Disrupting White Supremacy on Campus

Historical Legacy of Racism at U-M

The University of Michigan, founded in 1817, was formed on land that was once occupied by indigenous peoples. In the exchange, the University promised access to education for the descendants of indigenous peoples, a promise the University has largely failed to deliver. Because of this history, we begin this section with a land and labor acknowledgement adapted from the University of Michigan School of Social Work PRAXIS Committee.

Land and Labor Acknowledgment

The University of Michigan is located in the Huron River watershed, on land stewarded by Niswi Ishkodewan Anishinaabeg: The Three Fires People who are the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadmi. As we work, live and learn on these territories we must keep in mind the ongoing effects of colonization, the communities’ struggle for self-determination, colonial state violence and the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty. Through scholarship and pedagogy we work to create a future in which the past is thoroughly understood and the present aims to enhance social justice while enacting an ethic of care and compassion.

Higher education institutions have a long history of perpetuating racism. Recently, many institutions have started implementing anti-racist initiatives in response to increased activism across the country. However, this work requires each institution to acknowledge their role and specific context with racism. Without examining the historical context of “how we got here,” it will be harder to implement meaningful change. The following is a brief history of historical firsts, racism, exclusion, and student activism at the University of Michigan. A common thread in the University’s history is student activism in the face of continued racism on campus and failed responses from the University.

Historical Firsts on Campus:

While it is important to acknowledge historical firsts on campus, it is just as important to acknowledge the 100th or the 1000th. Furthermore, although these students gained admission to the University, they still faced institutional and interpersonal racism while enrolled. We recognize the firsts on this page as we simultaneously recognize that the University continues to face challenges around representation, campus climate, and inclusion. The following sections present a historical overview of student activism in the face of exclusion, discrimination, and racism. Thus, in highlighting the historical firsts on campus, we likewise highlight the continued effort to create a more equitable and just University for all.

1841 – The University of Michigan is established in Ann Arbor after moving from Detroit. At this time, women are not allowed admittance.
1853 – Samuel Codes Watson is the first Black student admitted to U-M.
1870 – Madelon Louisa Stockwell is the first woman admitted to U-M.
1872 – Saiske Tagai is the first Asian student (Japanese) admitted to U-M.
1876 – Mary Henrietta Graham is the first Black woman admitted to U-M.
1877 – José Celso Barbosa is the first Puerto Rican student admitted to U-M.

Historical Housing Discrimination on Campus

1924 – Marjorie Franklin is accepted into the U of M Hospital School for Nurses. Although first-year nurses had to obtain their own uniforms, housing in the nurses’ dormitory was provided. However, the Director of Nursing informed Franklin that there was “no housing provided for colored students,” and she was told to live at home. After a lengthy battle that nearly went to court, Franklin was told that as soon as Couzens Hall was completed, she would be able to live there.

1928-1934 – Black women students lived in private homes scattered around Ann Arbor, far from campus. In response to disparate housing, the Federated Association of Colored Women accused the University of segregation. By encouraging Black women students to live in these private homes, the University and acting Dean of Women, Alice Lloyd, were seen as preventing integration into the dormitories. In 1929, Lloyd and a housing advisor wrote to the Regents, recommending a house “at the edge of the colored section” for Black women students. Lloyd would later say of this house that “colored women were for the first time housed in a dignified and satisfactory way in the League house at 1102 East Ann,” and that the house “will satisfy the colored girls and the Federated Association of Colored Women.”

In 1930, the newest dormitory, Mosher-Jordan, was set to open and provide housing for women students. Yet discrimination persisted as the 450 women admitted to the dorm were all white. Two Black students, Helen Rhetta and Vivian Wilson, applied for residence in the dorm in 1929 but their applications went unanswered. Rhetta and others fought against this discrimination, and in 1931, two Black women students were accepted into the dorm. Despite these modest gains, in 1934, Jean Blackwell’s application to live in Martha Cook was rejected despite meeting all the necessary qualifications and despite hearing that there were vacancies in the dorm. Blackwell would later state, “I remember the bigotry of Dean Alice Lloyd. She pretended to be concerned about Negro students and wrote kind letters to parents, but she stood firm in holding the line (against integration of the dorms).”

A History of Student Activism on Campus

The University of Michigan has a long history of student activism on campus. Major campus movements that began in the 1960s sparked the many movements and student groups that came afterward. Without past and present student activism on campus, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and policies would not have been as high of a priority at U-M. The following is a timeline featuring some of the major movements and events sparked by student activism. This timeline is comprehensive, but it is not definitive, as these student groups and movements are far greater than what is written about them on this page. Links to further readings, archives, and documents are included throughout the timeline.

Although student-led movements have led to reform at U-M, they have encountered institutional resistance along the way. If you are interested in reading an in-depth exploration of this topic, the book, Undermining Racial Justice: How One University Embraced Inclusion and Inequality by Matthew Johnson, is recommended. Johnson explores U-M’s history of student activism from the 1960s through #BBUM, arguing that leadership at U-M co-opted student demands in order to maintain the University’s fundamental policies, values, and practices. As a result, Johnson posits that racial justice and equity have always been secondary to maintaining U-M’s status as an elite higher education institution.

Timeline of Student Activism and Events at U-M

Demonstration at the former Administration Building

1968 – On April 9, 1968, the day of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s burial, a new wave of student activism launched at the University. The recently formed Black Student Union took over the Administration Building, chaining themselves inside and demanding more funding for Black students and Black faculty hires. After meeting with President Robben Fleming, the lockout ended. Some of the outcomes from student efforts were the creation of a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship fund and the hiring of additional Black faculty and coaches.

See The Michigan Daily coverage from that time: Michigan Daily Digital Archives – April 10, 1968

1970 – When the demands for increased Black student enrollment and faculty hires were not met, the first Black Action Movement (BAM) organized a 12-day campus shutdown. BAM was a coalition of the Black Student Union, Black Law Students Association, Association of Black Social Work Students, and Black students from the Medical School and Department of Psychology. In addition to BAM’s efforts, over 300 professors cancelled classes and the strike was widely supported on campus. Reaching an agreement with BAM, President Robben Fleming agreed to BAM’s demand to increase Black student enrollment to 10% by 1973, which did not come to pass. Additional gains were the hiring of 7 undergraduate and 3 graduate student recruiters, the founding of the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, now the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS), and the creation of Multicultural and Minority Culture lounges at U-M. You can learn more about the Multicultural Lounge Program on this page.

See The Michigan Daily coverage from that time: Michigan Daily Digital Archives – September 02, 1970
See a short film on the history of DAAS: Why Black Studies? A short film on the history of the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies

1972 – The University of Michigan chapter of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) is formed. After its formation, the group would quickly focus its attention on hiring a Chicano Advocate in the Office of Special Services and Programs (now the Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs Office). Filling this position was not an easy process and required student activists to continuously put pressure on administration. The group’s unrelenting efforts paid off as the position was filled in late 1973. MEChA would continue to focus on Chicano representation among faculty, students, and staff and support for the community on campus. See The Michigan Daily coverage from that time: Michigan Daily Digital Archives – August 02, 1973

The Native American Student Association (NASA) is established and the Native American community holds the first Ann Arbor Powwow. Since then, the Ann Arbor “Dance for Mother Earth” Powwow has become an annual event and is coordinated by NASA.

1975 – As a result of the failed enrollment goal, the Third World Coalition Council (TWCC) formed, but the larger movement would be remembered as BAM II. The TWCC issued a new set of demands, including a renewed effort for 10% Black student enrollment goal, the establishment of an Asian-American student advocate, the establishment of a Chicano Cultural Center, and the reinstatement of a nursing student who was expelled from the program. The demands and enrollment goal were not met.

1983 – Through NASA activism, the University establishes a Native American Studies program within the Program in American Culture, now the Department of American Culture. However, the program wouldn’t be formalized until 1994 and the first student with a Native American Studies minor would not graduate until 2004. See: Native American Studies | U-M LSA

1984 – To this point, the University did not have a curricular unit devoted exclusively to Latina/o studies. This would change in 1984 as a result of Latinx student, faculty, and staff activists. This coalition proposed an academic unit that would focus on the experiences of Latina/o peoples in the United States. Originally named the Latino Studies Program, it is now known as the Latina/o Studies Program and is a thriving unit that offers courses and programming in the Department of American Culture. See: Latina/o Studies Program | U-M LSA

1987 – Ongoing racist incidents, including racist statements and jokes made on air from a campus radio station and a racist note at Couzens dormitory, led to the formation of the United Coalition Against Racism (UCAR) and BAM III movements. Both UCAR and BAM III would issue demands to University administration and then-President Harold Shapiro. See UCAR’s 12 demands and BAM III’s 11 demands. When these demands were not met, a sit-in of more than 250 students occurred at the Fleming Building. As a result of the sit-in and activism, the University agreed to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, created a plan to increase Black student enrollment, installed a Vice Provost for Minority Affairs, created a budget for the Black Student Union, and updated its procedure for racist incidents. Another key outcome was the creation of the Ella Baker-Nelson Mandela Center for Anti-Racist Education on campus. Opened in 1988, the Center’s objectives were to promote anti-racist consciousness, promote anti-racist student leaders, collect and generate literature, and to serve as a gathering place for anti-racist activists.

See TV news coverage of these events (Note: you will need to authenticate via the U-M web login to access this video): UCAR Protest – Bentley Historical Library
See The Michigan Daily coverage featuring the opening of the Baker-Mandela Center in 1988: Michigan Daily Digital Archives – October 17, 1988

1989 – The Asian/Pacific American studies program is established. It became the Asian/Pacific Islander American (A/PIA) studies program in 2003. Housed within the Department of American Culture, the A/PIA program focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander American experiences, concerns, and issues. See: Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies | U-M LSA

1990 – One of UCAR’s demands was for the establishment of a required course on diversity and bigotry to be taken by all students before graduating from the University. In the fall of 1990, faculty in LSA voted to require students to study “one course that addresses issues arising from racial or ethnic intolerance.” Although seen as a success, UCAR felt the move did not fully represent what had been demanded in 1987. UCAR wanted students and faculty to determine the courses that would fulfill the requirement, but it was ultimately left to an LSA Curriculum Committee subcommittee. Regarding the subcommittee, UCAR member Tracye Matthews stated, “Essentially the power is in the same hands it always has been.”

See the Ann Arbor News coverage on this event from the Bentley Historical Library: U-M Faculty Back Required Course in Racism – October 9, 1990

2000 – On February 4, the The Students of Color Coalition (SCC) issued a set of 14-article demands. A key demand was that U-M sever all ties with Michigamua, a long-standing secret society on campus. The SCC led a protest against Michigamua, claiming the organization appropriated and used pseudo-Native American styles and names in a mocking fashion, calling members “braves” and non-members “palefaces.” The society also stored and used Native American artifacts to decorate its office in the Michigan Union. For 37 days, the SCC occupied Michigamua’s office in the Union, spreading greater awareness of Michigamua’s problematic history and racist practices. After the sit-in, Michigamua would leave the Union and the various Native American artifacts were given to the Native American community and Bentley Historical Library. The society would eventually change its name to the Order of Angell in 2006.

See the New York Times coverage from 2000 featuring the protest and sit-in: Michigan Students Protest Campus Club’s Indian Relics – The New York Times

2003 – The Supreme Court cases Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger both affirmed and altered the University’s affirmative action policy. While Gratz v. Bollinger struck down the points-based admission system that LSA used, Grutter v. Bollinger maintained that the University could still use race-based affirmative action, among multiple considerations, in admissions decisions.

2005 – The Arab American studies program is established. It is now known as the Arab and Muslim American Studies program, offers a minor, and is housed in the Department of American Culture. The program focuses on diverse local, national, and global events that have inspired Arab and Muslim immigration and displacement to the U.S. and shaped Arab and Muslim American engagements with racism and whiteness within different historical contexts. See: Arab and Muslim American Studies | U-M LSA

2006 – Michigan’s Proposal 2 passes. Proposal 2 bans the use of race or gender in the applications process and was upheld by the United States Supreme Court in April 2014. Since Proposal 2 passed, the Black student population has hovered around 4-5%, well short of its all-time high of 9% in 1994.

2013-2014 – In an effort to raise awareness of the experiences Black students have on campus, the Black Student Union (BSU) initiated a Twitter campaign, using the hashtag #BBUM (Being Black at the University of Michigan) in November 2013. The campaign garnered national attention and led to the BSU creating a list of demands that were similar to past BAM movements, including increasing the Black student enrollment to 10% of the student population and a new William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center on central campus. Continued activism led to the February 2014 Speak Out for Racial Justice event in which faculty, students, and staff gathered for a 12 hour event aimed to “politicize students and build coalitions.” Four years after the BSU demanded a new Trotter Multicultural Center, U-M broke ground on the site of the new location.

2017 – La Casa is founded at the University. What initially started as a networking event the same day as the 2016 presidential election would turn into the organization it is today. La Casa held its first mass meeting on January 24, 2017 and over 150 students, staff, and faculty members attended. Filling the need for a Latinx student organization on campus, La Casa “strives to unite, empower, and holistically support members of the Latinx community at the University of Michigan.” Spurred in part by Anti-Latinx graffiti on the University Rock in September 2017, La Casa issued a set of demands to University administration in February 2018, including an increase in Latinx faculty and senior administration hires, more Latinx-identified spaces on campus, additional funding for the Latina/o studies program, and the establishment of the Institute for Latinx Research, among others. Currently, La Casa coordinates the ALMA Welcome Program on campus.

See The Michigan Daily coverage from that time: Michigan Daily: Latino students send demands on representation to ‘U’ administrators – February 6, 2018
See The Michigan Daily coverage from that time: Michigan Daily: La Casa makes headway on demands, calls for further faculty representation – September 3, 2018

2020-2021 – Hate incidents targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) rose due to the association of COVID-19 with Asian people. In response to this increase, the AAPI Task Force was formed to better document and track incidents of AAPI hate, understand the impacts of these incidents on U-M’s AAPI community, and build community and offer support. The Task Force coordinates efforts among U-M faculty, staff and students.

The start of the 2020-2021 academic year saw the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) and Residential Staff go on strike. See GEO’s demands: GEO’S Demands for A Safe and Just Pandemic Response for All. Among Residential Staff, demands were for access to regular COVID-19 testing, sufficient personal protective equipment, and greater support and enforcement of health protocols in residential buildings. Listen to a resident advisor’s interview regarding the strike with NPR: New Normal: A University Of Michigan Resident Advisor On Strike: NPR. For GEO, calls were made to have greater transparency in U-M’s COVID-19 reopening plan and data, defund the Division of Public Safety and Security, and for the University to end its connection with the Ann Arbor Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Later, The Students of Color Liberation Front (SoC LF) released a document of anti-racist demands to the University administration, including greater support for racial justice organizations’ leadership, decolonizing the University’s pedagogies and campus, minimizing policing on campus, and implementing academic curriculum that supports the success of students of color. Click here to see the full document from the SoC LF.

Anti-Racist Initiatives at U-M

Context

Racial health disparities found in COVID-19 data and ongoing police brutality against Black people, including the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 were the catalysts for a summer of nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism. These protests led to continued, and in some instances renewed, conversations about race and racism in the United States. As the summer progressed, higher education institutions issued statements regarding anti-racism efforts and initiatives that would be implemented on campuses in the coming year. In addition to these statements, institutions across the country either observed or recognized Juneteenth for the first time.

At the University of Michigan, leaders across campus issued statements in response to George Floyd’s murder, decrying continued police brutality against Black people and calling for action. Read LSA Dean Anne Curzan’s message. Although the University had launched a 5-year DEI strategic plan in 2016, anti-racism specific efforts and initiatives began in earnest in 2020. Announced in October 2020, the University’s anti-racism initiatives included:

Creating a task force on policing and public safety for the Ann Arbor campus.
Hiring at least 20 new full-time faculty members in the next three years with scholarly expertise in racial inequality and structural racism.
Expanding resources and infrastructures to support new and current UM scholars working in the area of anti-racism.
Re-evaluating race and ethnicity curriculum requirements across the university’s 19 schools and colleges.
Strengthening faculty and staff professional development opportunities related to anti-racism.
Incorporating ways to address structural racism in the university’s Democracy and Debate Theme Semester.
Creating a task force to develop a community-engaged process for diversifying the names considered for campus spaces, facilities, and streets.

Read the full announcement on the University’s anti-racism initiatives.

Current Events

There are a number of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism events taking place each month on and off campus. The following events calendars are worth exploring:

LSA Events Calendar

CRLT Events Calendar

DEI and Anti-Racism Events Calendar

Sources

The following sources were used for the information found on this page: