Chaining Day

At 7:15 A.M. on April 9, 1968, the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was to be buried in Atlanta, 100 black Students locked themselves in the Fleming Administration to protest the lack of support for minorities at the University of Michigan. These protests led to the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship fund and the establishment of a Black Studies curriculum in 1969. This department is now known as the Department for Afro-American and African Studies. 

Black students on campus were being treated as second tier students on the campus of the University of Michigan. In 1968, the Black Student Union (The BSU) was born.

Beginning of the BSU

Up until the 1960s there were few black students or faculty at the university. In 1962 a federal investigation concluded that there was considerable racial bias in hiring at UM and urged that steps be taken to increase integration at every level.

A committee set up by President Harlan Hatcher recommended that a special program be established to provide additional recruiting of minority students as well as financial aid and support services. The Opportunity Awards Program was started in 1964 and by 1969 black enrollment had increased from 2% to a little over 3%.

In the Fall of 1968, three young Black men walked up and down the registration line taking names of Black students that wanted to be a part of an organization that created a space for Black people to talk about Black issues on campus. This organization would be the Black Student Union.

Black Action Movement I (BAM I) of 1970

This Black Action Movement is regarded as one of the most successful student protests in history. Black students wanted more support from the University and higher minority enrollment, so they issued a set of demands and put together creative protests to get the attention of the regents and administration. Among these demands were 10% Black enrollment, the establishment of a Black student center, and additional financial support for Black students.  As a result, we now have Trotter Multicultural Center and cultural lounges in the residence halls, among other things. 

BAM II (1975)

This Black Action Movement had a broader mission that the previous one. This movement was about improving the University for all minority groups and building cross-cultural coalitions. Though the concrete results of this movement aren't widely published, the greatest result was the building of a cross-cultural alliance that would prove necessary for the next movement. 

BAM III (1987)

The third Black Action Movement is regarded by some as the most influential because of the policy changes and concrete plans that came out of it. During this movement, the United Coalition Against Racism was formed as the sole bargaining agent for people of color. As a result of these efforts, a comprehensive 6-year diversity plan was formed, a bias incident reporting system was created, and the Black Student Union was allocated funds to help create a welcoming environment for students of African descent.

Tower Takeover (2000)

The Black Student Union aided the Students of Color Coalition in their occupation of tower space above the Michigan Union. This occupation was brought on by the University's refusal to denounce the actions of secret society Michigamua. Students occupied this space for 27 days, shedding light on the abuse and mockery of Native American rituals and artifacts. The result was the removal of Michigamua and all other secret societies from the tower space.

Elizabeth James Award Established (2012)

In April of 2012, the BSU wanted to renew its commitment to recognizing and encouraging excellence within the Black community. For this reason, we established the Elisabeth James award. Named for our faculty advisor, the award will be given to one member of the community each year to celebrate their academic achievement and commitment to the community. 

#BBUM: Being Black at the University of Michigan (2013)

In the Fall of 2013, the BSU wanted to allow the community a chance to voice their concerns regarding racial tension on campus. After Theta Xi planned and promoted the canceled "World Star Hip Hop Presents: Hood Ratchet Thursday" full of racial stereotypes of blacks with no consequences, the death of Trayvon Martin, and ongoing tension with Ann Arbor Police, the BSU took to Twitter to give those students the voice that we collectively lacked. #BBUM would go on to inspire other black students in higher education around the county and prompted UMich admin to see the harsh reality of being a minority at the university. The BSU then released seven demands to be met in seven days including proper budget allocation, a new multicultural center, increased minority enrollment, emergency scholarships, affordable housing, and a number of significant solutions to issues that impacted the lives of blacks on campus. 

New Trotter Multicultural Center Opening

On April 11, 2019, "generations of students and alumni joined in unity to welcome the grand opening of the new Trotter Multicultural Center on Central Campus. Forged from decades' worth of student activism, largely spearheaded by the Black Student Union, Trotter opened its doors to the public and community during a historic community gathering. Students, alumni, faculty and staff lined the basement from wall-to-wall, nearly reaching capacity. The space, amalgamating the past and the present, produced a tangible reward for all the blood, sweat and tears poured into making the new Trotter Center a reality." Read more of this article here: https://www.michigandaily.com/section/mic/mic-trotter-article-title-wip