STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

This Day in Black History: Jan. 14, 1969

Students take over Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota on Jan. 14, 1969.

On Jan. 14, 1969, Black students, boiling with frustration from neglect and discrimination by the university’s faculty and administration, took over Morrill Hall at the University of Minnesota.

Before the takeover, African-American students could not stay in university dormitories or join fraternities and sororities. Black students felt there were no incentives tailored for their experience. Fed up with being ignored, they formed the Afro-American Action Committee. The group, led by student John Wright, listed demands and presented them at a meeting with the university’s president and officials. The students issued a 24-hour deadline for action on the administration’s behalf.

When the deadline passed, seven students walked into Morrill Hall and refused to leave until changes were made. The siege lasted two days.

This event led to the forming of the institution’s Martin Luther King Program and Afro Studies Department, where Wright is now a professor.
BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.  

(Photo: Courtesy University of Minnesota)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.