Black History Month Event

In celebration of Black History Month, the CSI Library, in collaboration with the Black Student Union and the Office of Student Life held an online event, "Black Student Life on Campus." The program featured a discussion with members of the Black Student Union about the Black student experience through the lens of newly digitized student publications across the decades. This guide is a companion to the February 25, 2021 event. Use the links in the guide to access event-related articles and other resources.

The College of Staten Island Archives & Special Collections has created a digitized collection of student publications that documents the history of the College and its predecessors, Richmond College and Staten Island Community College. The collection includes newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, and yearbooks.

The online collection can be accessed by clicking this link.

"Memorial Service Held in Honor of Dr. King"

The Dolphin, April 22, 1968, p. 3: On Friday, April 5, 1968, SICC (Staten Island Community College) canceled classes and had a memorial service to mourn the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated on April 4, 1968. College leaders spoke of King as the bridge between Black and White races and they discussed creating a new course in Negro-American history and a tutoring program for underprivileged students.

"Malcolm X"

The Dolphin, December 19, 1968, p. 3: An editorial written by a Black student who reviewed the 1964 documentary film, "Malcolm X--Struggle for Freedom."

"Forced Sterilization in America"

Richmond Times, October 16, 1973, p. 9: In the early 1970's, several young Black women were advised by health care professionals from various cities in Illinois, Mississippi, and New York to undergo surgical procedures that would sterilize them. The article examines antiquarian laws that advocated sterilization to poor, "mentally defective" women.

"Black Awakening"

The College Voice, October 26, 1982, p. 5: Articles and commentary from CSI students.

"Black Awakening"

The College Voice, April 19, 1983, p. 7: Articles and commentary from CSI students.

"Anguish & Outrage to Serve and Protect...?"

The College Voice, May 13, 1994, p.13:  Article describing the backlash of the killing of Ernest "Kase" Sayon, a 22 year old Black man who was killed on April 30, 1994 by the police in the Park Hill community of Staten Island.

"War on Drugs: Racist War on Blacks"

The College Voice, May 13, 1994, p. 15:  Article discussing the increase in police hires under Mayor Giuliani. The article's perspective is that the rhetoric and hysteria masked as the "war on drugs" resulted in a culture where the police target low income neighborhoods with minority communities in an effort to demonize youth through intimidation and harassment.

"Student Government Attempts to Shut Down The College Voice"

The College Voice, September 1995, p. 2: Article about the controversy over the merger of campus newspapers, The Voice and The Banner and the issue of racism. Warning: this article contains trigger words.

"Self-Evident; Institutional Racism"

The College Voice, October 1995, p. 23:  Article focusing on inequities in the criminal justice system and the concept of "law and order" within the context of classism. It also discusses the racism and sexism of Mark Furman, former detective and key witness in the O.J. Simpson trial.  Warning: this article contains trigger words.

"Voice under attack . . . again"

The College Voice, Winter 1996, p. 2:  More on the campus newspaper controversy.

"The College Voice: Who We Are"

The College Voice, Winter 1996, p. 8:  A declaration of the newspaper's mission and principles.