Black Students United
- 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…
- black food, Black History Month, Black Students United, Cornell, Cornell Black Students United, Cornell Dining, dishes of the African diaspora, food, heritage, News, On Campus, Trump Executive orders
BSU and Cornell Dining Collaborate to Celebrate Black History Month
Amid President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders aiming to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Cornellians are finding ways to commemorate their diverse student body. In celebration of Black History Month, Black Students United and Cornell Dining have partnered to bring a variety of traditional African dishes to dining halls throughout the month. Nearly all dining halls have been designated a specific day and country to showcase dishes representing the culinary classics of that nation. So far, dining halls have given students a taste of five different cuisines, ranging from Sierra Leone to Somalia. BSU Co-President Cameron Smith ’26, played a central role in organizing the collaboration and recognizing the…