In 1968, a small group of MIT students formed the Black Students' Union (BSU) and presented a list of proposals to the administration. Designed to increase the presence of African American students at MIT, the proposals outlined changes to recruitment, financial aid, and admission. In this video, the first co-chair of the BSU, Shirley A. Jackson PhD ‘73 and former MIT President Paul E. Gray ’54 remember the sacrifices and heated meetings that led MIT to change its long-standing recruitment and admission policies.

Learn more about this student group at the MIT Black Students' Union.

Watch the entire interviews of Shirley Jackson and Paul Gray at the MIT150 Infinite History.