, as an urban university, Rutgers should reconsider its impact, structure, and responsibility to the Camden community, as well as to the Black and Puerto Rican student populations.
Following Jones's essay, the document concludes with an evocative piece of writing by Myrna Williams, titled "Black Feeling," which addresses the alienation Williams feels as a Black student on campus.
Ted Reid, an African American Rutgers-Camden staff member, is interviewed about his role in supporting local disadvantaged high school students. He discusses his experiences as a former high school drop-out, his solidarity with Puerto Rican students, and his role in the new program for high school students who are being admitted to the school despite low academic performance.
Stephen Allen writes a sarcastic column piece about back-to-school season, discussing "predictions" of the school year which includes library censorship for communism, Black students protesting for a lack of Black teachers, and school boards rejecting student criticism.
Two letters to the Courier-Post write in opposition to a previous Stephen Allen column about the sit-in. They argue that Rutgers was too weak against the Black student protests, stating that they were there to get an education in their chosen field, not to "help poor black people get into college without sufficient admission requirements."
The Courier-Post reports on the candidates for governor, who commented on the recent unrest at Rutgers Camden. The Post states that Gross was too "soft" on the students, and failed to take into account the "rights of the great majority of students at Rutgers."
The author supports the Black student sit-ins and states that supporting their cause, and being berated and spit on by her fellow students, made her far more supportive of militant action against racist institutions. She says that she and some of her fellow white students support them and hopes that others will soon join them.
In a letter to the editor, Angela Washington accuses the Gleaner of "journalistic ethics" violations and the censorship of minority students, citing instances where submitted articles were allegedly "lost" or ignored by the staff. An editorial response follows, vehemently denying these claims of racism and mismanagement.
Layton Hall, former dean, is resigning so that the college may have "new leadership." He refers to the sit-in protests at the end of the previous month, after which the university conceded to 18 of the 24 student demands.
A union chief praises Dr. Gross, the president of Rutgers, for how he handled the student protests. In other states, this has led to police violence and bloodshed, and he handled it well despite "the attacks which have since been levelled against him by certain office-holders".
The article discusses the incoming Dungan Report on the Rutgers situation, and interviews a few students, who all seem to agree that the real issue at hand is lack of spending on education and Rutgers not admitting enough Black students despite being located in a majority Black community.
This article discusses the vandalism charges against the specific individuals who were involved in the library protest. They include specific names of the indivudials involved.
The author applauds the Black student sit-in and is proud that they took a stand. He criticizes the other white students who claimed that they should have taken over an administrative building, stating tha the Black students also need their fellow students to support them and were trying to spread awareness of their cause.
