“Keep Our Black Warriors Out of the Draft” - The Vietnam Antiwar Movement at Southern University, 1968-1973

Oct 15, 2026

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Marcus S. Cox examines how the Vietnam antiwar movement unfolded at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, focusing on Southern University between 1968 and 1973. The study contrasts rhetorical and policy-linked protest on Black campuses with the mass confrontations typical of Berkeley and Ivy League institutions. It documents campus debates over ROTC, highlighting economic incentives, Southern’s ROTC success, and civil-rights-centered grievances. The analysis also addresses how racism at home and within military ranks shaped antiwar rhetoric and Black soldier dissent.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Antiwar protest at Black colleges and universities

Rhetorical protest and civil-rights linked violence

Literature on Vietnam-era campus activism

Gaps on HBCU antiwar activism

Case study: Southern University (1968-1973)

Debate over compulsory ROTC

Economic benefits and ROTC success

Marcus S. Cox is an assistant professor ofhistory and director of African-American studies atThe Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina. “Keep Our Black Warriors Out of the Draft”: The Vietnam Antiwar Movement at Southern University, 1968-1973 By Marcus S. Cox During the late 1960s and early 70s, the antiwar movement gained momentum and introduced a new wave of protest and demonstrations throughout the nation. Antiwar demonstrators clashed with law enforcement officials, university administrators, and working-class hawks. At many colleges and universities, military training programs were discontinued orin jeopardy of losing their appeal. Many individuals associated with the antiwar movement used theopportunity to denounce numerous social and economic inequities that existed in American society (Isserman & Kazin, 2000) . Although anti-war protest existed at Black colleges and universities, it was quite different from the front-page confrontations atthe University of California at Berkeley or Ivy League institutions. In large part, there were no sit-in demonstrations, marches, or clashes with state police or the National Guard. Most of the protests were rhetorical, in the form of a speaker addressing small gatherings or newspaper debates. Much of the violence that did involve students on Black campuses directly related to civil rights protest or demonstrations involving administrative policies, not military training. Compulsory ROTC was only mentioned in addition to other civil rights issues and university complaints. Black institutions with a history of military training such as Southern, Tuskegee, Prairie View, Hampton, Virginia State, and Howard Universities, did not witness any violence as a direct result of the antiwar movement (Johnson, 2001) . Many of the significant works written about antiwar protest during the Vietnam war at institutions of higher education were published throughout the 1980s and 90s. Several of those monographs such as Telltale Hearts: The Originsand Impact of The Vietnam Antiwar Movement (1995), Campus Wars: The Peace Movement at American State Universities in the Vietnam Era (1993), An American Ordeal: The Antiwar Movement of the Vietnam Era (1990), Assault on the Left: The FBI and the Sixties Antiwar Movement (1997), and Confronting The War Machine: Draft Resistance During the Vietnam War (2003) primarily focus on the evolution of antiwar student activism in the post World War II era, student activities at traditionally White institutions, and what prompted young Americans throughout the nation to invest so much of themselves to this ideological cause. In relation to the ìBlack experience,î each manuscript highlights the civil rights movement, national Black leadership, and significant organizations such as the Black Panther Party and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. What is missing however is detailed reference to antiwar activism at Black colleges and universities, the slayings at Jackson State University, and most important, how and why was the antiwar movement different at African American institutions where military service and training had a major impact on the Black community. This study attempts to document the anti-war and ROTC protest movement at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), in particular Southern University between 1968 and 1973. In 1968, although many students were calling for an end to compulsory ROTCat Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the decision to abolish mandatory military training did not reflect the hostility or intensity displayed on White college campuses and universities. Throughout the late 1960s, antiwar supporters and pro-military advocates at Southern engaged in a continual debate about the merits of military service and training. Student leaders, faculty, and Black power activists argued their viewpoints with ROTC cadets, military officials, and administrators who embraced the military tradition at their insti

FAQs

What makes antiwar protest at Black colleges and universities different from other campuses?

Cox argues that protests at Black institutions were largely rhetorical, focused on speeches and newspaper debates, and that violence tied to these campuses related more to civil-rights demonstrations than to military-training conflicts.

Why did ROTC become a central issue at Southern University in 1968-1973?

Students and faculty debated the merits of military service and training, with campus newspapers hosting the dispute. Economic benefits and career opportunities from ROTC made the debate persistent.

How does the study explain the broader context of Black antiwar rhetoric?

The study connects antiwar messaging to contradictions in fighting for democracy abroad while experiencing racism and discrimination at home, and to criticism of how protection and voting rights were handled in the South.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by moss~