Week 7: Noelani Pastor

Noelani Pastor
Section A01
Week 7

In "Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the way for student activism" by Robby Cohen, the article goes in depth about a student led campus rebellion that started in the fall of 1964. This all started when university officials told students they couldn't raise money or distribute literature on campus for the civil rights movement or any other off-campus political cause. This prompted the students to fight back and fight for what they believed in which was the start of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement. After students denied the officials directions, they decided to continue with they actions because they felt as if it was an attempt to undermine the growing involvement of students in the civil right movement. On the first of October, UC Berkeley's dean headed over with campus police and had the intention to evict a student who was in charge of one of the tables that were set up. When they began to arrest him, the other students sat around the police car so that it couldn't leave and they began chanting "Take us all!" repeatedly. After thanksgiving break, the free speech movement leaders all received letters from administration charging them with violating university regulations and ordering them to appear before a campus disciplinary committee. On the second day of December, the students held another sit-in which lasted two days. In the end, on December 8th, the Academic Senate declared that "the content of speech or advocacy should not be restricted by the university." The students celebrated their victory and were happy that their actions made a difference. While reading this article, I was very intrigued. It was interesting to hear about what these students have gone through to achieve their goal of getting free speech. They've been through a lot but in the end it was definitely worth it. This movement has changed the way of UC Berkeley and it probably has inspired other university students around the world and showing them that it doesn't hurt to try and speak up for what they believe in. 

Question: Did this particular movement prompt any other students from different universities to start their own movements or protests?

References:

1) Cohen, R. (1985, April). Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the way for student activism. Organization of American Historians, 1(1), 16-18.

2) Klein, R. W. (n.d.). [Mario Savio, leader of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, speaks to assembled students on the campus at the University of California, Berkeley, on Dec. 7, 1964.]. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2014/10/05/353849567/when-political-speech-was-banned-at-berkeley