Week 7- Jesse Huang

Jesse Huang Section 001

In “Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the Way for Campus Activism,” by Robbie Cohen, the idea of free speech and resisting against movement oppression are the central themes being explored. UC Berkeley has a known reputation of possessing a vocal and activist oriented community within California. Many protests and student activism has taken place on their campus with varying degrees of successes. However, in order to examine how this university came to possess such a vigorous and active community, it is necessary to go back in time and observe the seeding and growth of UC Berkeley and political activism. Students of Berkeley were once subjected to the consequences of McCarthyism and were labeled as the silent generation. However, an uprising called FSM, or the Free Speech Movement, allowed those students to break the bonds of silence and would transform UC Berkeley into a campus of vocalization and activism. The Free Speech Movement inspired and invigorated students of take action against the unjust and retaliate with determination. It also propagated many other universities to adopt their FSM model and demonstrate protesting and activism were the moral and political rights of students. A powerful demonstration such as the student sit-in was the cornerstone and foundation to promoting peaceful protest and dispelling any misconceptions about violent dissident activities. Recalling the UC Davis Pepper Spray incident, the amount of protestors could not even hold a candle to the thousands present at the UC Berkeley sit-ins, however the power and message sent by those present at the incident was plenty and numbers did not diminish any of the voices of the students. Exercising political freedom and the right to protest is appropriate and healthy method to voicing opinions and seeking action against the wrong. Without these powerful tools, the government or the elite administration would be allowed to carelessly run over the majority and neglect the wellbeing of the population. The UC Berkeley cases were but a stepping stone for the promotion of student activism and encouraging students to mobilize against the political injustice that threatens the livelihood of the people.

Question: Why is student activism seen to be a radical act by the general public and how can this issue be reprimanded?

Cohen, R. (1985). Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the Way for Campus Activism. OAH Magazine of History. Retrieved November 05, 2017.

“Free Speech Movement Archives The only FSM website created & maintained by FSM vetssource of original FSM documents and scholarship.” Free Speech Movement Archives, www.fsm-a.org/.