On February 13, 1969, Duke University students in the Afro-American Society occupied the the main administration building to bring attention to the needs of Black students. These needs included an African American studies department, a Black student union, and increased enrollment and financial support for Black students. This and subsequent events became known as the Allen Building Takeover. The Allen Building Takeover Collection contains announcements; flyers; publications; correspondence; handouts; reports; transcripts; ephemera; clippings; a bibliography; photographs documenting Black Culture Week (Feb. 4-12, 1969) and the Allen Building Takeover (Feb. 13, 1969); and items related to student demands, statements by Provost Marcus Hobbs and by Duke President Douglas Knight, student convocations and demonstrations both in support of and against the Takeover, and later events on the Duke campus and in Durham, N.C. In addition, the collection contains clippings and artwork related to remembering the Takeover, including the 2002 Allen Building lock-in.
The collection features materials documenting the Allen Building Takeover at Duke University. The Subject Files series includes color photographs taken inside the building, announcements, flyers, publications, correspondence, handouts, reports, transcripts, and ephemera relating to Black Culture Week (Feb. 4-12, 1969), the Allen Building Takeover (Feb. 13, 1969), and items relating to student demands, statements by Provost Marcus Hobbs and by Duke President Douglas Knight, student convocations and demonstrations both in support of and against the Takeover, and later events on the Duke campus and in Durham, N.C. Photographs were taken by student participant Lynette Lewis and show the students inside the building during the Takeover; they are accompanied by the original color negatives. Also included are clippings of newspaper and magazine coverage of the Takeover from the campus paperThe Chronicle, as well as local, state, and national media.
In addition, the collection contains clippings and artwork related to anniversaries and remembrances of the Takeover. Students created artwork in this collection while participating in the 2002 Allen Building lock-in, an event commemorating 1960s activism at Duke and an opportunity for students and administrators to discuss the racial climate on campus.