The Black Campus Movement and the Institutionalization of Black Studies, 1965–1970

Abstract

Hundreds of thousands of Black students forced the institutionalization of the discipline of Black Studies as part of a larger Black Campus Movement that diversified higher education. Several scholars have examined the movement at particular campuses, or they have addressed one of the factors leading to the origin of Black Studies. Examinations with a national scope are rare, and they have not centered the historiography on the efforts of the students. This paper provides a narrative and analytical overview of the nationwide struggle of the Black students that began in 1965 and climaxed in the spring of 1969 to push and pull the discipline of Black Studies into the academy. It details the major events and pioneers surrounding the birth and the slew of student protests and conferences that led to institutionalization of Black Studies in 1969.