Black Power and the Birth of Black Studies

Following Dr. King's assassination, black student activism swept college campuses, driven by the Black Power movement. African-American students demanded more Black admissions, faculty, and the creation of Black Studies, transforming American higher education. The Black Power movement promoted radical black dignity, citizenship, and consciousness, criticizing white supremacy and privilege, spreading globally in the 1960s.

A key aspect of the Black Power movement was the call for self-determination, meaning young Black people wanted to control their education and move African American history from the margins to the center. By the late 1960s, more Black students entered campuses due to country-wide activism.

Stokely Carmichael was a pivotal activist involved in both civil rights and Black Power. His experiences, including 27 arrests, helped transform the Black student movement into a Black Studies movement, demanding the teaching of Black history in universities and high schools.

In 1968, a five-month student strike erupted at San Francisco State College, led by its Black Student Union. This disciplined but confrontational protest, which led to arrests, was a game-changer. Its success inspired nearly 200 other colleges, leading to more Black and Brown student recruitment, hiring of Black faculty and administrators, and the establishment of Black Studies departments.