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Transcript (227 KB)
Description
On January 20, 2025, Dr. Mary Frances Berry, former chairperson of the US Civil Rights Commission, discussed her role as an ad hoc advisor to the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Black Student Association (BSA) during the 1969 student demonstrations. Berry, who taught at EMU from 1968 to 1970, highlighted the practical demands of the BSA, such as more black faculty and programs, which were largely met. She contrasted the BSA's success with the less successful anti-Vietnam protests. Berry also recounted her experiences as a war correspondent in Vietnam and her efforts to secure legal representation for Bob Smith during the EMU protests.
Interview Date
1-20-2025
Keywords
EMU black student association, 1969 demonstrations, Pierce Hall takeover, Mary Frances Berry, civil rights, social policy, legal historian, anti-war movement, Vietnam War, student protests, black studies program, faculty representation, multicultural center, FBI infiltration, Ken Cockrell.
Permission to Use
Permission to quote from this oral history should be requested from the University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).
Copyright
Copyright to the audio resource and its transcript is held by the content creator, author, artist or other entity, and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any other format without written permission of the copyright owner, Eastern Michigan University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).
Recommended Citation
Jones, Matt and Braun Marks, Alexis, "Dr. Mary Frances Berry, Oral History Interview, 2025" (2025). Oral Histories. 244.
https://commons.emich.edu/oral_histories/244