This story was produced in 2019 by University Communications and University Marketing in partnership with the Black Cultural Center and The Black Voice,
a student-run publication. Special thanks to Assistant Director of Cultural Programming Karla Foster and BCC Program Coordinator Lauren Adams for their enthusiasm, wisdom and assistance throughout this effort.
With the help of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, we solicited memories from students who were on campus in 1969. We received a strong response from alumni all over the world and are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their recollections.
Interviews were conducted by student journalists Fatoumata Ceesay, Shiloah Coley, Trinity Cross, Chelsea Hylton, Nile Lansana, Alexandria Millet, Summer Mitchell, Enjoyiana Nururdin, Kingsley Pissang and Breanna Taylor and by University Communications staff writer Doug Erickson.
Transcripts and audio recordings will be shared with University Archives for its permanent
collection.
View videos of the journalists discussing what they learned: Shiloah Coley – video one, Shiloah Coley – video two, Chelsea Hylton, and Nile Lansana.
Newspaper sources included the Wisconsin State Journal, the Milwaukee Journal, the Milwaukee Sentinel and the Daily Cardinal.
John Wolf ’71, who was a graduate student at the time of the strike, provided several of his never-before-published photos. University Communications staff photographer Bryce Richter made portraits of several participants. The photos in the timeline depict scenes from the Black Student Strike in general, not necessarily an event on that day.
Cat Phan and Troy Reeves at UW Archives, Tanika Apaloo and Paul Hedges at the Wisconsin Historical Society and Dennis McCormick at the Wisconsin State Journal provided great help locating and identifying archival materials.
Editors: Bill Graf, Mike Klein, Meredith McGlone
Web design and production: Linda Kietzer, Joyce Johnston, Libby Peterek, Julie Schroeder
Ten UW–Madison student journalists conducted a majority of the interviews for the oral history of the Black Student Strike of 1969. Back row from left, Breanna Taylor, Shiloah Coley, Enjoyiana Nururdin; front row from left, Alexandria Millet, Summer Mitchell, Nile Lansana, Chelsea Hylton. Not pictured: Fatoumata Ceesay, Trinity Cross, Kingsley Pissang. Photo by Andy Manis