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Student’s Name

Tutor’s Name

Institution

Date

Black Studies

During the 1970s, more than 700, 000 African-Americans joined colleges (Rollins, n,p).

However, due to racism, the Black students formed desegregation movements which enabled

them to enter both Historic Black Colleges and Universities which were mostly dominated by

white scholars. The 1970s experienced a massive Afrocentric push in the department of higher

education. The need for the African-Americans to reconnect with their roots facilitated the

desegregation move to join Historic Black Colleges. During the selection process of courses, the

Black students selected majors and classes that would widen their knowledge and understanding

of Afrocentric push. Desegregation movements were essential in allowing the new wave of

Black students to not only connect with their roots but also interact with students from other

cultures to enhance understanding each other (Rollins, n.p). At the University of Illinois in

particular, Black students facilitated desegregation by creating organizations such as the Black

Student’s Association (BSA) which held black dance and drama workshops at the university’s

premises. The African-American movements enabled Black students to transform institutions of

high education with their new concepts and perspectives. This paper will, therefore, look into

how the Black student’s organizations impacted change in institutions and society.

As of 5th January 1971, the representatives of different universities across Illinois and

Indiana including representatives from University of Illinois were formulating guidelines for a
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model Black studies program which was the only attempt across the country. “Representatives of

various colleges in Illinois and Indiana, including the University, are currently formulating

guidelines for a model Black studies program, the first such attempt in the nation,” The Daily

Illini stated (p.12). Educators and administrators established aims of the model including the

discussion of transferring credits for students taking Black studies courses and formulated a

statement for the underlying logic of Black studies. The representatives and other educators from

universities discussed the significance of Black studies from Nursery school through university

(The Daily Illini, p.12). An average reader of the article would question how the introduction of

black studies would impact or accommodate to the university, and how the institutionalization of

black studies impacted organizations. However, the model of Black studies did not only grow out

of the civil rights movement disillusion but also inflicted an upsurge of black cultural

nationalism (Rojas, p. 207). Introduction of Black studies was a topic that resulted from the civil

rights movement. Such movements formed links with college students and encouraged them to

push for concessions from university administrators. The demand for black studies instilled

different feeling from different people. For instance, while the black people viewed it as an

appropriate cultural stunt that would reconnect them with their roots, university deans and

presidents saw it as an illegitimate or a low priority course. The black student groups pushed for

the welfare of the minority students as they called for affirmative action in the admission of

black students, funding of minority undergraduates, black-themed residences, and the

introduction of black studies. For instance, as of 7th January 1971, BSA was on the forefront to

request for funds from the South West Campus Residents Association. “Ron Winley, BSA

representative, had requested funds at a SCRA meeting last month,” (The Daily Illini, p. 5).

Black student’s movements such as the BSA were thus systems to support Black students and
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ensure their psychological and physical well-being and redefine what a being a successful black

person meant.

Majority of the deans deemed Black studies as a material historical-sociological focus

that lacked conceptualization of identities that emerged from the new study of Black life (Curry,

p.1). Black studies required an excellent effort for intellectual advancement from historical

sociology that studied authentic situations of black society to a more comprehensive and

discursive interpretation of Black people. The post discourse of inclusion of Black studies made

efforts in pluralizing the perception of Black people, exclusion of Blacks, and death of young

men. It generally looked into the interests of men rather than Black females and integration of

Black politics (Curry, p.1). The masculinization of Black studies played a significant role in the

neo-liberal logic which considered the studies to be dangerous and terroristic social movements

such as Civil Rights and Black Power. The attempts to reconstruct modern Black studies is

problematic as different institutions resonate with the sentiments that the studies internalize the

ideas Blackness arising which were the mode of the 1970s.

On 6th January 1971, the managers of WPGU radio station rescheduled air time for

Black programming with “Concert Hall” a classical music program which the managers had

decided to eliminate (The Daily Illini, p. 3). However, the radio managers decided to air the

“Concert Hall” from midnight up to 2 a. m while it would air Black Music from 10 pm until

midnight. “At present, there are only two hours of programming per week at WPGU aimed

specifically at the Black audience, a Friday evening soul music,” (The Daily Illini, p. 3).

Therefore, the time dedicated to the Black audience was only two hours. No BSA member

addressed the compromise with the broadcast. However, Jeffery would comment on this matter

two days later. On 8th January 1971, he stated that “WPGU, like many other white organs at the
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university, still negotiates with the Blacks in bad faith,” (The Daily Illini, p. 10). The statement

shows that, although no member of the BSA commented on the issue, there were ill feelings

among the Black students after the university radio station failed to hold its part of the deal.

A decision of not eliminating the “Concert Hall” was reached after the adverse reactions

of listeners who stated that “it was felt that classical, as well as Black music, should be

represented in our broadcast day,” (The Daily Illini, p. 3). For instance, one writer stated on the

editorial page of the issue for 5th January 1971, that there was no legitimate cause for shutting

down the “Concert Hall” (p. 9). The show played classical music which was different from other

shows which played soul music. The writers felt that the difference of the radio’s timeline was

the main reason that BSA wanted the airing of Black music. The radio’s managers argued that

the show was not popular lest it was so successful. He, therefore, disagreed with the demand for

taking the “Concert Hall” off the air as he believed that WPGU played the best quality of

classical music.

Apart from playing of Black music by the university’s radio, Black students in the

University of Illinois held black programs which educated them about the Afro-American

culture. Such programs included Black dance workshops and Black drama workshops. The

Black dance workshops were conducted between 6 and 7 p.m on Tuesday in Lincoln Hall

Theatre while Black drama workshops were held the same day at Afro-American Cultural Centre

at 7:30 pm (The Daily Illini, p. 5). Such seminars were of vital importance to the black students

in the university considering that Black studies had just been introduced. Therefore, dance was a

unique vehicle to deliver to other cultures the dimensions of Afro-American culture. Music, on

the other hand, acknowledged its root on the continent of Africa thus playing a significant role in
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the context of Black studies. African-American music alluded both the despair and bitterness that

struck and dominated the culture.

On 8th January 1971, Jeffrey Roberts wrote that Black college students must use the

skills they learn to serve the black people and raise their level of political awareness (The Daily

Illini, p. 10). “Black students can not afford the luxury of privately retaining their skills. The

skills that they receive must be made available to the Black community,” (The Daily Illini, p.

10). He stated that Black students had no privilege of retaining skills to themselves. Therefore,

availing their knowledge to the Black community was important. The spreading of college-

learned skills to the society was practiced by organizations such as Afro Human Consolidated

Incorporated (AHCI) as well as BSA. The AHCI that consisted of Black professionals and

students worked towards involving Black students in Black community programs. Their skills,

for instance, were used to research for the Champaign Advocacy Depot (CAD) which provided

aid to Black people. The contribution of college students was necessary as it facilitated Black

pride and integrity. The role played by the college students was influential in establishing the

Alternative Education Program which provided education to the less fortunate in the Black

community (The Daily Illini, p. 10).

However, not all black student’s organizations succeeded in contributing to the Black

society. For instance, BSA did not achieve to provide Black students to participate in the

Alternative Education Program. The slack by such organizations resulted from low Black student

participation. Only a few Black students from the university engaged in providing services using

their acquired skills to strengthen the Black community. Jeffery states that Black university

students have little time to practice their learned skills and what seems like practice to the whites

is the “real thing” to the Black scholars (The Daily Illini, p. 10).
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In most cases, school performance created barriers to the future opportunities of the

African-Americans. The comparison of the educational gaps between the African-Americans and

other groups was substantial. The records had it that Black students score lower grades as

compared to whites, Latinos, and Asians. Some of them progressed through school but ended up

not excelling academically as their counterparts. Therefore, universities were dominated by the

whites as there were fewer Blacks who managed to secure a course in the competitive four-year

colleges (Bowman et al., n.p). The insipid creative writing of Black scholars attributed from lack

of fictional creativity. Their writing encompassed the reality of the Black world. Therefore,

engaging in Black students’ organizations was a vital move to not only serve the Black society

but also improve their skills through real-life application of the learned knowledge (The Daily

Illini, p.10).

On a social headline by Jeffery on the 9th January, a Black female graduate paid homage

to Angela Davis in a reading. The Black Female Oral Interpretist stated that “chosen not to be

political, but because Angela Davis is a part of me,” a reading from her “A Poetic Tribute to

Angela Yvonne Davis,” (The Daily Illini, pg. 5). The reciting from the black graduate, Yolanda

Marie Smith, received much approval from the audience. After Yolanda’s performance, Miss

Smith took the stage to read a conglomeration of poetry that echoed “the loneliness but

togetherness of Davis.” Among the many poems recited was “A poem to Angela Yvonne Davis,”

by Nicki Giovanni. The American pledge was also recited. Miss Smith named Miss Davis as “A

soldier for Black Liberation and a product of Amerika.” Behind Miss Smith was a red, green,

and black flag. Miss Smith later recognized Black literature by stating that “Black Literature is

different, but the theme is the same. It is the literature of survival.” She said, “Davis was a

seeker, and so am I; Davis is a product of this society, and so am I.”

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The celebrated person, Angela Yvonne Davis, emerged in the 1960s as a conspicuous

counterculture activist who was an American scholar, partisan activist as well as an author. She

led the Communist Party USA and was closely linked to the Black Panther Party during the era

of the Civil Rights Movement (Rob, n.p). The event outlined above not only celebrated her

achievement as a philosopher but also as a counterculture activist. Her mark as a feminist was

especially influential during the event. As noted from The Daily Illini issue for 9th January 1971,

only Black females addressed the event (p. 5). It was an important role in portraying women

especially the Black women as potential leaders. It is to be noted that the event was held after

Davis appeared before the court in 5th January 1971 after being charged with aggravated

kidnapping and first-degree murder of Harold Harley (Rob, n.p). The occasion was thus a

movement of scholars who were organizing for her release. The incident had some symbols and

events that portrayed the power of Black women and the rise of a black nation. For instance, the

statement by Yolanda that “chosen not to be political, but because Angela Davis is a part of me”

shows the role that Davis, a black female, played in politics and how she encouraged Yolanda to

join politics. Additionally, the flag hanging behind Miss Smith represented the building of a

black nation (The Daily Illini, p. 5).

In conclusion, it is apparent that African-Americans were able to influence changes in

universities by introducing new concepts. For instance, the plan for a new curriculum, Black

studies, was a significant move that would create awareness to the Black people regarding their

roots and the issues that concerned them. Such studies introduced other activities such as music

and drama that would later expose the Black students to ideas that they did not know about. The

1970s was the time that the African-American people would learn their history which was not

previously allowed by the curriculum. It was also a period that marked great achievements by the
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Black females in the field of politics and literature. The wave that the African-Americans left on

higher education since the 1970s continues to grow in the modern day.
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Fig: The Daily Illini, 5 Jan. 1971, p. 12.

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Fig: The Daily Illini, 6 Jan. 1971, p. 3.

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Fig: The Daily Illini, 5 Jan. 1971, p. 5.

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Fig: The Daily Illini, 8 Jan. 1971, p. 10.

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Fig: The Daily Illini, 9 Jan. 1971, p. 5

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Works Cited

Bowman, B., J. Comer, and D. Johns. "Addressing the African American Achievement Gap:

Three Leading Educators Issue a Call to Action." Young Children 73.2 (2018): 12-21.

Curry, Tommy J. "Black Studies, Not Morality: Anti-Black Racism, Neo-Liberal Cooptation,

and the Challenges to Black Studies Under Intersectional Axioms." Academia. edu, www.

academia. edu/8160498 (2014).

Polly, The Daily Illini. ""Concert Hall' Retained." The Daily Illini, 6 Jan. 1971, p. 3.

Rob, Abdul. "Angela Davis." Black History Month 2019 | Black History Month Celebrating the

Great Black British Achievers, 3 Feb. 2016,

www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/bhm-heroes/angela-davis/. Accessed

5 Apr. 2019.

Roberts, Jeffery, The Daily Illini. "Skills f or 1971." The Daily Illini, 8 Jan. 1971, p. 10.

Roberts, Jeffery, The Daily Illini. "Tribute paid Angela Davis in reading by Blackgraduate." The

Daily Illini, 9 Jan. 1971, p. 5.

Rojas, Fabio. From black power to black studies: How a radical social movement became an

academic discipline. JHU Press, 2007.

Rollins. "African-Americans Transforming Higher Education in the 1970’s – ThirdSight

History." 11 Feb. 2014, social.rollins.edu/wpsites/thirdsight/2014/02/11/african-

americans-transforming-higher-education-in-the-1970s/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2019.

The Daily Illini. "BSA funds request tabled by southwest campus group." The Daily Illini,

7 Jan. 1971, p. 5.
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The Daily Illini. "Illinois, Indiana collapse formulate first model Black studies program." The

Daily Illini, 5 Jan. 1971.