Forty Years After Historic Columbia Strike, Four Leaders of 1968 Student Uprising Reflect

The protests began less than three weeks after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The 1968 Columbia uprising inspired student protests across the country.

Today we will spend the rest of the hour looking back at this pivotal moment as part of our ongoing series, “1968: Forty Years Later.” We speak with four activists involved in the Columbia strike. In 1968 William Sales was a leader of the Student Afro-American Society at Columbia. He is now chair of African-American Studies at Seton Hall University. Gustin Reichbach was a leading figure in Students for a Democratic Society at Columbia in 1968. He is now a New York State Supreme Court Justice in Brooklyn. Tom Hayden also joins us. He was a founding member of SDS and wrote the SDS manifesto known as the Port Huron Statement. He wasn’t a student at Columbia, but he took part in the protests. His latest book is titled “Writings for a Democratic Society: The Tom Hayden Reader.” And of course another one of the other Columbia strike leaders is with us, my colleague Juan Gonzalez. In 1968 Juan was a member of SDS and one of the only Latino activists on campus. In 1968 Juan was a member of SDS and one of the only Latino activists on campus.

"Columbia Revolt", excerpts from documentary produced by Third World Newsreel

Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now! co-host and a columnist for the New York Daily News. In 1968 Juan was a member of SDS and one of the only Latino activists on the Columbia campus.

William Sales, former chair of African-American Studies at Seton Hall University. In 1968 he was a leader of the Student Afro-American Society at Columbia.

Gustin Reichbach, one of the leading figures in SDS at Columbia in 1968. He is now a New York State Supreme Court Justice in Brooklyn.

Tom Hayden, founding member of the Students for a Democratic Society and wrote the SDS manifesto known as the Port Huron Statement. Although he wasn’t a student at Columbia, he took part in the protests. He is the author of many books including “Writings for a Democratic Society: The Tom Hayden Reader.” It was published earlier this month by City Lights.

Related Links

• WEB EXCLUSIVE: "Who Rules Columbia" Original 1968 Strike Edition [Download pdf]
• Third World Newsreel
• "Columbia's times have a-changed" - Read Juan Gonzalez' column