San Francisco State College Strike, 1968 - 1969
The San Francisco State College Strike was the longest student run strike in U.S history, it was instrumental in establishing the first Ethnic Studies Department in the nation. The strike was led by the Black Student's Union (BSU) and the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) - which was composed of several minority student groups.
There were several reasons for the strike. Students wanted San Francisco State College to provide education for all students. They wanted to see diverse student and intructor representation in classes, newspapers and administration.
The strike began in November,1968, a few weeks later, the school's president resigned and was replaced with S.I. Hayakawa, who immediately set to work to shut down the strike. Peaceful protests became violent as police and anti-strike students clashed with protesters. On January, 1969 members of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) joined the strike as well. It wasn't until March 20, 1969 that an agreement was signed between representatives of the TWLF, the BSU and the administration.
To learn more:
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1968: The Strike at San Francisco State, interview with Jason Ferreira
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The Campus Walkout That Led to America’s First Black Studies Department
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Visit San Francisco State University Library and view their SF State College Strike Collection. The images and clips in UCSF's Richard H. (Dick) Fine collection are copies of items in the SF State College Strike Collection.
