Though UW-Madison has had protests and civic engagement throughout its history, the era that gave UW-Madison its reputation as a “protest school” began in the 1960s. Anti-Apartheid activism influenced politics in Madison long before the American Anti-Apartheid Movement gained momentum in the 1980s, becoming one of the first communities in the United States to recognize apartheid as a critical issue that required American activism and solidarity.
Wisconsin Protests
How Black Milwaukeeans Won the Fight for Fair Housing
The proposed legislation, its author declared, was “doomed to a violent death the moment it was uttered… like so many other issues pertaining to racial discrimination that have been sent to the Mayor’s office.”
State Street Starbucks: Employees Push for Action
The State & Lake Starbucks location has been a staple in Madison since the late 1990s, however this hub of student activity has become a beacon of unionization in the recent months as students have arrived back on campus.
The Gay Purges – A Brief History of Exclusion and Resilience
The term Gay Purge is in reference to when UW-Madison “actively purged students identified as homosexuals” in 1962. However, the persecution of LGBTQ+ students at UW-Madison predated the 1960s.
University Failure and Student Response – Linking Today to the 1960s
Earlier this month, a horrific, hate-filled video of a UW-Madison student spouting racist slurs, threats, and a desire to own enslaved people began circulating around the UW-Madison community. It didn’t take long for the video and responses to it to go viral online, resulting in a petition for the expulsion of the students involved with the video amassing tens of thousands of signatures.
Always Been Here – Wisconsin’s History of LGBTQ+ Presence and Activism
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.
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.