The college campus is a place for activism

Ryan Ke

Section 1

Week 2

            Campus activism is widespread and prevalent today, but it was not always so. The article “Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the way for campus activism,” by Robby Cohen explains how the Berkeley free speech movement in the 1960s has made it possible for activism on today’s college campuses in America to exist. It all began when UC Berkeley administrators and officials banned various activities relating to political advocacy from their campus. Students, feeling that this was a violation of their rights, fought back through non-violent protest and eventually succeeded in protecting their free speech. This movement demonstrated the collective power of college students and opened the doors to campus activism.

            For me, this article was particularly interesting and relevant because of two main reasons. First, I had absolutely no idea that our right to free speech on our college campus did not always exist in the way it does now. It is shocking to me that something that I take for granted was a right that past students had to fight and struggle for, and it makes me appreciate and value that right more. Secondly, this article makes it clear the power of activism on college campuses. There were definitely times before where I dismissed campus activism, questioning the potential impact of just a few college students while viewing it as an almost hopeless cause. Learning about the profound effect of the Berkeley free speech movement makes me ask the question, how has campus activism since the Berkeley free speech movement made a tangible impact on the world? How can it continue to make a difference? 

This picture stood out to me because it shows the unity of students partaking in campus activism here on the UC Davis campus.