Further Actions

The Second Takeover

By February of 1972, CBS was frustrated by the slow process of creating the Black Library, as well as the inaction their other demands.To combat this, CBS members and Professor Virginius Thornton took over the Twentieth Century Room at 10 pm on Thursday, February 17th. Using the library’s printed bibliographies for “Afro-American and African Studies” books, students went around the library and moved books of interest from their usual locations to the Twentieth Century Room, and removed the existing volumes in the room.

The demonstration ended when Dean Wally Walker arrived. He informed the students that this action violated “federal laws which forces immediate termination of U.S. Office of Education grants and National Defense Loans to students involved in ‘the seizure of property under the control of an institution of higher education to require or prevent the the availability of certain curriculum or to prevent the faculty, administrative officials or students of such institution from engaging in their duties or pursuing their studies at such institution” (Scarlet & Black 2/18/1972). Walker told students they must leave in 5 minutes. The students stayed for another 4 minutes and 30 seconds before leaving.

Circulation Demonstration

This did not deter CBS from further demonstrations. Later that same month, CBS students staged a more subtle demonstration in library. Between the hours of 10 and 11 pm on February 29th, 1972, around 40 students checked out over 800 books relevant to Black studies. Librarian Henry Alden reported to Dean Wally Walker that the students did not violate any library rules in this demonstration, but did keep the library unusually busy.

Subsequent CBS Activism

CBS continued to advocate for social justice on campus in the following decades as conditions outlined in the Black Manifesto failed to be addressed. In 1977, Six years after the Burling Library Takeover, CBS revealed its plans to address racial issues that were still unresolved. The STOPIT (Students and Teachers Opposed to Practices Intolerable and Timid) Campaign aimed to alleviate the concerning lack of non-white faculty, students and studies at Grinnell College. In response to a 1995 racist editorial in the Scarlet & Black and the use of racial slurs on KDIC and at basketball game, CBS members demonstrated by wearing all black, taping their mouths shut and standing in the back of their morning classes. In response to this demonstration, the college established a new Africana studies concentration.

Status of other Black Manifesto Demands

Black Studies Major

In accordance with the Black Manifesto demands, the college establishes an interdisciplinary major in Black Studies in 1972. It was a 36-credit major and included courses in anthropology, economics, English, history, music, political science, and sociology. However, this major suffered from lack faculty and student interest. At the time, just 10 students graduated with majors in black studies from 1972 to 1979. Charles Davis, Chairman of the Black Studies Program, stated that he was “handling the load alone” as few Black professors were hired (Scarlet & Black: March 4, 1977 “The black Grinnell Experience”). By 1979, the major is discontinued and replaced with “Afro-American studies interdisciplinary concentration” (Scarlet & Black: May 11th, 1979. “The ‘F’ is back”).
In response to CBS’s 1995 Silent Protest, a new Africana Studies concentration is created. However, much like its predecessors, there was a lack of student interest in the program. By 2005, the concentration faculty decided to dissolve the concentration. As of 2023, Grinnell College launched a new department of African Diaspora Studies.

Black Enrollment

After the Takeover, Grinnell’s faculty created Admission Board for Black Students. The Board was to consist of “Black Admissions Counselor, Chairman”, two Black faculty or staff members who were approved by CBS and other campus groups, and the Dean of Student Financial Aid. One member of the Black Admissions Board was Maurice “Mo” Hunt, who was a beloved coach and Admissions Counselor. He wanted to increase the Black student population from the 5% in 1973 “to at least 10%” (S&B April 6th, 1973 page 8), but he would not see this achieved. On January 16th, 1976, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a letter deeming the board “unacceptable” and Grinnell faculty moves to dissolve it. The population of Black students at Grinnell College fluctuated wildly in the following decades, reaching a low of 35 Black students in 1998. In 2014, 43 years after CBS demanded that Grinnell College enrolls “no less than 200” Black students, Grinnell College enrolls 100 Black students for the first time in its history.