May 4, 1970
Students call for national strike against Nixon’s move to Cambodia, Strike Committee addresses the college
(Date is for when it was reported in the Sophian)
Colleges and universities across the nation called for a nationwide student strike in response to an announcement by President Nixon that U.S. military operations would be expanding into Cambodia. A student group called the Smith Strike Committee took to mobilizing the campus for participation in the wider movement, planning to distribute leaflets, prepare a statement, and encourage students to skip classes and any other academic activities. On the morning of May 4th, student leaders of the committee met with President Mendenhall to discuss plans for participating in the strike, and they were permitted time to address the student body at an all-college meeting. The student who led this address, Kelley Brennan ‘70, described the national situation as a crisis which was not being properly represented or explored in the classroom setting. The committee saw the strike as an opportunity for learning which was different from traditional education but not any less valuable. Demands of the national group Smith participants were supporting included an end to systemic oppression of political dissidents, particularly members of the Black Panther Party, and an end to escalation in the war. The Smith group added a demand to halt campus recruitment by the armed services or corporations with military ties.
Students call for national strike on Tuesday to protest Nixon’s move into Cambodia 1, 2
[Last updated on October 28, 2018]