North Hall Takeover 50 Years After, Department of Black Studies

UCSB Alumni and the Department of Black Studies of the University of California at Santa Barbara are proud to announce our fall celebration North Hall Takeover 50 Years After honoring the 12 students who, on October 14, 1968, took over the North Hall building to demand change in the curriculum and climate on campus for Black students. In response, then Chancellor Vernon Cheadle began a process of institutional change that resulted in the founding of the Department of Black Studies, the Chican@ Studies Department, the Center for Black Studies Research, and eventually the Departments of Asian American Studies and Feminist Studies with other research and curricular apertures to study inequality and a multicultural world. The energetic vision of these original 12 students also embodied the hope that all Black students in the state of California would have an excellent chance to attend its flagship university system in a world free of racism, fascism, and misogyny that nurtured equitable, spiritually meaningful lives. This conference is an opportunity not only to reflect on the importance of the North Hall Takeover, but also to think seriously about how we can create a better future for Black students, and consequently for all students, at the university.
 
The conference is organized by Jeffrey Stewart, professor of Black Studies, and will be held on the weekend of October 12-14, 2018 at UC Santa Barbara, in coordination with the UC Santa Barbara Alumni, Admissions Office, Division of Social Sciences and the Office of the Chancellor. Accordingly, this conference encourages past, current and prospective students to attend to help us explore ways in which the university can give students the knowledge they need to make a difference in their communities in terms of social medicine, cultural awareness, and human sustainability.
 
The highlight of the conference will be a keynote dinner on October 13 with Danny Glover, Actor and Humanitarian. Mr. Glover will reflect on the importance of social commitment along with individual success in a life well-lived. We welcome the public, students, and professionals at large seeking social innovation and livability through the lineages of progressive education.
 
Save the date: October 12-14, 2018 
On the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara.
 
 

News Date: 

Monday, September 17, 2018