Introduction
Thank you for joining us on the Black Student Experience at Northwestern University tour! Over the next hour, you will hear stories about the fight for racial equity led by Black students at Northwestern. These are more than stories, you will hear about lived experiences of Black students based on archival documentation. For some, these stories will be difficult to hear and might not mirror your views of the institution. If that is the case, we invite you to engage with an open mind and with empathy. Use this opportunity to listen and learn. For others, this tour is about truth-telling. It speaks to a broader history of injustice and a fight for equity and inclusion. While it is not all-encompassing, we hope that this tour affirms those experiences and offers some historical context for the structures that exist today that foster equity and inclusion. As you travel between each stop, please use that time as an opportunity to reflect on what you hear, you can use the discussion questions in the brochure as a guide.
If you have additional stories and experiences that you would like to share, please contact the McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives, specialcollections@northwestern.edu.
Self-Guided Tour
Either engage with the tour on-site as a walking tour or listen to the audio from anywhere.
Download the Echoes App to access the GPS self-guided tour.
The Black Student Experience at Northwestern University Walking Tour Brochure
Virtual Tour
Stop 1: Introduction to the Tour
Introduction to the Tour
Run Time: 3:28 minutes
Discussion Questions: The policy statement was intentionally written as the first demand to acknowledge that “conscious and unconscious racist policies, practices, and institutions” have existed at Northwestern. However, students demanded that the University commit to dismantling them. The policy statement served as the foundation for why students advocated for the subsequent demands. Throughout the tour, keep the first demand in mind as we share stories that offer historical context for why this demand was at the core of the protest.
Read the statement and describe what the students were asking the University to acknowledge and do in response. Why might this have been the first demand?
Stop 2: 1968 Bursar's Office Takeover
1968 Bursar’s Office Takeover
Run Time: 7:37 minutes
Discussion Question: Have you ever stood up for a cause, possibly unpopular, that was important to you? What were some of the consequences or benefits of that action? Now consider the students from the 1968 protest. Why might they have considered a building takeover as the best course of action? If you are unsure, consider returning to this question at the end of the tour.
Related Resources
Inside the Bursars Office, L-R: Michael Smith, Steve Colson, Dan Davis, and Eric Perkins. Photo courtesy of Steve Colson.
- They Demanded Courageously: The 1968 Northwestern Bursar’s Office Takeover, online exhibit
- Jewish admissions quotas,Daily Northwestern, March 6, 1964
- Higher Education Act of 1965
- Recruitment programs: Northwestern University Chicago Action Project, Daily Northwestern, June 20, 1966 and Project Upward Bound, Daily Northwestern, October 7, 1966
- Memorials for Martin Luther King, Jr. Daily Northwestern, April 5, 1968
- Sigma Chi Fraternity Incident, University Discipline Committee (UDC) Statement, April 15, 1968
- Demands from FMO & AASU to the Northwestern University administration, April 22, 1968
- Northwestern University’s response to the April 22, 1968 demands
- Updated demands from FMO & AASU to the Northwestern University administration
- Columbia University 1968 student protest, Daily Northwestern, May 3, 1968
- “Growth of Black Consciousness at Northwestern,” by James “Jim” P. Pitts
Stop 3: Black Students and Evanston
Stop 3: Black Students and Evanston
Run Time: 6:23 minutes
Discussion Questions: In thinking about the “construction of space” and power dynamics, why might Black students have demanded that the University use its influence to address racial inequity in Evanston?
Related Resources
Emerson Street YMCA, circa 1914, photo courtesy of Shorefront photographic collection
Evanston Organizations
- Shorefront Legacy Center: “Emerson Street Branch YMCA: Segregation in Evanston,” by Dino Robinson, March 28, 2013
- The Takeover 1968: Student Protest, Campus Politics, and Black Student Activism at Northwestern University, by Jenny Thompson
- Evanston History Center
Northwestern University Archives Collections About Desegregation of Evanston Public Schools
- Records of the Citizens for 65: The records detail many of the issues and events associated with Gregory Coffin’s superintendence of Evanston’s Community Consolidated School District 65 and the contentious 1970 School Board election that determined his tenure.
- Papers of Betty Ann Papangelis: Papangelis was a member of the Evanston Welfare Council and Evanston Community Foundation Board, candidate for a seat on the District 65 School Board in the contentious 1970 election, and alderman from Evanston’s Eighth Ward (1975 to 1983). The papers pertain to the 1970 School Board election, and to a welfare relief commission in 1962.
Books, Articles, Archival Sources
- Friends Disappear: The Battle for Racial Equality in Evanston, Mary Barr
- Charles “Doc” Glass, a program honoring Mr. Glass, May 6, 1983
- “Doc Glass’ Home Away from Home for Negroes,” Daily Northwestern, March 3, 1966
- “A Portrait of Helen Cromer-Cooper,” by Shawna Cooper-Gibson, Shorefront Journal, 2012
- “Helen Cromer-Cooper,” interview, by Morris (Dino) Robinson, Shorefront Voices, 1997
Stop 4: The Department of African American Studies
The Department of African American Studies
Run Time: 4:37 minutes
Discussion Question: In the first demand, students called for the administration to dismantle “all conscious or unconscious racist policies, practices, and institutions existing now on campus.” Part of that commitment extended to reevaluating curriculum that overlooked the contributions of African Americans to history, literature, and art.
Why might that particular demand have been important to students in 1968? Think about your own education. How might the absence or inclusion of African American history impact your understanding of those disciplines?
Related Resources
Students discussing the status of establishing a Black studies program at Northwestern, Pamoja People, December 8, 1972
- “Organizational Meeting for Negro History Set,” Daily Northwestern, January 20, 1967
- “AfroStudies Crisis Stalemated,” Pamoja People
- The Black Revolution on Campus, by Dr. Martha Biondi
- “AFAM @ 50: Extending Our Reach” 50th Anniversary Program, May 20, 2022
Stop 5: The Black House
The Black House and former Department of African American Student Affairs
Run Time: 6:07 minutes
Discussion Questions: Black students needed “a place to call their own” and a community to belong. Considering what you have heard so far, how might this space and community have supported their student experiences? Also, think about other social spaces dedicated to specific groups of people, either on or off-campus. How might a dedicated space support those groups?
Related Resources
African American Student Affairs Deans, L-R: Ulysses “Duke” Jenkins, Alice J. Palmer, and Everne Saxton on the steps of the Black House
Bonus Stop: The Original Black House
The Original Black House
The administration identified 619 Emerson Street as the location for a Black student union. Students would name it the Black House. However, students urged the administration to relocate the Black House to a different building that offered more space and amenities. By 1973, The Black House moved caddy-corner to 1914 Sheridan Road.
- “New House in Use,” Blackboard Magazine, February 3, 1973
Stop 6: Black Athletes
Black Athletes
Run Time: 4:00 minutes
Discussion Question: How do you think having a figure like Charles “Doc” Glass shaped Black athletes’ student experiences in the 1950s-60s?
Related Resources
Charles “Doc” Glass at his home in Evanston in front of his wall of Northwestern athletes.
Most Black athletes did not go into the Bursar’s Office due to the concern that they could lose their scholarships. However, they did support the protest by showing up at the site.
- Term paper about Charles “Doc” Glass’ leadership ability, written by James “Jim” Pitts, 1965
- “Doc Glass’ Home Away from Home for Negroes,” Daily Northwestern, March 3, 1966
- “A Black Athlete at a White University,” by Vernon Ford, Daily Northwestern, April 25, 1968
- “It’s A Family Affair,” program from an event honoring Charles “Doc” Glass, May 6, 1983
Stop 7: Black Students and Housing
Black Students and Housing
Run Time: 4:46 minutes
Discussion Questions: Why were some administrators and students resistant to fully integrated campus housing? Can something be acceptable in the past and wrong in the present? What are your thoughts on this?
Related Resources
Occupants of the International House, photo courtesy of Syllabus 1948
Occupants of Asbury Hall, photo courtesy of Syllabus 1953
- Women’s Educational Aid Association’s decision to decline Isabella Ellis’ request for housing, September 5, 1902
- Press coverage regarding Isabella Ellis being denied housing, 1902
- Emerson Street YMCA, “The University’s Baby Out on the Doorstep,” Daily Northwestern, April 7, 1938
- “The Quibblers,” Purple Parrot, April 1945
- Bill Branch and the Quibblers, Daily Northwestern, February 22, 1946
- Correspondence regarding the new international house, October 27, 1947
- International House, Syllabus, 1947
- Open Men’s Dorm Experiment in the 1930s, Bernie Jefferson, Daily Northwestern, January 28, 1947
- Asbury Hall, Syllabus, 1953
- Interview with Daphne Maxwell Reid about an assigned roommate who refused to live with her due to her race, The HistoryMakers, 2004 (Northwestern Net ID and password required)
Bonus Stop: Asbury Hall
799 University Place, Evanston, Illinois
Stop 8: Black Greek Organizations
Black Greek Organizations
Run Time: 5:18 minutes
Discussion Question: What are some of the benefits of belonging to a Greek organization? How might the actions of Greek members described in the audio have impacted Black student’s social lives at Northwestern?
Related Resources
Kappa Alpha Psi, 1969
Alpha Kappa Alpha
- “Impressions of Adjustment,” by Joseph Okpaku, 1963
- “Calls for Negro Houses,” Daily Northwestern, May 10, 1967
- “No Reactivation of Negro Houses through Next Year,” Daily Northwestern, July 14, 1967
- “Negro Frat, Student Differ on NU Pledge Interest,” Daily Northwestern, October 17, 1967
- “CUL to Review Greek Units for Blacks,” Daily Northwestern, April 5, 1968
- Council on Undergraduate Life Meeting Minutes, May 1, 1968
- Triangle Fraternity Incident, 1969
- “NPHC Secures Scott Hall Plots,” 2018
Stop 9: Student Activism
Student Activism
*Audio is not available at this time.
Related Resource
Hunger strike demonstration in the courtyard of the Rebecca Crown Center, March 1969
Stop 10: Conclusion of the Bursar's Office Takeover
Conclusion of the Bursar’s Office Takeover
Run Time: 6:26 minutes
Discussion Questions: Why is it important to take the time to learn about the past? How can that impact the way we understand our campus today? Identify something that you will take away from this tour.
Related Resources
Students negotiate the May 4th Agreement with Northwestern administrators.
Takeover participants celebrating their victory after the protest, May 4, 1968, Chicago Defender
- James Turner speaking on Bursar’s Office Takeover, May 9, 1968
- One Generation Ago: A Scrapbook: An Observance of an Era, 1991
- Interview with Lucius P. Gregg, Associate Dean of Science during the Takeover, The HistoryMakers, 2007 (Northwestern Net ID and password required)
- Interview with Joseph Boyce, the only reporter allowed in the Bursar’s Office during the Takeover, The HistoryMakers, 2012 (Northwestern Net ID and password required)
- An evening with Kathryn Ogletree, Reflections on the Bursar’s Office Takeover, March 2018
- The Takeover: The Revolution of the Black Experience at Northwestern University Documentary
Permanent Plaques
The following plaques were installed to permanently acknowledge the legacy of Black student life at Northwestern University:
|
THEME |
LOCATION |
|
Black Greek Organizations |
Scott Hall, 601 University Place in the Ana Marcy Miller Scott Garden, next to the Divine Nine plaques |
|
The Black House |
The Black House, 1914 Sheridan Road |
|
Student Activism |
Rebecca Crown Center, 633 Clark St. |
|
International Houses |
Emerson Street and Orrington Avenue, southeast corner |
|
Charles “Doc” Glass (Black student athletes) |
Ryan Field, northwestern corner of Ryan Field football stadium |
Credits
- Mikala Stokes, author of The Black Student Experience at Northwestern University Audio Tour and voice-over, graduate student, Northwestern University, Department of History
- Benjamin Jouras, voice-over, undergraduate student, Northwestern University, School of Communication
- Charla Wilson, Project Manager, Archivist for the Black Experience, University Archives
- The Black Student Experience at Northwestern University Audio Tour is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion as part of the Bursar’s Office Takeover Commemoration. The project was proposed by the Legacy/Memorial Sub-committee. Special thanks to Ann Bradlow, Professor of Linguistics and Peter Kaye, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate and Post-baccalaureate Programs.
- And appreciation to Sekile Nzinga, former Director of the Women’s Center, Dr. Jenny Thompson, Director of Education at Evanston History Center, Dino Robinson, founder of Shorefront Legacy Center, Clovis Semmes WCAS’71, WCAS’78, Dana Lamparello, McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives Head of Public Services & Assistant University Archivist, and Kevin Leonard, University Archivist, for reviewing the audio tour. And thank you to Roseann Mark, Senior Editor, Publications, OGMC, TJ Young, Associate Director, Production, OGMC, Henry McGill, Senior Designer, Publications, OGMC, and James McKinney, Director of Facilities Management Operations for designing and installing the permanent markers.
Contact Us
For more information about Northwestern history and collections, please contact the McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives, specialcollections@northwestern.edu.
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