Social Media presents balancing act between entertainment, activism
UW Oshkosh is celebrating its journey for equality by recognizing past mistakes and honoring those who fought for a fair future on campus. On November 21, 1968, 94 black UWO students walked to the chancellor’s office in a mass protest and demanded equal rights to their white peers. The protest resulted in a mass expulsion and arrest of the students. During this time at UWO, most students of color were not able to do much without discriminatory response. Many of the Oshkosh 94 never stepped foot back onto the UWO campus because of trauma experienced at the school.
In 2018, 50 years after the protest, UWO Chancellor Andrew Leavitt formally apologized to the 94 former students in an event called Black Thursday. 36 of the 94 attended, with each receiving a chancellor’s medallion. Events honoring the 94 have been held annually and given UWO students and staff, as well as community members, a look back on Oshkosh’s not so pretty past.
On November 16, 2023, UWO held their latest Black Thursday event, featuring the school’s Black Student Union, UWO History Professor Dr. Steven Kercher, and also Mr. Joshua Ranger, an archivist who unveiled a permanent exhibition detailing the events that the Oshkosh 94 went through.
The event also featured a panel of nine of the Oshkosh 94, who answered questions from the audience and emphasized the great importance of these events.
“Everybody needs to learn the history of America,” one of the panelists, Dr. Sheila Knox, said. “What happened to the Oshkosh 94 is not just black history, it is a history lesson for everyone. You have to learn about the struggles of others, so that you know why people respond the way they do and to know that they have had different experiences than you.”
Makaylee Stewart, a student at UWO, holds a similar sentiment.
“I think events like this are important for awareness in general,” she said. “A lot of people don’t understand how important things like this are.”
Although attendance at the event was high, Stewart’s primary concern was the lack of effort by people to educate themselves on historical events.
“Even if people don’t think this history applies to them, sharing information about certain events like this is important for our community,” she said.
The Oshkosh 94 hasn’t only inspired events like this to occur, but also programs implemented in an attempt to reach more equality on campus, which documentary filmmaker Joanne Williams has noticed.
“It’s important to learn about these things because without the Oshkosh 94 there wouldn’t be all these programs on campus,” she said. “They open the door to multidisciplinary programs that you wouldn’t exist without the Oshkosh 94.”
Efforts have been consciously made to make UWO a more welcoming place for everyone. The development of these programs acts to build safe spaces all throughout the campus, which Senate of Academic Staff Member Daphne Lewis has encouraged.
“I think that students should hopefully realize that they are welcome here,” she said. “While we have a diverse history, we are a growing university. The Oshkosh 94 are helping us to continue to create welcoming spaces throughout the campus and community and we look forward to serving them as well.”
Knox believes that everyone can contribute towards progress if they have the courage to speak up.
“People will have other problems, other circumstances, other views, and that’s important to realize when living your life,” she said. “One of the main things that we said is to stand up and to say something. If you see something wrong, try to correct it with your voice.”
by Adele Faust & Jaeden Williams
Published November 27 2023
Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue II