This is an essay chronicling the history of the black studies major at Grinnell College, with an emphasis on the reasons it had such a short career. It also provides an overview of the CBS (Concerned Black Students) Manifesto of 1971.
During Grinnell's earliest days, Alumni Hall rang out with fiery debate. Do we need political parties? Should the death penalty be abolished? For over 60 years, Grinnell College's Literary Societies met to dance, converse, and hold forth on issues that are still pertinent in the 21st century. These groups were the beginning of a tradition that carries on with the impressive number of organized student groups that the campus currently enjoys. Join us as we look back at the Grinnell Literary Societies.
