Activism 1970-79

Content warning: language

Visual posters detail student-led opportunities to organize and educate on issues of climate and ecological justice.

RISD initiatives

RISD hires its first administrators to work toward recruiting and admitting more students of color. 

Illustration of bearded face with hair turning into text
Illustraion of a man with hair and beard turning into text
Poster with illustrations of birds on a telephone line
Illustrated poster of two hands holding wrists
Poster with abstacted topographical map
Flyer with list of demands
Flag with green stripes and white stars on a green background
Illustration of US flag stabbing soldier in the back
Page with a printed list of demands
a typed document written in 1970 that lists demands made at the time by minority students at RISD
Illustration of bearded face with hair turning into text

Directions in the Work of Black American Artists, Barry Gaither lecture poster, Maurice Burns 72 PT, October 20, 1970

Directions in the Work of Black American Artists, Barry Gaither lecture poster, Maurice Burns 72 PT, October 20, 1970

Illustraion of a man with hair and beard turning into text

Directions in the Work of Black American Artists, Barry Gaither lecture poster, Maurice Burns 72 PT, October 20, 1970

Directions in the Work of Black American Artists, Barry Gaither lecture poster, Maurice Burns 72 PT, October 20, 1970

Poster with illustrations of birds on a telephone line

Black Artists in Graphic Communication exhibition poster, Dorothy Hayes and Reynold Ruffins, 1970

Black Artists in Graphic Communication exhibition poster, Dorothy Hayes and Reynold Ruffins, 1970

Illustrated poster of two hands holding wrists

Art Workers' Coalition and the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition, artist and community panel discussion poster, Johansen, March 27, 1970

Art Workers' Coalition and the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition, artist and community panel discussion poster, Johansen, March 27, 1970

Poster with abstacted topographical map

Ecological Planning Workshop poster, April 24, 1970

Ecological Planning Workshop poster, April 24, 1970

Flyer with list of demands

We Demand, RISD Paper student publication, RISD students, 1970

We Demand, RISD Paper student publication, RISD students, 1970

Flag with green stripes and white stars on a green background

Vietnam War protest poster, RISD student, 1970

Vietnam War protest poster, RISD student, 1970

Illustration of US flag stabbing soldier in the back

Vietnam War protest poster, RISD student, 1970

Vietnam War protest poster, RISD student, 1970

Page with a printed list of demands

Student response to President Rantoul's statement regarding the demands for more financial aid, 1970

Student response to President Rantoul's statement regarding the demands for more financial aid, 1970
View full PDF here

a typed document written in 1970 that lists demands made at the time by minority students at RISD

Minority Student Demands document, 1970

Minority Student Demands document, 1970

Get to know RISD

students walking on the sidewalk in front of the red brick Waterman Building on RISD’s campus
Mission and values

Learn what drives all we do—as an institution and an engaged creative community.

risd graduating class of 1902 black and white historical photo
RISD Archives

Explore the collection and learn more about RISD’s history and how it has changed over time.