Join Larger Movements
Across the nation’s college campuses students banded together to protest the war, U.S. foreign policy, and even their respective college administrations. Looking outside the campus context at the time the United States would see a national surge of social movement activity and protest. University of Michigan’s Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was one of the most vocal anti-war groups on campus. However, they did not just decry the war in Vietnam. SDS was also known for “refusing to focus on only one issue [...] advocat[ing] for racial equality, economic justice, and peace” (Jermany 2018).
Outside of the SDS, the civil rights movement kicked off this period of American activism. At this time movements centered around identity and the fight against injustice consistently made headlines, but were not often painted in a favorable light. SDS, along with other student groups, found the intersections between the grievances of marginalized groups at home and abroad. These conversations are important for any movement.
Featured on this page, there is a Black Panther Party program which details the party’s stance on the Vietnam War. Note that this document originated from the national Black Panther Party. Beside this image is a flyer for a national antiwar march in Washington, DC, where students from around the country marched on the capital to protest the war.
