Original 9 black demands made to Springfield college (c. 1969)

Item Information

Title:
Original 9 black demands made to Springfield college (c. 1969)
Description:
This document is a list of the original nine black demands at Springfield College (ca. 1969). This document is two pages. The front page is typed and lists the nine demands. The back page has notes hand-written in red. The notes go into details about what the president and faculty of Springfield College think about the demands and how they plan on handling the demands. It is not known who wrote the notes. In February of 1969, a group of black Springfield College students sent a memorandum to College President Wilbur E. Locklin, in which they state that they feel displeased with the prejudices suffered by the black community at the school. They go on to list nine demands of the school that would benefit the black community, such as the enrollment of 200 students into the incoming freshman class of ‘73, the addition of a black staff member to the admissions office, and the hiring of a black coach for one of the athletic teams. Later that year the faculty rejected the demands of the black students. The day after, a crowd of black student protestors entered the building and began to hurl insults at the administrative staff until campus security was able to take them away. The students arrested were freed on bail and required by the school to serve 300 hours of community service. Later that year, President Locklin begins plans to build an experimental black cultural center at the school. In March of the next year, unsatisfied with the progress of civil rights at the school, a group of 49 students and several “outsiders” enter the Massasoit Hall dormitory, forcibly ejecting the students on the third floor and taking control of it. The protesting students would remain there for two days, until Springfield city police entered the building and arrested all present without incident. The students involved, except for two, were sentenced to 20-30 days in jail for civil contempt, with the remaining two receiving fines. The students were given the offer to re-enter school, but many chose not to. Nearly two years after the first incident, student protestors again seized the Administration Building on April 6, 1970, this time to disrupt a faculty discussion on the students charged during the Massasoit incident. The students were arrested by police and charged with trespassing and were later expelled from school. During the Collegium which took place later that year, college officials determined that the students that were removed from campus should be invited back by the President, and, if they chose to return, participate in a series of workshops with a group of College representatives to improve black-white relationships on campus. The list of black demands continued to be worked upon by administration, and some of the demands of black students were met gradually over the next several years.
Date:
[February 19, 1969?]
Format:
Documents
Location:
Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
Collection (local):
College Archives Digital Collections
Subjects:
Springfield College
Springfield College--Presidents
Locklin, Wilbert E. (Wilbert Edwin)
Springfield (Mass.)
Protest movements
Riots
Civil disobedience
Civil rights
Race discrimination
Race relations
Places:
Massachusetts > Hampden (county) > Springfield
Extent:
2 Pages
Link to Item:
http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/23319
Terms of Use:
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
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Publisher:
Springfield College
Language:
English
Identifier:
rg108-18-02-a-01-26-001
rg108-18-01-02-013