During the 1968-1969 school year students at San Francisco State College (now University) waged a protracted struggle with the school's administration, particularly President S.I. Hayakawa, in an effort to make the school more inclusive and responsive to minority students and their needs. In particular, the Black Student Union demanded the creation of a degree-granting Black Studies Department and the reinstating of George Murray, an English professor who had been fired due to his political activities. As the protests grew, the struggle came to encompass more than the specific conditions at SF State, as student protesters expressed solidarity with all Third World students. This solidarity was also expressed in a similar Third World strike across the bay at UC Berkeley.

In response to the strike led by students and faculty in support of the Black Student Union and their demands, the San Francisco Police Tactical Squad initiated a crackdown on campus protesters, resulting in the injury of numerous students.

This collection contains both audio and print material focusing on the effort to create a Black Studies Department, the student strike, and the brutal tactics employed by the police in response to the protesters. The audio material largely comes from Colin Edwards and his reporting on the strike. The print material features both outside perspectives on the strike as well as student publications detailing the strike, the student's demands, and the brutal nature of the administration and police response.