Institute of Black Culture

Alachua County has a dark history with segregation and the treatment of African Americans. Lincoln High School in Alachua county was one of the last schools in Florida to desegregate. Pickets and protests had fallen on deaf ears as many student-run social justice organizations at UF urged Gainesville businesses to desegregate. This institute is an important piece of Gainesville’s history as UF had only begun admitting students of color just a few decades prior to the events on “Black Tuesday”. Like many minority students on campus, the UF Black Student Union aimed to carve out a place for themselves among their peers in an environment that was unwelcoming, and at times hostile, to obtain a higher education. The dedication of this location to the Black students of UF represents the state of race relations in the 1970s in the deep south and the University’s commitment to repairing its relationship with its Black students after “Black Thursday”.

Though UF had been desegregated in 1957, Black students only made up a total of 353 students out of the 20,000 student body in 1971. Students expressed their frustrations as they felt excluded from “meaningful social and cultural endeavors on campus”, and compiled a list of six demands which they presented to UF President Steven O'Connell:

1.    Commitment on behalf of the university to admit 500 Black students out of quota of 2800 freshmen and the continuance of the critical year freshman program

2.    Establishment of a department of minority affairs under the direction of Roy Mitchell who would serve as Vice President.

3.    Hiring of a Black administer in academic affairs with the advice and recommendation of the Department of Minority Affairs to coordinate the recruitment of Black faculty.

4.    Hiring of a Black assistant manager in personnel

5.    Hiring of Black staff in ratio to the number of Black students per demand number 1.

6.    The fair and equal treatment of Black brothers and sisters employed by UF.

“Thus far even though we have pleaded begged and worked diligently with the administration our cries have been ignored. This university has consistently denied us these basic needs and we deem necessary. We are the voice of the Black student, the Black worker, and the entire Black community. And for our full participation as students, employees, and citizens of this state, these needs must be met.”

After 18 months of emphasizing the lack of resources and Black faculty available to guide Black students, the conflict came to a head on April 27, 1971, which was later deemed "Black Thursday". Seventy Black students occupied the President's office in protest and were given three minutes to leave the premises or face suspension. The students refused and were not only suspended but escorted by campus police. Sixty-seven students were then transported by bus to the Alachua County jail where they were processed and charged with trespassing. Outraged by the treatment of their Black peers, hundreds of UF students gathered at a rally held at the Plaza of the Americas located in the center of campus. Student body president Steve Uhfelder delivered a powerful message to the crowd, stating “It’s about time we start to realize that the problems of this campus are not being solved by the existing power structure and the reason stems from President O’Connell”

At 3PM that afternoon, hundreds of students stood outside of Tigert hall calling for O'Connell's resignation and demanding the students be released from police custody. Students could be heard chanting “O’Connell’s got to go” outside of the president’s office. Steve Uhfelder attempted to negotiate with the president but returned to the angry crowd outside stating that O’Connell would not speak to them and would instead suspend them all if they did not disperse. O’Connell eventually emerged and delivered the threat to the students outside Tigert Hall, stating he spoke with the judge about the release of the Black students but may reconsider after the day’s events.

Many students rallied around the buses which transported their peers, even letting the air out of the tires. Students were pushed back, and tear gas was indiscriminately thrown into the crowd. This ultimately led to nine more students being arrested and two officers being injured. Later in the evening on “Black Thursday”, students met on campus and marched to O’Connell’s home, and occupied his lawn. Seventy-nine Black students and 10 white students were arrested and the O’Connell family left their home by police escort.

O’Connell and his VP for academic affairs, Harry Sisler held a press conference on WUFT-TV. They attempted to defend their actions by stating that they’d met some of the demands presented by the Black students back in the summer. Sisler cited the hiring of Dean Cole as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and the pending “Upward Bound” program which encouraged disadvantaged high school students to attend college. The University’s efforts, though helpful did not address the needs of current students on the campus who needed resources to better their academic experience. The efforts came off as an attempt to appease the students instead of addressing systemic issues within the university which put its Black students at a disadvantage. This response from the university mirrored the state of race relations in Gainesville after just over a decade of desegregation.

Less than a year later, the IBC was officially dedicated to Black students and the Black Student Union and symbolized the university's commitment to understanding and addressing the needs of its Black students.

Since its inception, the IBC has provided academic and cultural support for incoming Black students. The IBC offers its PAACT program which is a retreat for first-year Black students to educate them on the resources available to them as they progress in their academic careers at UF. The IBC also hosts its annual Black Student Leadership Conference and its “For the Culture Tour” in which they celebrate Black history and give students the opportunity to visit historic sites in different cities across the US. Prominent speakers have also been invited by the IBC to the UF campus, including civil rights activists Angela Davis and Dr. Maya Angelou. Davis gave a speech at the University on October 18th, 1973, and spoke of her experience as a Black activist. This speech was particularly impactful for Black students at UF who had taken great risks to make their grievances heard and carve out a place for themselves in a space that historically did not include them. This location continues to be a symbol of social justice on the UF campus and has built upon its legacy of equality and civil rights. Most notably, the IBC has participated in protests for the Black Lives Matter movement and has had the creators of the movement as guests at the university to discuss Black issues and actionable steps that can be taken to promote equity and justice. The institution is open to all UF students who want to immerse themselves in Black culture and learn more about the community, creating strong ties for Black students and those who want to be good allies.

“Alternative UF: The Alternative Press.” Alternative UF: The 1971 Sit-In for Campus Civil Rights - UF Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries, 28 Feb. 2021, web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/exhibits/altufrights.htm.

This source is an exhibit at the University of Florida that outlines student involvement in the civil rights movement. Students had been heavily involved in demonstrations on campus and in the Gainesville area, urging local businesses to desegregate. Though UF desegregated in 1958, only 353 Black students attended UF and Black representation within the faculty was even smaller. The exhibit also outlines the events of “Black Thursday”, a day-long string of protests aimed at President O’Connell and UF calling for more support and representation for Black students. The day’s events lead to close to 100 arrests and suspensions. This source gives great insights into the racial climate in the Gainesville area at the time of the protests and provides photos from the “Black Thursday” protests.

Davis, Angela. “Angela Davis Speech: An Address at the University of Florida Sponsored by Accent 1974 and the Institute of Black Culture.” University of Florida: Accent Speakers Bureau, 18 Oct. 1973.

This source is an MP3 recording of a speech given by Angela Davis, a prominent civil rights activist, at the University of Florida on October 18, 1973. She was invited to speak by the UF Accent Speakers Bureau and the Institute of Black Culture just two years after the protests and the official establishment of the IBC. Davis begins her speech by sharing her experience as a Black activist, which resonates with the Black student body at UF. This source is a good supplement to my research as it shows the historical impact and legacy of the IBC as it pertains to Black students. I can follow up on this information by researching other prominent speakers who have been invited to the campus by the IBC.

“Institute of Black Culture.” The Institutes, University of Florida, 27 Sept. 2019, institutes.multicultural.ufl.edu/the-ibc/.

This source outlines the mission of the IBC and its place on the UF campus. The focus for the IBC is to create, sustain, promote and affirm Black scholarship, culture, history, and leadership. The source includes information on events and projects organized by the IBC to meet this objective. One of these is the Leadership Development Institute which promotes innovation and allows first-year Black students the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills. This source also includes how the IBC has provided educational, social, and cultural programming to Black students and how it has built on its founding legacy of social justice.

Rogers, Ibram H. The Black Campus Movement: Black Students and the Racial Reconstitution of Higher Education, 1965-1972. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

This source outlines the series of events leading to mass suspensions and arrests on campus. The Source also provides photos from “Black Thursday” along with the detailed list of demands the Black students on campus presented to President O’Connell. The accomplishments of the Black Student Union at UF are mentioned in this source as well as influential faculty and students who have contributed to the long-standing legacy of the IBC and Black Student Union at UF.

Sachs, Ron, and Ken McKinnon. “Disturbance Flares on Campus.” The Florida Alligator, 16 Apr. 1971, pp. 1–4, ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00028291/03318/1j.

This source is an original newspaper article written the day after “Black Thursday” when hundreds of Black UF students staged a sit-in protesting racial inequality at the university. The article gives a timeline of the series of events that resulted in 67 students being arrested. Aside from the title, the article is generally neutral in tone and lacks any apparent bias. The author of the article was a UF student at the time of the incident and photos included in the piece suggest the author was present at the time of the protest. This is an excellent primary source for the events which lead to the establishment of the Institute of Black Culture.

Additional Sources:

Initiatives and Events.” Black Affairs, 5 Apr. 2021, Blackaffairs.multicultural.ufl.edu/initiatives-and-events/.

Rodriguez, Nicole. “UF Accent Speakers Bureau, BSU and PSU Host the Founders of #BlackLivesMatter.” The Independent Florida Alligator, 17 June 2020, www.alligator.org/article/2020/06/uf-accent-speakers-bureau-bsu-and-psu-host-the-founders-of-Blacklivesmatter.