Black Student Association: Taking Great Risk

The EMU Black Student Association (BSA) took over Pierce Hall, the main administrative building on campus, in February, 1969 in an effort to raise awareness of the eleven demands made by Black activists to EMU President Harold Sponberg. The BSA demanded more Black representation in faculty, student body, administration and programming, and after months of quietly and not-so-quietly demonstrating against a non-responsive university administration, the BSA student activists took their message to the campus at large. Igniting a tumultuous era of protest on EMU’s campus, the BSA was ultimately the most successful non-violent activism taking place due to the conscious, continuous mentoring of new members who were able to further the BSA mission after the graduation and departure of older members.  

EMU Historic Preservation graduate student Rachel Burns completed the project design and background research, taking the lead in interviews. Fellow Historic Preservation graduate student Matt Jones assisted in the interviews and transcription.