In October of 2022, a well-known transphobic political commentator was invited to UW-Madison by a conservative student group and allowed to speak. What followed was an outraged student body, a clash of protestors and insults publicly thrown at university officials who spoke out for trans acceptance. The intensity of the event was felt throughout campus and sparked a discussion about LGBTQ+ presence and resistance throughout Wisconsin history, which this article explores.
Wisconsin
Dr. Matthew Levin’s Cold War University and UW-Madison’s Legacy of Student Activism
Dr. Matthew Levin’s Cold War University offers a look at the circumstances that surrounded UW-Madison’s burst on to the national scene in the mid 20th century as one of the most politically active campuses in America. Through an interview with Dr. Levin himself and an analysis of his book, this article discusses how Wisconsin’s politically diverse climate, combined with the blending of in-state and out-of-state students informed what would become an epicenter of anti-war and Civil Rights protests.
Sifting and Reckoning – Unmasking Madison’s Façade of a Liberal Utopia
The Fall 2022 semester at UW-Madison saw the installation and opening of the Public History Project’s Sifting and Reckoning exhibit. Sanctioned by former Chancellor Rebecca Blank in 2019, the Public History Project aims to “uncover and give voice to those who experienced and challenged bigotry and exclusion on campus.”
The Overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Role of Activism for the Future
Since the decision of Roe v Wade in 1973, many cases narrowed the scope of this decision but never overturned it completely. This all changed in May 2022 when a draft of a majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, was leaked to political news sources.
Reclaiming What is Theirs – How Native Activism in Milwaukee during the 1970s resulted in Land Back and Community Growth
While many efforts to maintain treaty rights proved unsuccessful, the 1971 protests by Native activists in Milwaukee were a rare example of Native protests that resulted in Indigenous gain.
An overview of the Mifflin Street Block Party: A political statement.
I know plenty of people who plan to spend their Saturday drinking the day away between Dayton St and W Washington Ave. Yet many of the students who will be spending their day at Madison’s largest annual “darty” are unaware that the event started as a political protest.
William Proxmire
Wisconsin’s Class I senate seat has been filled with history in the last century… Yet between McCarthy and Herb Kohl, the man who lends his namesake to the Kohl Center here at UW, the seat was held by William Proxmire, a man who played a leading role in the anti-genocide movement in America.
The Truly American Environmentalist Movement
The modern Environmentalist movement has seen a flurry of activity following the “Code Red” announcement of the UN report on climate change in August. Hosting protests and calls to action now 365 days a year, Environmentalism has grown in means and in might since its conception as but a single day of national awareness: Earth Day 1970.
Vietnam War Protests at UW-Madison
The Vietnam War, fought between 1955-1975, drew attention across the U.S. It was one of the most highly protested wars in history, especially at UW-Madison. A notable protest at UW occurred in April of 1965 with faculty teaching over 1,500 students about the conflict outside of an academic building.
Imperial Invasion
The Reagan administration’s foreign policy was imperialist in nature and in cause. The anti-communist agenda of the American government in the last half of the 20th century allowed the executive to fall back on its colonialist roots under the guise of worldly protection.