1996 Ethnic Studies Demonstrations

Hamilton Hall during the strike

In 1996, several students barricaded Hamilton Hall and went on a hunger strike to demand the creation of an Ethnic Studies department.

Timeline

April 1, 1996 - April 15, 1996

People

Began with 4 strikers, although the Chronicle cites 3 strikers.

1. Marcel A. Agueros, a senior majoring in astronomy
2. Michael Maldonaldo, a Columbia College senior;
3. Heather Starr, a senior at Barnard College;
4. Joaguin Ochoa, a graduate student at Columbia Teachers College

6 Negotiators:

1. Othniel Harris, Sophomore
2.  ?

Organizers: Jane Sung E Bai

Protesters: Estimated at 125 by the Chronicle

Fallout

In 1999, three years after the protest, the administration created the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race in partial fulfilment of the strikers' demands. The center coordinates several vaguely ethnic studies-ish majors, and is located in Hamilton.

The protest also inspired the 2007 hunger strike, and the 1996 strikers formally came out in support of the 2007 strikers' demands.

References

• Article from the New York Times
• Article from 2007 Spectator, on the reaction by alumni of the 1996 Hunger Strike to the 2007 hunger strike
• Summary of Statements by the 1996 Hunger Strikers with detailed timeline
• article from April 26, 1996 [Chronicle]
• Article from The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, No. 12. (Summer, 1996), p. 37.
• speech by a hunger striker
• pictures
• more pictures
• letter from striker's dad to then-president George Rupp