February 1968: three African American men are shot and killed at South Carolina State University during a protest against racial segregation. March 1968: Warsaw University students protest the banning of a performance of the play Dziady by Adam Mickiewicz. May 1968: tens of thousands of students and workers take to the streets in France, demanding radical change, from dismantling authoritarian political structures to democratizing social and cultural institutions including education and ... view more »
February 1968: three African American men are shot and killed at South Carolina State University during a protest against racial segregation. March 1968: Warsaw University students protest the banning of a performance of the play Dziady by Adam Mickiewicz. May 1968: tens of thousands of students and workers take to the streets in France, demanding radical change, from dismantling authoritarian political structures to democratizing social and cultural institutions including education and media. June 1968: Belgrade University students begin a seven day strike during which their protests are banned; they are beaten by police officers. While the 1960s was a decade defined by protest worldwide, the year 1968 witnessed an escalation of unrest marked by a number of massive, and sometimes violent, student movements.
Fifty years later, the role of college campuses as sites of protest remains as crucial and as controversial as ever. As students demand a voice in the way their institutions respond to systemic and institutionalized racism, the devaluing of higher education, campus rape and gender inequality, graduate student rights, and an influx of speakers from the alt-right, college campuses have once again become a visible nucleus of student protest. This one-day symposium will examine the role of student activism, past and present, and address the ongoing battle against systemic inequalities and social injustices that are once again at the center of attention on our campuses.
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