“E pluribus unum” was adopted as the motto of the United States in 1782, appearing on the Great Seal as a symbol of unity. Yet, for generations, this unity did not extend to all.
Enslaved individuals and their descendants were systematically excluded — denied that very promise of inclusion and equality.
Northwestern, like many institutions of higher learning, practiced or tolerated racial exclusion, perpetuating inequities for Black students on its campus. This injustice persisted — until we, the B100, weary of persistent racism, declared: “Enough.”
On May 3 and May 4, 1968, Black students at Northwestern staged a peaceful occupation of the Bursar’s Office, boldly challenging systemic racism and the entrenched inequalities within the University. Our courage transformed Northwestern for the better, paving the way for a more just and inclusive institution. The 100 Black students who took over the Bursar’s Office became known as the B100.
The B100 negotiated a historic agreement with the University, leading to increased Black enrollment, non-discriminatory hiring of more Black professors and staff and the establishment of Northwestern’s first Black Studies program.
Our efforts extended beyond Black students — women and Jewish students benefited. Later, Asian American, Latino and other students also benefited. The fight for equity helped reshape Northwestern into a better institution for all.
Today, Northwestern and higher education in America stand at a critical crossroads, facing both formidable challenges and profound opportunities that will shape their futures. The landscape has been dramatically altered by sweeping executive orders, abrupt shifts in federal priorities and moves to gut the Department of Education and Department of Justice.
It has become clear that the Trump administration, while claiming to prevent discrimination against Jewish students, is mounting an unprecedented attack on the very foundations of higher education.
The administration’s demands for control over curriculum, admissions and faculty hiring violate principles of free speech and academic independence — principles that have long defined American universities.
These actions undermine the letter and spirit of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which was intended to protect marginalized communities rather than erode their access to education.
At Northwestern, decades of hard-fought progress may now be at risk. We urge University leadership to remain steadfast and unwavering in its commitment to academic excellence, inclusivity across race, gender and culture, and honoring the May 3 and 4 agreement of 1968 it made with the B100.
The Black Northwestern community has proudly and profoundly contributed to the campus culture, future and legacy of this institution. The greater Northwestern family must join us and mobilize every resource at its disposal to resist racism, cruelty and malice, attacks on democracy, attacks on the rule of law, attacks on academic freedom, assaults on free speech and the attempted interference in and destruction of higher education.
We now urge Northwestern to resist the wave of repressive, revisionist and regressive policies threatening higher education. We advocate that Northwestern engage with its colleagues to form a coalition of institutions that refuses to surrender to fear, defends diversity and upholds the fundamental freedoms of academic inquiry.
We call on the larger community to raise its voice. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality — it is complicity. Marginalized communities are being directly targeted by authoritarian policies, threatening the progress we have worked so hard to achieve.
Our actions at Northwestern in 1968 mirrored the broader Civil Rights Movement and led to tangible change. Just as the Civil Rights Movement challenged racial injustice and systemic oppression, Northwestern’s students and activists paved the way for equity within our own institution. The fight is not over. The lessons of past generations must guide us now.
We need you to engage.
Organize within your communities to build resilience and solidarity. Call your elected representatives and demand policies that protect civil rights. Write to the University Trustees to ensure that Northwestern upholds its commitments to diversity, inclusion and justice.
Through united action and the collective legal expertise of our universities, we can secure a victory — not only for our students and institutions, but for the future of our nation.
When a government dictates what can be taught, who may teach and who is allowed to learn, we no longer have a university — we have an authoritarian think tank, designed to close minds rather than open them. For Black alumni and students, and for the broader Northwestern community, the stakes could not be higher. If education is reshaped by fear and regressive federal policies, we face a bleak future.
We must work together to prevent this from happening. Silence is never the answer. Action is.
And the time to act is now.
As members of B100, we unite through collaboration to inspire action and drive meaningful change.
Signed,
Kathryn Ogletree (Weinberg ’71) (President of FMO, NU’s Black student union, ’68)
Wayne Watson (SESP ’68)
Victor Goode (Weinberg ’70)
Widmon Butler (Weinberg ’70)
Eva Jefferson Paterson (Weinberg ’71)
If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
