Our History
1981-1990
1981-1990
Fall 1982 For the first time in UCSB history, Black faculty members and administration met with Chancellor Huttenback to discuss plans to increase the black student population at UCSB. Los Angeles Times September 1, 1982 issue titled “Riding High On Waves He Makes” by Anne Roark, profiled UCSB Chancellor Huttenback as having a negative attitude toward Black Student recruitment at UCSB quoting him “It’s foolish for us to spend a lot of money trying to recruit Black students.” At this time UCSB had the lowest undergraduate Black student population in the UC system at 2.1% and the Black graduate student population was 2%. May 25, 1982 The African Liberation Day Lecture, Dr. Maulana Karenga spoke at the UCen Pavilion giving a talk titled Afro- American Strategies for Social Change: Nationalism, Pan-Africanism, and Socialism. June 4-6, 1982 The first Black Reunion was held at UCSB. The events included lectures, seminars, a panel, and a play. June 5th Dr. Otey Scruggs was the keynote speaker at the Black Reunion Dinner. 1983-1984 Associated Students sponsored an event titled "Air Jam" in Campbell Hall where six White males from Sigma Chi fraternity placed show polish of their face and performed a lip-sync skit depicting Otis Day and the Knights in blackface and afro wigs. The master of ceremonies a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity told racial jokes. This particular incident was a catalyst for students of color at UCSB who used this incident to establish the Multicultural Center at UCSB 1985 BSU organized Black Wednesdays; which occurred every Wednesday at 12 noon in the Arbor. Although the initial catalyst for the weekly gathering is not known, Black Wednesdays served as both a social hub for Black students, staff, and faculty who wanted to connect with one another on campus and also as a political statement to show the presence of Black students on the UCSB campus. Black Wednesday’s also functioned as overtly political spaces for political addresses and rallies. 1986 The Daily Nexus, in reporting the Challenger explosion, failed to include Ronald McNair, the only African-American astronaut on the shuttle. This enraged students and shortly after, a group 70-80 students called Concerned Students Against Racism, CSAR began meeting with campus administrators to discuss ways to sensitize the UCSB campus community. 1986 A review of UCSB's progress in affirmative action by federal investigators specifies a problem area in the recruitment and retention of Black and Hispanic females in both faculty and managerial positions. February 12, 1987 During a 50 person meeting at the Cafe Interim, the newly formed CSAR called upon UCSB administrators to establish a new racial harassment policy that would penalize students, faculty, and staff for racist actions (one of the original 8 demands). January 28, 1988 MCC opens in Building 434. CSAR was instrumental in developing the working group that provided the basic organizational framework for the MCC. |
A.S. Commission For Minority Affairs
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