“We had uniforms from the army, navy -store army jackets and bell bottoms”
-Pat Cummings speaking about BSU students during the ‘69 gate lockup
The Black Student Union's protest for representation on campus, May 6th 1969.
BSU students locked up campus and attempted to keep everyone off campus, as students circled gates. This was a demonstration led by the Black Student Union and other students who were attending the Pratt Institute.
11 BSU students were arrested. Charges initially weren't dropped by police.
Professor of architecture and Pratt alum, Ron Shiffman, brought in a lawyer, Eleanor Holmes Norton to get the students released from police custody.
The charges against the student protesters were dismissed because President Donovan negotiated a deal where the students had to attend the youth patrol board once a month for 3 months. Then after, the charges were dropped against the student protesters.
Faculty supported protesting students but they did not want to be active in the demonstrations. They supported the students and ensured that they would not fail out of their courses. After the initial lock up demonstration, there was a two week campus shut down because of a faculty strike. This faculty strike occurred in response to Donovan's 4 point plan on demonstrations.
Faculty negotiated these 4 points then resumed instruction.
70 students participated in the campus gate lock up, which included the BSU and other groups supporting them in their demonstration efforts.
The ROTC did not support the students and the students generally did not like the ROTC because they did not like the presence of them on campus and their support of the Vietnam War.
After the gate incident, Donovan asked police not to enter the grounds. Even before the demonstration, the police where never allowed or granted access onto the campus but since the students were all gathered on the sidewalks/streets around campus, the police did get involved.
Following the demonstration, students reported being surveilled by the police/special police and FBI. They reported police/FBI on the roof tops of building taking photographs and monitoring students of the BSU. The BSU members also reported being followed on and around campus so, they started walking in groups of 3-4. Since the BSU was made up of mostly women, the women walked in groups of 3 with one man to escort them.
Larry Provette describing the Lock up of the campus gates.
Students wanted the administration make changes within their major/school.
On the 1st day of the strike, architecture students first demonstrated in front of ROTC meeting center. The campus didn't like the presence of anything in support of the Vietnam War efforts. They had a picket line dissolved mid afternoon. This demonstration happened on the same day as the assassination of Martin Luthier King Jr.
Because of the death of MLK, the BSU asked Donovan to close campus for a day of mourning. President Donovan agreed to the closure but was hesitant because he didn’t want students to miss class or demonstrate. The demonstration resumed the next day and on the 3rd day, architecture students gave president Donovan a list of demands/changes they wanted to take place.
Architecture students demonstrating outside of Dekalb Hall, Brooklyn NY, Pratt Institute
Accessed from Pratt Institute digital archives