Exhibit details Queens College’s long history of student dissent

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An exhibit at Queens College details how the university was the site of student dissent throughout the tumultuous 1960s. Photos courtesy of Queens College.

An exhibit at Queens College details how the university was the site of student dissent throughout the tumultuous 1960s. Photos courtesy of Queens College.

By Jonathan Sperling

Civil unrest, black liberation, the fight for LGBT rights and anti-war struggle combine to make one history-filled exhibit at Queens College.

“CAMPUS UNREST AT 50: Commemorating the Legacy of Dissent at Queens College” will be on display at Queens College until Dec. 15 at the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library. The exhibit — curated by archivists Rachel Kahn and Annie Tummino — is a historical whirlwind through the tumultuous year of 1969 through the lens of Queens College, including the black and women’s liberation movements, LGBT rights-related protests and student opposition to the Vietnam War.

Learn about how Students for a Democratic Society protested the military and corporate presence on Queens College’s campus, while black and Puerto Rican students joined forces to oust and replace the SEEK director. 

Other parts of the exhibit show how Queens College students boycotted commencement and held a ceremony of their own, and how 30 students and one faculty member spent two weeks in Rikers Island jails. The exhibit samples materials from the college’s Special Collections and Archives from the Benjamin Rosenthal Library to highlight the movements.

The college asks that residents wanting to view the exhibit call 718-997-3650 or email QC.archives@qc.cuny.edu for directions and help getting to the entrance of the library. The library is located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd.