Remembering the Morrill Hall Takeover

Overview

• Event: Morrill Hall Takeover
• Date: January 1969
• Duration: 24 hours
• Location: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus
• Participants: 70 black students
• Purpose: Protest against institutional racism and lack of support for students of color

Outcomes

• Establishment of the University’s African American and African Studies Department

Key Figures

• John Wright: Authored the list of demands, a recent graduate during the takeover
  • Background: Graduated from the University in 1968, Master's in 1971, Ph.D. in 1977
  • Experience: Faced racial hostility and isolation at the University

Historical Context

• Civil Rights Movement: Peaking during Wright's undergraduate years
• Black Power Movement: Rising alongside global decolonization
• African American Presence: Just 2% of student body in 1973

Early Activism

• Students for Racial Progress (STRAP): Formed in 1966
  • Brought Martin Luther King Jr. to campus in 1967
  • Evolved into the Afro-American Action Committee (AAAC)

The Takeover

• Date: January 14, 1969
• Leaders: Rose Mary Freeman, Anna Stanley, and Horace Huntley
• Nature: Nonviolent protest despite counter-protester hostility
• Media Coverage: Reported by Walter Cronkite on CBS

Demands

• Increased recruitment and scholarships for black students
• Counseling and support services
• Representation in policymaking
• Creation of an African American Studies program

Institutional Responses

• President Malcolm Moos: Found the demands reasonable
• Bureaucratic processes delayed progress

Lasting Impact

• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Program: Created in the College of Liberal Arts
• African American Studies Department: Formalized

Reflections from John Wright

• Challenges: Closure of General College, rising tuition, lack of African American faculty
• Present-day context: Students of color are 21% of the student body, with 5% African American

Lessons for Today's Activists

• Avoid idealizing or misapplying past tactics
• Develop a historical consciousness
• Clearly define goals and philosophies for contemporary issues