A Protest, Ongoing
Founding a Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race
The creation of a Race and Ethnic Studies Program at Columbia was not merely a result of the single student protest which did not take place until April 1996. Student organizations and committees hosted by students of color had continuously demanded more classes to be held, discussions to form, and for administrators to come to the negotiating table.
The push for African American Studies, Asian American Studies, and Latin American Studies came alongside but not always in conjunction with each other. But in the light of protests held at other east coast universities in early 1990s, a more effective solidarity was called for among students advocating for different racial minorities. Eventually, student advocates of Columbia came together to plan and launch a series of on-campus movements to precipitate administrative action, culminating in a hunger strike on April, 1996.
Timeline of Ethnic Studies
1968 --- 1995 Feb.
1968
Revolutionary '68 Columbia Protest of students across all race groups. Armed protestors occupied university buildings against the institution's racism and involvement in the Vietnam War, resulting in more than 700 NYPD arrests and a university shutdown. From this time onward student protests on campus would inevitably evoke the protest of 1968.
1969
Founding of Individualized Track in African American Studies at Columbia.
Students were allowed to major or concentrate in African American Studies by personalizing courses from different departments
1989
Asian American students forms AAWE, followed by an introduction of Columbia University’s first noncredit class in Asian American studies
1991
Asian American student leaders demand at least three senior faculty members be hired to teach Asian American Studies. Administration opts to settle for hiring three adjunct faculty.
1993
July
Columbia’s first African-American Studies Program is launched as the Institute for Research in African American Studies (IRAAS) , Manning Marable is appointed as founding chair of IRAAS
1993
November
Number of Columbia University students hold protest in solidarity with students at Cornell University occupying Willard Straight Hall protesting university's perceived racism and demanding a black/ethnic studies curriculum. Other universities like Princeton, Tulane, Howard, and Dartmouth also show support.
1994
Amidst teach-ins in Asian American and Latinx Studies, student protest over quality of Latinx studies. Interdisciplinary major in Latin American Studies is approved for the first time.
1995
Princeton University students protest and reach negotiation with administration for an ethnic studies program as well as hiring of more faculty in Asian American and Latinx Studies. Sparks simultaneous discussion at Columbia.
What Does the Timeline Say?
Going through physical paper clippings from The Spectator Archives (indeed, I was returning to the time when printed media was actually picked up and read) I became intrigued by how the discussion around Ethnic Studies at Columbia gradually advanced through the years. From fleeting mentions in small articles on page 7, to a longer editorial on page 3, and eventually to the front pages of the Spectator, the topic of Ethnic Studies physically advanced page by page until it was heard loud and clear. Of course, media coverage is never a determination of how important the issue is; but the empowerment comes from realizing that the founding of ethnic studies at Columbia required fighting its way through - both literally and figuratively - the collective consciousness of the Columbia community.
I even hesitate to offer a “timeline” or “summary” of events from this time: if these many statements reached the school paper, how many were exchanged in classes? Among communities of color? Silenced and second-guessed - or, kindled together in time, hoping to rectify the institution for times onward?
"It's up to us to accept and demonstrate for others that ethnic studies is not the crazed invention of people who are always whining about under-representation."