“The Five Demands – the Student Protest and Takeover of 1969” Cuny Academic Commons, Accessed 22 September 2024, 

fivedemands.commons.gc.cuny.edu/.

Summary: 

In 1969, student unrest on U.S. campuses reached its climax at City College of New York. The movement was spurred by other ongoing movements for the Vietnam War and civil rights.The Black and Puerto Rican Student Caucus proposed Five Demands to President Buell G. Gallagher in response to new budget cuts that threatened to jeopardize the quality of education for marginalized students. Since the budget cuts would include getting rid of the SEEK program, this would essentially make education inaccessible to students who required financial assistance. The demands called for a separate school for Black and Puerto Rican studies, a personalized orientation program for incoming students, student inclusion in curating SEEK Program’s guidelines, the racial makeup of incoming classes to reflect Harlem’s population, and the integration of Black and Puerto Rican history and Spanish language as requirements for education majors. Gallagher’s efforts to implement some changes, such as requiring a year of Spanish for education majors and incorporating heritage courses, were not sufficient. This led to a takeover of the South Campus on April 22, 1969. The situation eventually required police intervention, prompting Gallagher’s resignation. Some demands were partially met, but many issues would be gradually addressed in the future.

Important quotes:

• “Even with these developments, student dissatisfaction continued, culminating on April 22 when the Black and Puerto Rican Student Community took over the South Campus for two weeks, preventing students from attending classes held there.”
• “‘My own functions as a reconciler of differences and a catalyst for constructive change have become increasingly difficult to carry out.’”
• “But many of the issues of the Five Demands protest were addressed slowly and methodically only long after the protest ended.”

Reflection:

The student protests at City College of New York in 1969 are a revolutionary moment in the intersection of educational equity, civil rights, and social activism. The Five Demands presented by the Black and Puerto Rican Student Caucus not only shed light on pressing concerns regarding representation and accessibility within the academic environment but also addressed the glaring racial inequity present in society. The initial responses from President Gallagher reveal the nuances of societal change; while some progress was made, it felt underwhelming in front of the ambitious plans. The eventual campus takeover was symbolic of the students’ commitment to making their presence known and heard. Gallagher’s resignation highlights the challenges that authority figures face when the goals of movement can often be in conflict with the administration. In retrospect, the programs that addressed some of the demands symbolizes a critical, yet slow, acknowledgment of the need for diversity in education. Unfortunately the struggle still persists as contemporary movements continue to advocate for equity in academic spaces. This is also very reminiscent of the Supreme Court eliminating affirmative action in higher education. This underscores the importance of engaging with marginalized voices to fight the system in order to create a more representative and supportive learning space.