Feeds. Cspan, created by americas Cable Service companies. Brought you today by your television provider. Modern university is the cradle of the nations future. music today, it not only preserves but transmits knowledge and values, it serves modern more as the center of research and innovation. It has been called the chief energizing and Creative Force in our entire social system. music the modern university is the cradle of the nations the university, now has become a means of production. Whereby one guy does a little bit, for the cia, it and this university is now a production for using that mechanisms of human oppression. 50 of the Research Done at this university was to collect money. We can see when we look at the buildings going, up there is an engineering building, a Business School a law school and a school of international relations, and we can tell how much this university is into servicing the corporation, and servicing the war machine. It is a directive for lockheed hair craft, a council for general dynamics, we have 11 companies. And a junior pop or junior partner, for the undersecretary of the feds, for the fence analysis. An organization that is involved with institutional expansion. And if you wonder how it was that columbia, acquired the land for the gymnasium a 400 year lease. The renewable every five years after the first 400 years had an incredibly low, all you have to do is look at who the trustees are benjamin button, one of the trustees of that corporation. Brown, he is also on the building corporation, one of the directors on the board of chairman of the board of the columbia broadcasting system. For 2 successive sessions of the same legislature, colombias ruling elite made journeys to albany, new york, to convince legislators that this is indeed a wonderful thing for the Morningside Heights community, that columbia should put this gymnasium there. I dont think that a gym nine stories high with facilities for black people in the basement with a backdoor, is something that black people want. There has never been any dispute as to the position of this community on the placing of a gymnasium by a private institution in a public park. I dont trust anybody in the Administrative Network of Columbia University. Because they have lied, they have contradicted themselves. We were written a letter saying, we have stopped at the gym. In the next day, the board of trustees says, we have stuck to the gymnasium temporarily. This is a big problem, this country is going down on violence. As our house goes up, our house must come down. , whether they like it or not. On april 23, we told the administration that we planned to demonstrate inside the library, to protest columbias affinity with the institute of defense analysis, its a racism with building the gym in morningside park, and its attempted. Oppression of the left about 500 people joined us. We were opposed by about 200 jocks. Not only were they blocking their our way, the library was locked by the administration. They thought it would stop us, the pigs called in reinforcements. We were weak down the park, the costs are coming pretty quickly. We would take a leave, 300 people would come back and take over. It was just the perfect thing after. That. The point we are really moving faster than we knew how to deal. With tremendous morale. Almost in spite of stuff. It was something that we really wanted to do, but we werent sure that we were ready to do. That is coercion. Wealth, your view is coercion comewell, your view is coercion. Youre assuming that if you go through whatever channels you are going through, he will, right. Some of these things have gone on for weeks. At that point, without him, he was our trump card. But we didnt know that the real thing about the black white split, was that the two groups realize that we had two different political identities. The blacks wanted to stop the gym and they thought the we did not want to confront other students come into class. The white people thought that we should confront our enemies, the administration. We did not realize that what we really had to do was show our moral strength and hold a building. The blacks thought that we had split among ourselves, that we were not disciplined and that we really did not understand what the correct militant tactic was. So they asked us to leave. They told us to block the exit. We left and took the library. And the seat of the administration. In two days we have taken five buildings. We have the administration thinking right. We want to be here. We barricaded at the basement and the police were trying to come through. They flooded the whole basement. That was one of their tactics, the police were very angry about that. They still in charge the building. They were pretending that they did not try to come through the tunnels, to the basement of the building. But they were trying to take the building by surprise, quietly, that kind of thing. Im sure they werent that worried about a handful of black students at Columbia University. They couldnt get through. [drumming] they did not have they running experiments in the school against their children and their family. We have people from the far right to the far left, even independent black militants. These black high school kids, they stuck out under the tps. We walked up the avenue in columbia and we were talking about burning the place down. We came with baseball bats and hockey sticks and when we got through columbia, we broke through the police lines. [applause] here was a Statement Released by the students from inside. I will read the statements. Number one, stop in the construction of the gym. Number two, stopping charges against all persons involved in the demonstrations against the gym. [applause] number three, breaking all administrative ties with ida. Number four, for all the students involved, when the university has granted amnesty and stop construction of the gym, we will consider negotiations with the university. We are prepared to remain indefinitely until these conditions are met. Black students of Columbia University joined by a few members of the community, we have established a cafeteria with adequate food. Our position is in charge of our requirements. Morality is high. [applause] over 200 went into the library, only 23 stayed. But as the days wore on, we realized our strength is in our militancy and paying in the buildings. We took example of the blacks to move us. We saw a bunch of papers linking columbia to the ida, a whole bunch of stuff, a lot of letters about cleaning up and cleaning up the blacks in the fourth region. The first day, we set up the Defense Committee which would take care setting up the barricades. We decided what our policy would be towards the police and the jocks. We taped the windows, empty bookcases and put them up and for the windows in case tear gas canisters got through. Whenever there would be a scratch, we decided the barricades were necessary politically and strategically. We decided they were necessary politically. Security is a problem, letting people in and out of the buildings. We need people to watch the windows every night. We had a walkietalkie set up. And there were Telephone Communications in every building, i know people who did nothing in the strike but they worked the machine. Five students with a menu graph machine can do more harm than a strike. Every building had their own mode of communication. music one of the things that happened was that each new group of people that came into the building, each new days recruitment into the building would become political. Would understand the communicty, what was going on. We would meet approximately eight hours a day. A lot of it was political agitation, a lot of it was just bull. A lot of it was learning about what we would eat that day. I was representing the student body, but he was a Student Committee of various people. We are trying to now come bats and say that no amnesty would be granted to students under any circumstances. The question for amnesty is a political question, our legitimacy to protest has to be recognized before we can negotiate. There seems to be a lot more dignity among the students now because they feel that they have a right to say that things are saying. That is why i think the amnesty issue has been raised and a reraised 70 times here. We have had to reassure ourselves by issuing votes of confidence every 30 minutes. Because people are not sure whether they are supposed to be guilty for what they are involved in, and the whole issue of demanding amnesty first is to show that we have rights, and until we get those rights, we have to act in a coercive way. The hangups that are usually present in any collective organizing were not there. I would think about my one roommate come up with a think about the 100 people in this room, and the idea of her and sleeping became so insignificant. And we never really got too much sleep. People always yelling and waking us up. But we did not care much, we slept on the floor. There was a group of people who were incredibly close to each other, on no other level than struggle. We are getting committee support, getting food and money. But there were also getting opposition from the faculty and from rightwing student. Every now and then, they would try to take the food out, take the record players out, radios, everything they were trying to act like the university at administration. They are not going to say anything, that is all. No comment. [chanting] get out of the way. There is nothing else to say. That food is going up. These people have been eating, they havent. Of course they have. They dont have any left. They dont have any food [protesting] dont need to have any you dont need to have any. Pass it out pass it up pass it up [cheers and applause] pass it up. Stop it the position of the professors was one of being the police. They had to take sides. Either they were for taking food in, or not taking food in, either not on our side they never understood the nature of the demands, when we were struggling. The faculty was in some way just as naive as the officials were. The only alternative they could see was the maintenance of the system. They could not be beyond the occupation of the building as it the creation of something better. For an entire week, there was a total collective feeling. No one particularly cared about the individuals feelings. We lived in the most collective experience. If you talk to anyone outside they would realize theres something there theyve never seen before. Law it was another new experiences for many people there, set up an electric awakening. It was important to share everything. We shared oranges, a coke. We did not want anybody eating all the themselves or going hungry we shared a coke, bread. We did not want anybody going hungry. They are living here. We were living here between meetings, and it is hard. It is a home. I have never been so comfortable on this campus. music [drumming] [cheers and applause] music as the spirit was so high tonight, we decided it would be entirely appropriate to be married. [laughter] [applause] it was such that fairweather was not only holy ground, but was our home. [applause] and we therefore chose to be married at home with our comrades. [applause] i andrea, stacy richards. I andrea, stacy, richards. I now pronounce that andrea and richard, are children of the new age. [applause] [fire ants] sirens] if 9th if off the university claims are you are trespassing and has contacted the new York Police Department in connection with your activities. The department will take all the necessary action against you. Your order to remove yourself from the premises and it is separate and apart from any question of amnesty. You will be subject to proper disciplinary action by the university in any event, if you leave the building you will have less to answer for than those who do not leave the building. [protesting] they managed to push them all together. They were all sitting on the floor and they pushed them together and got them so they could hardly move. They had something in their hands. So many people, and they just rushed. They came right past us. Get back stop. Move away from the door theres a doctor at the door these guys are animals. They attacked us from behind. Along the staircase there was a solid line of police. People in front of me were dragged down, each individual cop standing on the line put his licks in and they were laughing. I will never forget it. There seems to have been orders, as so often it is doing demonstrations. I was running and i asked the officer, can i please go back . And he whacked me in the face i was hit with a club on the head and i was honest in the nose. I found a student who was dazed, bleeding profusely from the forehead. They refused to let me pass. I said, this man is wounded, can you please help . They said, get out. Police had formed two lines that you had to run through, and he was fortunate that he wasnt kicked in the groin like most demonstrators. At the end of the line, he was hit with a blackjack at which point he was left unconscious. The next thing he remembers was that he was at the first aid station. [we want peace we have nothing against the cops we realize the problem we will admit we are guilty, we wish to be charged. The people will not realize this insanity i want to be arrested. [protesting] cops do not belong on campus. The students have already pulled away and now they are moving to another one. They got over 700 of us. On charges of you know some charges were real somewhere complete flake. For i know of nurses and doctors that pleaded with the police not to proceed, to please let them alone, and it would say no, no, get away, this is our job. They would not allow me to see a doctor. My face was cut, i was hit with a pistol under the eye and it was bleeding. They would not allow me to see a doctor until i got out of court 10 hours later. I was awarded a fellowship for next year. What does it mean . I dont see how any teacher or student could attend this school anymore. I was completely vocal about the whole thing. It radicalized everybody i was a nonviolent student. I was completely passive. I will occupy buildings tomorrow. According to six written affidavits, much looting and destruction occurred in mathematics between 7 00 a. M. And 2 00 p. M. During these hours the only people permitted inside were policeman, members of the press, and a small group of building staff. We went in for my camera that i left behind. I found a lot of exposed film and broken lenses. Who else could have done it but the cops . One of the trustees, the chairman of the board of a new york times, and one wonders why certain things were distorted in the times coverage. Things that appeared in the evening edition changed in the morning edition. I mean, take a look. What is this, a god dam police state . What is this . Double identification, please. Finals, study, get ahead. Work. Get ahead. Grades, finals, get ahead. Study. Get ahead. Get ahead. Get ahead. Get ahead. Police. Forward, march. Private property. Private property. No cops on campus we shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. We shall not be moved. Try, strike, strike. [shouting] we now demand, we no longer ask for a say in decisions that affect our lives. We call on all students, faculty, staff, and workers of the university to support our strike. We ask that all students and faculty not meet or have classes inside buildings. We have taken power away from an irresponsible administration. We have taken power away from a board of self perpetuating businessmen who call themselves trustees of the university. We now demand, we no built against the will of the people of the community of harlem. A decision was made unilaterally by powers of the University Without consultation of people whose lives it affects. We are no longer asking, but demanding an end to all affiliation and ties to this venture. We call on the university to study the kill and overkill that has resulted in the slaughter that has resulted in the deaths of the vietnemese and americans. They dont even understand the elements and the ingredients that show up in the west today. What they are able to do is accompany the world order. It is within the power of the police to maintain it. They no longer have the power. When you have understand the uniform, the badge, the course of violence of the billy club, napalm, and atomic bomb then you have understood absolutely the legacy of those like jason kirk who pretends to authority in our world. It is this generation coming toward fertility in new york, in oakland, in paris, in rome and londond which is about to shape the future. music music and i aint gonna be treated this away music she went up to a room music music please join on southfield again called trustee. We have a checkerboard. Decisions have been made at this university. Lets liberate classes. See how the university should be run, is going to be run, will continue to be run without the offices and power of the administration. The purpose of the new classes is to establish an open, a meaningful discourse. Classes are being held on lawns on campus and in apartments of faculty outside of campus. Students were saying three major things. First, they refused to be produced anymore into some kind of managerial class. Second, they were saying to the faculty that they could no longer accept the paternalistic role of teachers. They wanted dialogue between equal men. They said, in fact, we will no longer let you play some kind of big daddy to us. Third, they said the demands and actions had to be taken seriously, not dismissed with some kind of bull attitudes about idealism. Tonight, there is a new liberated area in this neighborhood. We are going to support the Community Members that have taken over the building. Presently there are 4050 representatives of political groups and clubs, organizations that have been fighting these columbia expansion policies for years. Students right now are the vanguards. But there are masses of people in new york around columbia. There seems to be a contradiction between support action and your own particular kind of oppression, which is what we talk about. What we came to see during the strike if you want to oppose columbia has closed our streets, open the parkland, and forced the removal of over 8000 people from their homes. Why is the Community Action committee primarily white, but the 8000 residence of the tenements that columbia has systematically displaced are primarily minority families . This is the deliberate creation of a white ghetto. We dont want to be arrested. Get in the wagon. You are free to leave. I dont want to be arrested. Go to Riverside Drive if you dont want to be arrested. We wanted to show solidarity and the six strike leaders tried to suspend tried to take hamilton again. Get out of this building. If this building is not cleared out in the next 10 minutes, we will give you specific instructions. A three vote majority decided to stay. Strike strike strike we have no alternative but to call the police. Any student arrested, you will be immediately suspended. [applause] a lot of the people left hamilton because they didnt want to get busted a second time. They are building barricades and fighting the cops. The crowd is surrounded by police. Quick strike strike strike strike strike strike [shouting] people realized at this time that it wasnt enough just to build up barricades. The charged them with bricks. Take one. All right. Give it to me again. Modern university is the cradle of the nations future. It has been called the chief energizing and Creative Force in our entire social system. music here we are at Columbia University, Morningside Heights. For the first time in the history of Columbia University, there will be two graduations in Morningside Heights. The one we are looking at now, the official ceremony presented by the trustees and attended by the faculty and administration, but almost the entire graduating class is expected to leave the ceremony, protest its legitimacy, and hold their own ceremony in repudiation of the trustees. music keep your eyes on the prize, oh lord. Theres one thing we do know, keep your eyes on the prize. Oh lord, know lord, keep your eyes on the prize, oh lord. music everybody sing. music oh lord, oh lord, keep your eyes on the prize, oh lord music in just a few more hours, this campus will be ours, keep your eyes on the prize, oh lord. Oh lord. Oh lord. Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on. My brothers give demands, we know that freedom rings, keep your eyes on the prize, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on music everybody sing. music oh lord, oh lord, keep your eyes on the prize, oh lord music in just a few more hours, this campus will be ours, keep your eyes on the prize, oh lord. Oh lord. Oh lord. Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on. My brothers give demands, we know that freedom rings, keep your eyes on the prize, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on music [sirens] wednesday night on American History tv, beginning at eight eastern, pulitzer prizewinning author ron chernow recalls life and leadership of Union General and 18th president ulysses a sprint. Watch American History tv wednesday night and over the weekend on cspan 3. Next on lectures and history, university of california san diego professor luis alvarez teaches a class about the factorth