Larry Gossett was a founding member of the BSU. Today he serves on the King County Council and is one of the most influential elected officials in the state of Washington. (4 min)
In the late 1960's, a new set of student
organizations emerged. The first of these was the Black Student Union
(BSU), begun in 1968. At that time there were only 77 African Americans
among the more than 25,000 students enrolled at the University
of Washington.
In May of that year, the BSU seized the UW administration building, demanding
increased admissions for students of color. After a tense standoff,
the UW President agreed to several BSU demands.
Black
Student Union