50 years ago, sit-in led to changes at university

In 1968, Black students at the University of Washington held a sit-in to make the school better serve its minority students. It was a bold move at the time, but it led to major changes at the university, reports the Seattle Times. And 50 years later, young people across the country are using peaceful demonstrations to make politicians, school administrators and game changers listen. At UW at the time, then 20-year-old Emile Pitre told the Times he didn’t know if he would be arrested, kicked out of school or lose his fellowship. With the newly formed Black Student Union, Pitre and about 150 others knew they were taking a chance, as recently some 200 students were arrested and hundreds injured when they protested at Columbia University in New York. At UW, the Black Student Union wanted the university to agree to recruit Black professors, provide more tutoring and counseling, and expand its Black studies program. A four-hour standoff ensued, with about 75 police in riot gear waiting outside. But before the police were called inside the remove the protestors, UW President Charles Odegaard agreed to work for the changes the protestors were requesting. The Times reports that before the sit-in less than 1 percent of the school’s students were Black and there were only a few Black teachers. Within three years, Black enrollment went from about 220 to almost 900. Today, more than 13 percent of the school’s enrollment is made up of minority students.