How We Define Activism
In order to represent student activism at Duke, we wanted to understand the definition of activism. Dictionaries offered variations of “vigorous action to support political or social views.” In several discussions as well as our research, we recognized the powerful value of non-violent social change as well as the dilemma of understanding “social and political views.” Does that mean that the views could be from either the right or the left? Could activism be generated by an individual? We decided on this definition, “actions by an individual, group or coalition which challenge the status quo in an organized way or engage with the greater community both at the local and national level."
Documents and Information Included
On our main page you will find a timeline that can be used to further your understanding of both historical events and local actions, as well as more in-depth information about several key student organizations. Student organizations covered in more depth include the Liberal Club, the American Student Union, the YMCA/YWCA, the League of Women Voters, Veterans of Future Wars, and COGS. We provide access to primary source documents drawn from not only the Duke University Archives but also from archives at the University of North Carolina at Chapel, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Princeton and Swarthmore. Please see the bibliography for more details.
Intended Audience
This project will be of special interest to students and faculty at Duke who want to know more about previous generations of Duke students, but it is intended for anyone interested in the history of American universities, the activism of college students, and life at Duke University.
We have also included a detailed Documentation page for any librarians and academics interested in our process of planning, developing and creating this digital project.