University Archives, Spencer Research Library

On April 11, 1990 approximately 350 people gathered inside Strong Hall to protest the administration’s handling of minority issues. The protest started after a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon yelled racial slurs at a female pizza delivery girl.

The beginning of the ’90s marked a turning point for relationships between minorities and the University of Kansas.

The Minority Issues Task Force was on its way to implement recommendations predicted to ease building tension between minorities and the University.

It would all change March 30, 1990.

Rough relationship

Lack of minority representation and the presence of discrimination were evident on campus during the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s through 1970s.

A 2002 article written by Douglas Harvey for kuhistory.com cited that about 150 members of the Civil Rights Council staged a sit-in to protest the University’s discriminatory policies for student housing and for the greek community in 1965.

Chancellor Gene A. Budig proposed the creation of a task force to ease tension after Ku Klux Klan members spoke on campus.

The Minority Issues Task Force looked at the concerns of minority students on campus and made recommendations and a plan to implement those recommendations.

Marshall Jackson, associate director of the Academic Achievement and Access Center, was the interim director of the Office of Minority Affairs and was on the task force.

After months of research, task force members filed a report with the University that highlighted major problems.

Members finished the 29-page report on May 4, 1989. The report outlined issues from campus climate to student, faculty and staff recruitment and retention.

Jackson said the report contained ideas that would have changed the University for the long run. But the task force’s recommendations would come to a halt on the morning of Friday, March 30, 1990.

Igniting flames

It was around 2 a.m. that morning when Ann Dean, then a St. Louis sophomore, was asked to deliver a pizza to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Dean said that Matthew Willenborg, a St. Louis freshman, struck her hand, knocking down the pizzas she was carrying, and yelled racial slurs at her, according to articles written about the incident.

A report was filed against the fraternity.

The report sparked a controversy that widened the gap between students.

Jackson said many minority groups were already trying to bring attention to issues like racial discrimination, women’s issues and gay rights issues before the incident.

“There was a lot of tension. The campus was extremely charged politically,” Marshall said. “The SAE thing kind of blew everything up.”

According to an Apr. 2, 1990 article of the University Daily Kansan, 20 students gathered Apr. 1 on the front porch of the SAE house and demanded to discuss what had happened.

The groups were later moved to Hoch Auditorium, now Budig Hall, where they were joined by University officials to talk about the episode.

Bill Tuttle, professor of American studies, helped organize students.

“I think the reason we got involved was that nothing was being done,” he said. “We also wanted to avoid violence.”

Nine days later, on Apr. 11, students angry about the administration’s lack of action descended upon Strong Hall to protest. Chancellor Budig answered the concerns of the students.

Chico Herbison, professor of African and African-American studies, was in charge of recruiting minorities during this time.

“I think students have a right and a responsibility to constantly question any decisions being made,” he said. “One of the byproducts of the whole series of incidents was that the chancellor did set aside funds for minority scholarships.”

After the protest, some of the protesters went to the fraternity to deliver a get well card.

Tuttle said the card read, “Racism is a social disease, get well soon. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.”

Tension remained highly charged on campus for several weeks, as the task force’s report was not enough of a response for students, Jackson said.

“They said the University wasn’t moving fast enough,” he said.

Jackson was disappointed that the task force’s plan was never implemented.

“What I thought was the best opportunity for the University to make some changes that would have been long term with the minority task force didn’t happen.” he said. “Everything was right there for the University to move ahead, but it had all died.”

Moving forward

Willenborg, the fraternity member who assaulted Dean, was later suspended and he resigned from the fraternity.

He left the University after he was arrested on a separate battery charge.

Other acts of racial violence have since been reported, but none have instigated similar protests.

The Office of Minority Affairs was renamed the Office of Multicultural Affairs when Robert Page took over as director of the program.

The multicultural program’s aim to include all students, not just minorities, is one of Page’s goals for the University. Page also has helped develop plans for a new Multicultrual Research Center, which will be added onto the north side of the Kansas Union.

Construction for the multi-million dollar project is scheduled to begin in the fall.

Both Jackson and Tuttle have praised the work that Page has done for the multicultural environment on campus.

Page said he was thankful that the administration and the students improved the campus environment.

“We will be the best cultural center in the country — ground breaking, visionary, a model institution,” he said.

Edited by Ross Fitch