“There Can Be No Business as Usual”: The University of North Carolina and the Student Strike of May 1970

Formal Leaders and Social Change: A Historical Case Study of Student Body Presidents as Activists

“…On the afternoon of May 11, nearly 600 attended a televised symposium that featured faculty members speaking on the Cambodian invasion and other aspects of the war. These educational aspects of the strike continued during the remainder of the week, with additional forums addressing such topics as the impact of the war on health, the economics of war, American foreign policy, and strategies for social change (Broadhurst, 2015). Cathy Sterling' s first challenge as student body president came 1 day after NCSU students elected her to lead their campus.…”

“…Though located only a short distance from each other in central North Carolina, UNC and NCSU were very different schools in 1970. As a campus with a strong liberal arts program, students at UNC had a long tradition of engaging in social justice and the university had a reputation as a center of activism in the state (Broadhurst, ). In contrast, NCSU was a land grant university that focused on STEM disciplines and possessed only a burgeoning protest culture (Broadhurst, ).…”

“…Both students, each with a long history of engaging in activism, were elected as student body presidents in the spring of 1970. Tommy Bello, an ardent peace activist and later a Rhodes Scholar, expressed early in his presidency his desire to improve communication between UNC's students and administration (Broadhurst, ). His counterpart at NCSU, Cathy Sterling, had joined Civil Rights groups while a high school student and was elected because of her campaign platform that centered on improving student rights at NCSU (Broadhurst, ).…”

“…The evening of May 5, the day after the tragedy at Kent State, Bello spoke to a crowd of 2,000 students at the Pit, the sunken courtyard at UNC and a center of campus society, and implored the gathered students to get their fellow classmates involved and strike: “If the only way that this nation is going to notice us is for us to strike, we strike” (Bello, , p. 43). As the UNC student body president, he spearheaded a massive demonstration the following day and when he stepped up to the podium at Polk Plaza, the central courtyard on campus, nearly 6,000 students and faculty had gathered in protest (Broadhurst, ). Bello gave an impassioned speech that not only reflected on the week's events, but firmly endorsed the need of peaceful protests by students.…”

“…Bello gave an impassioned speech that not only reflected on the week's events, but firmly endorsed the need of peaceful protests by students. Following the rally, Bello led nearly 4,000 students in a march around campus; the group carried coffins to symbolize the dead at Kent State (Broadhurst, ).…”