Morrill Hall after African Amercian student leaders and their white allies occuppied the U's administration offices in 1969. Photograph courtesy of University Archives

If any single day could be considered a watershed moment in University of Minnesota history, it would be January 14, 1969. On that day, African American students and their white allies, frustrated with the glacial pace of change on the nearly all-white campus, occupied Morrill Hall, the U’s administration building.

Student leaders Rose Mary Freeman (B.A. ’70) (now Rose Freeman Massey) and Horace Huntley (B.A. ’70) presented a list of demands to then-president Malcolm Moos that included the establishment of an Afro American and African Studies Department and the hiring of African American faculty. After a full day of negotiations between the students, administrators, and community mediators, the occupation ended with the University agreeing to accelerate reform. Six months later, the Board of Regents approved a new Afro American and African Studies Department. The first classes were offered in 1970, and today the thriving department offers an undergraduate major and graduate minor.

Students who were part of the takeover will meet for the Morrill Hall Reunion and Summit April 21 and 22 at Coffman Memorial Union. The agenda will feature a panel discussion with former student leaders Freeman, Huntley, and Marie Braddock Williams, who are co-authoring Nerve Juice and the Ivory Tower, a forthcoming book about the takeover. The reunion will also include a campus tour, socializing, and

Students Rose Mary Freeman and Horace Huntley demanded the hiring of black faculty and other concessions. Photographs courtesy of University Archives

a roundtable discussion, “The Morrill Hall Takeover in Retrospect.”

Organizers say they have contemplated a reunion for a decade. “Finally we decided, ‘If not now, when, and if not us, who?’” says Williams. “We were the ones who opened doors for people of color at the U of M. Just thinking of our commitment to deal with the inequalities and injustices of institutional racism at the U was cause enough to recapture defining moments at the school, for blacks and the entire school.”

The reunion is a collaboration between the 1969 Morrill Hall Reunion Committee and the Coalition for the History of African American Contributions to the University of Minnesota, which is headed by David Taylor, former dean of the General College. Anyone who participated in the takeover or was on campus in 1969 is welcome to attend. For information about registration fees, contact Williams at 773-721-5611 or geministar1149@sbcglobal.net or Horace Huntley at 205-249-3207 or hhuntley@bellsouth.net.

—Cynthia Scott

A New Way to Zip around Campus

The University of Minnesota is one of 23 colleges in the United States to initiate a car-sharing program on its campus. The University is hosting six Zipcars on its Twin Cities campus, including the Honda Element SUV, Mazda 3 sedan, and Toyota Matrix wagon. Zipcar, Inc., is the nation’s largest provider of self-service cars for use by the hour or day. University students, staff, and faculty who pay a $30 membership fee receive a Zipcard key that unlocks any car they reserve. According to Zipcar, Inc., each of its shared cars replaces 7 to 10 privately owned vehicles and Zipcar members who no longer own a car report saving more than $435 a month.

Web Hit: Health Talk & You

University of Minnesota faculty members provide current, comprehensible information on dozens of health topics through “Health Talk & You,” a community outreach effort of the U’s Academic Health Center. Over the years, “Health Talk & You” has taken many forms, including a television program, newspaper columns, an e-newsletter, podcasts, and a Web site: www.healthtalk.umn.edu. The site features a biweekly column by a University health expert, such as a recent column by associate professor of nursing Christine Mueller on the factors to consider when choosing a nursing home for a loved one, and lists links to past columns. Topics include the latest on smoking cessation, bariatric surgery, reducing risk of cancer, summer safety for kids, acne, sleep disorders, men’s and women’s health, and more. (The columns are for general health education purposes only, not intended to replace an examination by a health care professional.) The site also posts the latest U health news and a link to current clinical trials.