The Black Manifesto Composed by CBS in 1971 When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a people who were stolen from the lands of their Fathers, transported under the most ruthless and brutal circumstances 5,000 miles to a strange land, sold into dehumanizing slavery, emasculated, subjugated, exploited and discriminated against for 351 years, to call with finality, a halt to such indignities and genocidal practices - by virtue of the laws of Nature and of Nature's God a decent respect to the Opinions and Mankind requires that they should declare their grievances and the urgent redress thereof. We, the black students [of] this campus, because of the racist atmosphere which prevails, demand the following: [1] we demand that this administration establish a black community with no less than 200 representatives taken from all walks of black people, and that the responsibility for the establishment of this community be co-shared by the present black community; [2] a black student on every committee or council in the college, with minority veto power over all things that will influence the survival of black people; [3] that no official meeting be held discussing the survival of blacks on this campus, without mandated black spokesman; [4] that we, as black students, have the final say on the residence of black freshmen and sophomores; [5] because we fell the SAGA food service does not serve the types of food that are necessary to the survival of black people, we want the right to decide whether or not we will take any of the board options; [6] that all financial aid be reorganized so that it does meet the needs of blacks, including books and travel, and to insure that this is accomplished, we want black students on the financial aid committee with veto power; [7] because of the enrollment and the programs of CBS, we feel that the present Cultural Center is insufficient, therefore we demand a house large enough to accommodate the programs of CBS; [8] the immediate institution of a Black Studies major, which is supervised by black students; [9] that black students be given full administration of all funds dealing with the survival of black students; [10] the institution of a black library with all audio-visual equipment that will aid in the academic survival of all black students; We feel that if these demands are met, Grinnell College may be conducive to the needs of black students. NO REPRISALS AGAINST ANY BLACK PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS ACTION!