The Legacy of the Third World Liberation Front student strike at SF State

Summary

The transcript describes the protests and strikes at San Francisco State College in 1968-1969, which were part of the broader civil rights movement. The protests were driven by demands for increased minority student enrollment and the establishment of ethnic studies programs. Despite resistance from the administration, the strikes succeeded in forming the School of Ethnic Studies. The transcript highlights the atmosphere of tension, the unity among minority groups, and the significance of the strike in the context of global social changes.

Takeaways

• 📢 The noise was a key part of the protest, used to disrupt classes and draw attention to the cause.
• 📅 The protest started in October 1968 and continued into 1969, highlighting its duration and impact.
• 🌐 It was part of the broader civil rights movement, indicating its place in a larger social context.
• 🎓 The protesters sought to increase minority student representation and establish ethnic studies programs.
• 🤝 Negotiations with administrators were unfruitful, leading to the need for more assertive action.
• 🏛 The Third World Liberation Front was formed, uniting black, brown, and yellow students in their demands.
• 🔍 The strike was a response to the perceived hypocrisy of American ideals of freedom and justice.
• 🤝 Unity among student organizations was crucial for the success of the strike.
• 🛡 The use of police force, including tear gas and experimental crowd control methods, escalated the situation.
• 🏆 The strike resulted in the admission of 400 minority students and the establishment of ethnic studies programs.
• 📚 The importance of the College of Ethnic Studies and its impact on future generations was emphasized.

Q & A

What was the primary method used by the protesters during the rally at the school?

The primary method used by the protesters was making a lot of noise. They marched around the school to different buildings to disrupt classes and draw attention to their cause.

When did the noise-making rally and protests start and how long did they last?

The noise-making rally and protests started in October of 1968 and continued into the next year, 1969, affecting the next semester as well.

What were the two main objectives of the protesters during the civil rights movement at that time?

The two main objectives were to increase minority student representation in the school and to establish an ethnic studies program.

Why were the protesters dissatisfied with the administrators' responses to their demands?

The protesters were dissatisfied because the administrators were making promises that were never fulfilled, and the protesters felt that their demands were not being adequately represented in the agreements.

What was the significance of the Third World Liberation Front in the context of the protests?

The Third World Liberation Front was an organization formed by minority student groups, including black, brown, and yellow students, to represent their interests and support the strike with their own demands for admission.

What was the role of PACE (Filipino American Collegiate Endeavor) in the protests?

PACE was a political organization aimed at representing Filipinos on campus and off, ensuring their involvement in the protests and the broader civil rights movement.

What was the core group's strategy during the strike, and what was the role of the negotiator?

The core group's strategy involved running the strike with picket lines and rallies. The negotiator's role was to communicate with the president and other administrators to negotiate the protesters' demands.

What was the outcome of the strike in terms of student admissions and academic programs?

The outcome of the strike included the admission of 400 minority students and the establishment of the School of Ethnic Studies, which included Black Studies, LaNasa Studies, and other ethnic-specific programs.

How did the administration respond to the strike, and what measures were taken to address the protesters' demands?

The administration, represented by Hayakawa, negotiated the demands with the protesters and accepted the main conclusions concerning academic matters as administration policy.

What was the broader impact of the strike on other campuses and the perception of the university?

The strike at SF State was significant because it sparked similar movements on other campuses across the United States, highlighting the need for change in educational institutions regarding minority representation and ethnic studies.

What lessons or principles were highlighted by the strike, and how do they relate to the broader civil rights movement?

The strike highlighted principles such as the power of unity, the importance of standing up for justice, and the necessity of demanding change rather than waiting for it to be granted. These principles are central to the broader civil rights movement.

Outlines

00:00

📢 The Noise of Protest: Civil Rights and Ethnic Studies at SF State

This paragraph discusses the beginning of a protest movement at San Francisco State University in 1968, which was part of the broader civil rights movement. The protest aimed to increase minority student representation and establish ethnic studies programs. The noise was a tool used by protesters to disrupt classes and draw attention to their cause. Despite initial resistance from the administration, the movement eventually led to the admission of more minority students and the creation of ethnic studies programs, including Black Studies and La Raza Studies. The paragraph also touches on the broader context of the world at the time, with a focus on intellectual curiosity, honesty, and justice, and the formation of the Third World Liberation Front as a united front for minority students.

05:02

🛡️ Campus Unrest and the Birth of Ethnic Studies: A Legacy of Resistance

This paragraph continues the narrative of the student strike at SF State, highlighting the intensity of the conflict that led to the university's temporary closure. It describes the heavy-handed response of the police, who were armed and ready to use tear gas and other crowd control measures. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of the strike in sparking similar movements across the United States and the ultimate success of the students' demands. The administration eventually conceded to the creation of the School of Ethnic Studies, marking a significant victory for the students and a lasting impact on the academic landscape. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the enduring significance of the strike and the establishment of ethnic studies, encouraging further exploration of the topic.

Keywords

💡Rally

A rally is a gathering of people in support of a cause or to protest against something. In the context of the video, the rally was a form of protest by students to demand changes in their educational institution, such as the inclusion of minority students and the establishment of ethnic studies. The script mentions, 'the noise is what the rally and the protesters were armed with,' illustrating the use of noise as a tool to draw attention to their cause.

💡Protest

A protest is a public expression of objection to a policy, decision, or action. The video script describes a protest that took place at a school, where students made noise and marched around buildings to disrupt classes and draw attention to their demands for educational reform. The protest was part of a larger civil rights movement, highlighting the students' desire for social justice and representation.

💡Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement refers to a social movement advocating for the legal rights for citizens to be free from unequal treatment or discrimination by the government or private institutions. In the video, the protest at the school is described as part of this broader movement, emphasizing the students' fight for equality and inclusion, particularly for minority and third-world students.

💡Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of different ethnic groups, their histories, cultures, and social issues. The video discusses the students' demand for the establishment of ethnic studies at their school as a way to increase representation and understanding of minority cultures within the curriculum. The script mentions, 'establishing a school ethnic studies,' indicating the students' desire for a more inclusive educational environment.

💡Third-World Students

Third-World Students, in the context of the video, refers to students from developing or underprivileged countries, often seeking representation and recognition in educational institutions. The script notes that there were very few such students on campus, and the protest aimed to increase their representation and address their educational needs.

💡Representation

Representation in this context means the act of having members of different groups fairly included or reflected in an organization or system. The video script discusses the low number of Filipino students and the desire to increase the representation of third-world students in the school, indicating a push for diversity and inclusivity.

💡Third World Liberation Front

The Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) is an organization that represents minority groups, including black, Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese students. In the video, the TWLF is mentioned as a united front formed by different student organizations to support the strike and add their own demands for the admission of minority students.

💡Decolonization

Decolonization refers to the process of ending colonialism, often involving the establishment of independent nations from former colonies. In the script, the term is used metaphorically to describe the students' efforts to challenge and change the existing system of education that they felt was oppressive and not inclusive of their cultural backgrounds.

💡Negotiator

A negotiator is a person who discusses and tries to reach an agreement in discussions, especially in difficult situations. In the video, the speaker mentions their role as a negotiator with the school's president and others, highlighting the importance of dialogue and compromise in resolving the strike.

💡Strike

A strike is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work. In the context of the video, the students' strike was a form of protest where they refused to attend classes until their demands were met. The script describes the strike as a powerful tool for students to effect change in their educational institution.

💡Concession

A concession is a thing given up or yielded as part of an agreement or negotiation. In the video, the school administration made a concession by agreeing to admit 400 minority students after the strike, demonstrating the impact of the students' collective action on the school's policies.

💡School of Ethnic Studies

The School of Ethnic Studies is an academic institution or department within a university that focuses on the study of various ethnic groups and their histories, cultures, and social issues. The video script mentions the formation of such a school at the university as a result of the strike, indicating a significant achievement in the students' fight for a more inclusive and diverse educational curriculum.

Highlights

The noise was a primary tool used by protesters to disrupt classes and draw attention to their cause.

Protests began in October 1968 and continued into 1969, highlighting a sustained effort for change.

The movement was part of a broader civil rights movement, indicating a nationwide push for equality.

Two main demands were increasing minority student representation and establishing ethnic studies at the school.

Previous attempts to work with administrators had failed, leading to the need for more assertive action.

The Third World Liberation Front was formed, representing a coalition of minority student groups.

PACE was a Filipino American collegiate endeavor aimed at political involvement and representation.

The strike was a response to perceived injustices and a call for the study of minority experiences.

Student organizations united to form a single front, demonstrating the power of collective action.

The university was temporarily closed down during the height of the protests.

Police presence included armed officers, riot gear, and experimental crowd control measures.

The strike led to the admission of 400 minority students, showing the impact of the protesters' demands.

The administration eventually accepted the demands, leading to the formation of the School of Ethnic Studies.

The establishment of ethnic studies included Black Studies, La Raza Studies, and Native American Studies.

The strike's legacy is the ongoing study and development of ethnic studies, a testament to its enduring impact.

Participants would repeat their actions if necessary, showing a deep commitment to the cause.

Transcripts

well the first thing you hit before you

see anything is the noise because the

noise is what the rally and the

protesters were armed with so we just

made a lot of noise we march around the

school to different buildings we were

making noise right now so that way the

teacher who what's inside teaching and

the students are inside the classes

could hardly hear it it started sometime

in October of 68 and it went into the

next year 69 into the next semester and

it started many chains of schools all

over way back then it was a part of the

civil rights movement at that time we

were looking for two things getting

minority students into the school and

then the second had to do with

establishing a school ethnic studies we

wanted to increase the representation of

third-world students because they were

so few there were officially I think 75

Filipinos on the campus we had been

attempting to establish these things by

working with the administrators but we

were getting no place and we're being

given promises but the promises were

never being fulfilled because they did

not demand amnesty in those agreements

and so it was not part of their demand

so naturally they're not represented

that I'm the first specifically to the

vaccine and the third world Liberation

in fact the setting then was

polarization the strike has to be seen

in the context of what was happening in

the world many things were in ferment

[Music]

it was in undergoing a change violent

change now you asked me why did that

happen at SF State and it's because when

you have alternative intellectual

processes available when there's a

culture of intellectuality curiosity

right and a real drive for honesty and

justice and that's the worst thing they

did when they raised us they said this

is the country you know with freedom and

justice for all and so we said okay well

we're gonna call you on it you know why

can't we study this minority both a

faculty and students to close down the

university and deny the others their

right to the education that they're

they're trying to get and all it takes

is the courage to stand up and take

whatever action is necessary to ensure

that the majority can go about their

business as they have it obviously want

to do different student organizations of

the school they've formed into one

because they find strength in numbers to

make it a third world Liberation Front

representing black brown and yellow

students on campus held a news

conference to announce their full

support of the BSU strike and add

demands of their own for admission for

Chinese Mexican American Philippine

students

TW LF was third world Liberation Front

is an organization of minority groups

black students the nos Chinese Filipino

Japanese that's sort of how that paste

was formed pace was the Filipino

American collegiate endeavor the purpose

of pace was political it was to become

involved so that Filipinos in particular

could be represented and it was both on

the campus and off the campus the

Filipinos who grew up here like myself

and other people that were born here

they grew up and saw the racism in the

system there are other nests they were

different from everybody else

right so they were forced to look into

decolonization processes there was a

small coalition of us who the core group

in any event that my role in particular

was to be the negotiator with the

president with a number of others we run

strike so we had picket lines and we had

rallies it's just a strange thing to see

a suit of learning new jersey with his

land dogs and riot gear and barbed wire

and tanks and like war inside campus of

a Institute of learning the fact that SF

State was the first or one of the first

or it had a student strike was really

not as important as the fact that it

touched off like a

I guess a tender box it cuts off all the

different campuses all over the United

States you gotta remember at all times

the cops were armed they had guns and

they had the pawns they had tear gas

they had experimental thing called mace

and they had experimental pepper gas

okay and they're bringing all that stuff

to the campus and looking for a reason

to use it you know almost every day it

was like that we're gonna make those

students shut up and just go to class

you know that was a really good

illustration of this resistance within

the academy to simply people asking

appropriate intellectual questions and

that's what it was like

[Music]

the campus literally was closed down

only for a week or so we have decided to

close inspection tomorrow and that there

was a concession that 400 minority

students would be admitted serious

concern and conscientious thought that

have gone into this agreement I wish to

announce its main conclusions concerning

academic matters are hereby accepted as

administration policy after the strike

Hayakawa through other representatives

negotiated the demands and they were

granted forming the school of ethnic

studies at that particular time so there

then became confused Studies Black

Studies and LaNasa Studies and so forth

so that was the result of what what

happened so that was that

[Music]

[Music]

I think that that lease that is trike

and the study of it and its development

is good that the students can really

demand a need so many principles were

practiced here you know the power will

never give in and this it's demanded or

unless it's force so many of those

things were played and acted on on the

strike I think I encourage people to go

find out about the College of ethnic

studies I foresee that this is going to

continue to go on for decades which is

which is really good it's a very small

segment of history but it's certainly an

important part you know those segments I

said would go right back and do it again

[Music]