Activism
- 1969 straight hall takeover, Activism, Black Students United, BSU, Cornell, cornell afro-american society, cornell race protest, Ed Whitfield, News, On Campus, straight hall, student activist, Willard Straight Hall takeover
‘Expression of Defiance’: Ed Whitfield ’70 Reflects on His Participation in 1969 Straight Hall Takeover
It was the photo seen around the world — a group of Black anti-war activists walking down the steps of Willard Straight Hall, rifles in hand and demands met. Ed Whitfield ’70, leader of the Cornell Afro-American Society — which is now Cornell Black Students United — helped organize the 36-hour occupation of Willard Straight Hall to protest racial injustice and the Vietnam War in 1969. At the time, tensions at Cornell and across college campuses were at their peak as groups on campus conducted teach-ins, protests and other demonstrations to bring attention to what they saw as an unjust war and lack of racial equality on campus. In an…
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New Synthetic Turf Fieldhouse Raises Concerns From Local Environmental Activists
Cornell’s new synthetic turf field house has drawn concern from local environmental activists. They warn that turf with potentially harmful chemical substances perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl could cause long-term health and environmental risks. These “forever chemicals” commonly found in synthetic turf have the potential to cause cancer in humans and do not break down into the environment easily. The environmental effects of these chemicals have prompted activists to push for further reviews of this project. According to Yayoi Koizumi, founder of Zero Waste Ithaca, a local grassroots environmental advocacy group, there are important broader implications of this project. “The concerns surrounding this synthetic turf include environmental justice; toxicity for the student-athletes;…