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• 1 2016-12-01T15:41:04-08:00 1969-1970 14 plain 350852 2016-12-07T15:49:53-08:00             In 1969-1970, Occidental College was a socially and politically charged campus. One major social issue at the time was the war. Students vehemently opposed the Vietnam War, and they expressed their dissent in the form of protests both on and off campus. In October, students participated in the Moratorium to End the Vietnam War along with many other colleges. Students expressed their opposition to the draft and recruitment into the armed forces; forty four students stormed the Placement Office to prevent Navy recruiters from meeting with students (Oxy Weekly). While the Vietnam War was one of the major political issues that ignited strong student reaction during this time, students were also concerned with creating a more inclusive campus that welcomed ethnic and economic diversity. The 1969-1970 course catalogue reflects Oxy’s attempt to incorporate classes that focus ethnic differences in various fields such as urban studies, art and education. Specific to black culture at Occidental at the time, one particular course that was offered was “The Black Man in America” described as “The role of the Black Man in the development of the United States from his African American backgrounds to the Black Revolution of today. Special Emphasis will be placed upon understanding contemporary problems in relation to the past”. Other classes such as “ethnic communities in the metropolis” and “comparative ethnic art” also shows the importance of education involving minority groups. Oxy Weekly publications and La Encina highlighted the importance of the Upward Bound program. Established in 1966, this program consisted of 95 black, chicano and “oriental” low income high school students participating in a six week summer program with students and faculty. While the program was criticized for being “too black oriented”, director Steve Holeman, admitted “I don’t feel that Oxy has internally accepted UB students as a part of the college” (Oxy Weekly Oct. 2). Thus, despite efforts to create an inclusive campus, racial tension continued to persist at Occidental.
              In addition to the investment in the Upward Bound Program and other community service oriented interactions with the black community (see Saturday Club), students participated in a milieu of events that celebrated black arts. Oxy students were engaged with black entertainment and culture on and off campus. Frequently, the campus supported performances by black artists; this included musical productions like “Jazz-service” and the Black Quartet, to theatrical performances of Black Orpheus. Intellectually, students were challenged by academic discourse delving into the state of black art through professor discussions and poetry readings. Off campus opportunities to engage in the LA black arts scene were also advertised in Oxy newspaper. Events such as John Outterbridge’s solo exhibition at the Brockman gallery, dance performances by the Alvin Ailey dance troupe as well as Bill Cosby’s comedy show were featured. At the end of the semester, all of these productions culminated in Black Arts Week. This was a three day long program on campus that focused on black film, photography, poetry, music and theater. Altogether, Oxy’s climate in the 1969-1970 academic year was highly politically and socially charged, yet making strides to provide an inclusive and educational atmosphere for the minority groups.